I drove by the park when we going grocery shopping we just decided to take our toddler…read more We are so happy we did. It was clean and so many fun activities to choose from. My toddler loved it and so did we!

I spent part of a lazy Saturday here last month, when I was dog-sitting for my sister. No, I didn't…read morebring the dog, because driving in cars terrifies her. Instead, I picked up a delicious sandwich, some deli sides, and drink from nearby Boccato's Groceries ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/boccatos-groceries-hermosa-beach ), lucked out in quickly finding a parking spot, and ate my lunch at a picnic table before reading my book for almost two hours. It was a beautiful day, and many other people were enjoying the near perfect weather and all the space the park has. There were at least three different kids' birthday parties going on, but they didn't interfere with one another, because Valley Park has multiple areas with picnic tables. It has a huge playground, a basketball court, and what seem like acres of grass to play on. There are also lots of trees for shade. As I said, I found parking almost right away, on Morningside Drive, but that meant a long walk for me, as the path from the western side of the park takes a rather circuitous route past the playground and the basketball court to the group of tables I wanted to sit at (the only ones completely unoccupied when I arrived). I could have taken a direct route through the grass, but that would have meant walking through a kids' soccer game and some of groups of kids playing. Most of the parking is along the two streets that form the northern boundary of the park, but I could see the street from where I was sitting, and those spots didn't open up often, and when they did, they were quickly taken. It got a bit windy as the afternoon passed, so I had to go chasing some napkins and the lid of one of my deli delectables at times, but it really is a nice, well maintained park. I didn't use the bathroom, but I did see quite a few moms taking their kids into them, so I'm assuming they couldn't have been that disgusting. Speaking of the bathrooms, it would be great if this Yelp listing could have a different, less puke-inducing cover photo. Please click on some other photos, people!

The good: The playground is small but neat and easily…read moreaccessible. There are some picnic tables next to the playground, benches and smaller trees with shade. There's a community garden here with free mulch. There's a basketball court as well. I noticed lots of folks doing tai chi here. I also noticed groups of nannies meeting up here with their kids. There's no sand, dirt or wood chips at the playground area. The bad: One of the four swings could've used WD40. It was very squeaky. There was a man on the bench by the playground alone with a book who looked to be video recording the playground. I wasn't sure if it was innocent and he was potentially just video chatting with someone and showing them where he was but I was suspicious that a man would come alone and choose a bench by the loud children's play area to read rather than sit at one of the many other benches further away for a quiet space to read. The interesting: There's plenty of street parking. The playground is flat.

Came to this park on a weekday afternoon to let my son and nephew play. It's a large park with…read morevarious courts and lots of grass. There are also walking paths that are great for riding bikes and scooters. The play area is pretty small for such a large park but it has the basic essentials and the kids had fun. Probably wouldn't make it a point to try to go to this park, but a good choice if you're in the area. Hope you check it out and enjoy!

Cool park in south Torrance with good memories. There's a library that you can drop off any books…read moreborrowed from the Torrance library l system. Perfect for locals to swing by for a walk. Went on a walk here after getting ice cream across the street and took a stroll down memory lane. Just as well maintained as I remember over a decade ago. I've had school events, picnics, dates, and walks here. All good memories.

What a cute park for my kids! It's very shaded and clean. Bathrooms and library are a plus.read more

Good trails, family-friendly, urban escape…read more When I arrived, I felt like I had departed from Los Angeles. It's tranquil and reminiscent of a simpler era.

Very large park nestled within west Torrance neighborhood with lots of dirt hiking trails around…read morethe perimeter. There's lots of elevation. From the top, you can see multiple little league fields and the reservoir which is currently filled with water and lots of ducks/geese. In the summer, this usually dries up. There is a basketball court, public bathrooms, and a playground. Picnic area has a water fill station which is nice since the rest of the park is reclaimed water and not safe to drink. Good place for walking dogs and even has an unofficial dog park. Lots of kids mountain bike on the trails during the daytime. Unfortunately, is very dark during the nighttime and often has coyotes

Review #878 2025-051…read more Our family alternates between Torrance Park & Charles H. Wilson Park (refer to Review #10), favoring the latter because of their weekend activities: farmer's market & steamers train. I drafted a review shortly thereafter but haven't been able to finish with revisions in 2016 & 2021, so almost a decade later... this is it! Torrance Park isn't as active as Wilson Park, but one past summer (2021), Ultra! - Torrance Art Museum & Torrance Park hosted "Even The Trees Will Sing If We Are Quiet Enough" (for more details, refer to website: http://finishing-school-art.net/Even-The-Trees-Will-Sing-If-We-Are-Quiet-Enough). Even The Trees Will Sing If We Are Quiet Enough is a participatory sculpture project situated among various old-growth trees. The artwork can be described as sonified interspecies furniture constructed with recycled wood & electronic components. The aum-like buzzing vibrations transduced through the architectural forms are a livestream of the trees' living electrical signals that visitors can sound-bathe in during daylight hours. Visitors reported that the tree sounds are also reminiscent of cicadas & other insects heard in wooded areas. This interspecies collaboration fosters direct connection & gives voice & focus to these elder residents that commemorate time & existence and bears witness to local histories & provides comfort & wisdom. When my daughter was taking taekwondo, the studio held a summer picnic & awards ceremony at the Outdoor Band Shell. Other than that, we come here when Wilson Park is crowded. Torrance Park has similar amenities: reservable picnic area with decent shade, bouncer accessibility, BBQ, playground, baseball/softball diamond, basketball court & horseshoe courts (though not as many), restrooms (we haven't had to use it so I'm unsure if it's clean &/or stocked), but they don't have an indoor gym/facility. There's a small area that's kinda like a corn field maze, not sure of the plants to create this mini maze, that my kids enjoyed playing tag with each other & friends. There's plenty of parking off Arlington Ave., some street spaces on Santa Fe Ave., not sure if there's a private lot off Cabrillo Ave. on the park's east side near the field. The park isn't as maintained as I would like; my son was riding his bike along the uneven walking paths & flipped over, head first, crashing on the hard asphalt & badly injured his nose with some facial scratches. Luckily, he was wearing his helmet or it could have been worse. He was 3 or 4 YO at the time of the accident, & wasn't biking on 2-wheels really fast. Quite a few playgrounds use the soft rubbery surfacing to cushion falls, here it's still sand unlike the red tractor. It's strange that they would renovate that instead of the playground that likely has more kids running & jumping around with a higher probability of falls. When the kids were older, in elementary & middle school, we're rarely at the playground & use the open grassy area to play catch with either a baseball or football, jump rope. Our daughter is currently in high school, she sometimes practices flag & rifle (color guard) in the shade. In my kids' toddler days (2011 - 2017), there's been more happy (not really) wanderers loitering & sleeping at the park, & hooligans causing chaos & mischief so we limited our time here. It's been better now that they're older, & it feels safer now with more families around. Not our first pick, but it's a decent enough back-up for outdoor play & physical activities. Come out & play... & get some CA sunshine!

The good: There's a basketball court, grassy area, a lot of…read moreswings and a playground that was appropriate for my toddler. The most interesting part of the playground was the super large fire truck. The flooring is sand. There are covered picnic bench areas. There are shady areas from the trees. My kid enjoyed picking dandelions and little weed flowers from the grass here. The bad: The park feels s bit old. There are weeds and the equipment is a bit worn down. The interesting: We parked in a large parking lot across the street but there's also street parking around the park.

Review #1034 2026-104…read more My son's classmate held a soccer-themed birthday party at Alta Vista Park, & used the picnic shelter for lunch & cake. The hosts had soccer balls for the kids to run & play on the field, & they can shoot to score a goal but the posts didn't have mesh to catch the ball so they had to run a little more to put the balls in play again. And a huge jump house with a slide & basketball hoop next to the playground. Whee! The play structure is somewhat near the picnic shelter, parents should still sit either on top of the partial encirclement or benches near the structure to keep an eye on their kids. The downside is there's no dedicated covering for shade unless you can catch the trees' shadow at the right time. The ground is a bouncy, soft rubber surface; there's no sand or wood chips. I grew up on sand playgrounds that often results in bloody scrapes if I fall. I think the rubbery surface provides better cushioning, though I have environmental concerns for possible chemical leach in high heat. Hmmm... My son's judo club also held their summer picnic here, hosting it at the air-conditioned community center. It was perfect space to cool off from the heat! Alta Vista Park is a 19.42-acre park with 3 individual multi-purpose sports fields, 1 little league field, community center, picnic shelter, 7 outdoor tennis courts, 4 outdoor pickleball courts, 2 indoor racquetball courts, & a dog run (though I haven't see it & read from other reviewers that the Park has strict dog rules that results in fines). If hosting a party that includes a jump house, the Park explicitly requires an active picnic shelter or community room reservation before a "Moon Bounce Permit" can be secured along with the necessary fees, & renter must also adhere to the strict city approval process. In addition, the jump house must be selected from their approved vendors list: Cal Jump, Jump for Fun, Jump for Joy, Planet Bouncy Rentals (as of 08/2023). I hope these companies also have special negotiated rates since no other vendors are allowed. While there's free parking, the lot is modest in comparison to the park's acreage with its heavy sports & community use. Fortunately, there's ample free street parking around the perimeter on Camino Real, Juanita & Julia Aves. I usually get lucky on Camino Real. The community center (715 Julia Ave.) is a 4,900 sq. ft. facility that has a large multi-purpose community room that can accommodate 100 people, kitchen, restrooms, & customer service office. Adjacent to the community center, the picnic shelter is available for rent with a max capacity of 35 people. Tennis (7), pickleball (4), & indoor racquetball (2) courts are available for hourly use with $25 nonrefundable membership fee, & tiered as adult, senior, & youth for racquetball & tennis. Pickleball is an hourly charge without tiers. Youths may play free weekdays between 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM & weekends between 3:30 PM - 6:30 AM for racquetball. Reservations can be made as early as 7 days in advance by phone or online. Julia Field (801 Camino Real) is an unlighted field used mostly for soccer & T-ball. The park looks nice & our limited time here was equally so. Not sure about future return trips when we have several in my neck of the woods.

Came to Alta Vista for a birthday party. Great park to host a party at…read more The indoor banquet room is large and fits at least 10+ tables. Has a kitchen area as well. The outdoor patio is covered and large. We had a taco man and blow up bounce houses. They also have a small playground area and sports areas.

This beautiful piece city real estate is home to me and my kids. The play set is top notch and the…read moregrass is always green! On the weekends, we like seeing the kids playing baseball on the diamond. I actually taught my daughter to ride a bike on the bike path in the park. That was a beautiful day. The best part of the park is the location. Its hidden from major streets blocking it from noise and pollution. Its Torrance's best kept secret. (Lets keep it that way!)

The restrooms at this park are outdated and not maintained very unsanitary . Toilet paper…read moredispensers only give a single ply at a time and jam up with no way to fix u less u have a key. Whose horrible idea was this ? Cheap skate

Great park with lots of amenities…read more Lots of parking. Little league baseball field. Sand area for kids. Basketball courts. Teen and senior center. Grassy field with trees and picnic tables. What more can you ask for?

We came to this park a few times to watch Little League games…read more This is a popular park with baseball fields and a small playground. There's a concession stand that's manned during baseball games. The bleachers could use some cleaning. Street parking available on the perimeter of the park..