This playground was amazing and one of the cleanest and most well maintained I've seen. It was…read moreenclosed, huge bonus, had a sandpit that was freshly raked or flattened, as well as a fake tidepool water table type feature. The play structure was large and elaborate and the castle and dragons theme was carried out throughout. My kids also loved the music corner with the guitar and keyboard features.

Lots of activities for the kids. Nice shaded areas and plenty of parking. Beautiful grounds and…read moreoverall very clean

Pico Park is a small park located a few minutes from The Outlets at San Clemente…read more I love dropping by when I am in the area. There is a basketball court and playground, and an entryway to the neighborhood stairs. You can do a quick stair workout and there are benches throughout where you can take breaks and watch the sunset. Come check it out!

Gorgeous clean park in San Clemente. Basketball court and playground. Spacious picnic area. There's…read morealso a trailhead which we didn't hike this time. Several parking spaces and a restroom facility. Loved taking in the ocean views and fresh air here.

One of my favorite places in San Clemente!…read more I love the view of the pier from here. There are several concrete tables and benches that are good for picnicking or stopping for a rest. (Because they are concrete, they aren't super comfortable for long periods.) You can also bring a beach chair and place it in the grass if you'd like to take in the view of the ocean from here. (Good place to hang if you like the beach but don't like sand ;) ) As others have mentioned, there are nearby parking lots. There is also some street parking -- some is metered (the closer spots are metered) and some is not. One thing that's great? The meters don't kick in until 10am. 2021: 55/100

Mesmerizing views, cool ocean breeze, plenty of benches and great shade provided by the many tree's…read moreis what you will find in this park. Adjacent to the San Clemente Pier, this is a definite spot to stop by if you are ever in San Clemente. I love coming here to relax either with a great book, taking a break after a long run, or simply sitting with that special someone and enjoying the view. I even have a favorite bench that I have been sitting on for many many years. Lot's of nearby restaurants nearby and plenty of metered parking nearby so don't forget your quarters. But parking is free before 9:00am and after 6:00 pm. Plenty to do nearby by and even catch a couple of trains pass by. This park has it all.

We hit up Vista Hermosa Sports Park recently, and I've got to say--it checked all the boxes for a…read moresolid family outing where everyone leaves tired and happy (which, let's be honest, is the goal). Courtney's Sandcastle Playground: This place is a gem. It's gated (HALLELUJAH), shaded, and inclusive, which means every kid can enjoy it. My littles were obsessed with the pirate ship and musical areas, while my older two found enough to climb, spin, and race on to keep them out of each other's business. Bonus: there's a splash pad section for warmer days, and YES--there are actual bathrooms inside the play area. Moms, you know why that matters. Sports Fields Galore: If you've got kids in sports--or kids who just think they're in the Olympics--this park has huge open fields, soccer goals, and space to sprint until they collapse. We brought a ball, and suddenly everyone forgot they were "too hot" or "too tired" to play. Magic. Walking Trail: There's a nice little loop path, perfect if you've got a stroller crew or you're pretending you're getting your steps in while bribing toddlers with snacks. Aquatics Center Right There: We didn't do the pool this time, but the Aquatics Center is literally steps away. So this spot could easily turn into a full day outing if you're feeling brave (or caffeinated enough). Parking & Setup: Easy parking, tons of grassy space for picnics, and plenty of shade for those of us who are just there to supervise and hand out snacks. Would I go back? In a heartbeat. It's a rare combo of being actually fun for the kids and not a total sensory overload for me. If you're looking for a place that wears your kids out without wearing you down, Vista Hermosa is it.

I love that they have the splash pad and pool here. It's located right beside the playground. It…read morewas open from 1-3 with a 10 min break. It cost money to go in so I would have liked to know it was for 2hrs when I paid. Outside of that I would go back.

This is a beautiful little park tucked in to a Capistrano Beach neighborhood, which offers some…read morepretty special views of Dana Point and the ocean. On the beautiful day that we went, the ocean had these awesome multicolored azure hues like a tropical island. It's also a dynamite park to have a picnic, with plenty of shade and lots of grass. It's also great for little kids with plenty of space to run around and some low trees that are fun for them to climb. We enjoyed a great little picnic here after getting some poke for Kawamata Seafood! Five stars

Local park, surrounded with beautiful houses with unique architecture, gorgeous ocean view, clean…read morewith a small play ground for kids...Walkable and relax...There is a park benches with no shades...I wished the benches were under trees to cool down...Full of playful squirrels and so many dog owners...Very friendly vibes...and its a good place to bring your coffee here and chill. We went to Kawamata seas food and as always we came here to eat our yummy poke...Enjoyed the view and food...There is also parking spot on the street....never get crowded.

This is a nice corner neighborhood park perfect for people with small children. The most prominent…read morefeature of the park is the playground equipment and some benches allowing one to gawk at the ocean. The problem is that the size of the park is rather small and coming here to sit down and enjoying the view may entail listening to shrieking children or gossiping mothers. There are many other benches down the hill that one can enjoy the peace and quiet better if that's your thing. The view and the weather to enjoy there is lovely regardless. Parking is easily found in and around the neighborhood also.

This is one of the brand new parks built in the Sea Summit housing area. It's kind of small but…read morewell kept up, has a cute little butterfly, flower, ladybug, and bee theme for the playground & an amazing view of the ocean below. Designed for 2-4 years old, and the kids at heart ;) . There's 1 baby swing , and 2 big kid swings, a sheltered picnic area, as well as restrooms. This park sits in a location that's easy to access the sea summit trail from two different starting points too, if you feel like hiking to the beach!

One of my favorite parks. Pretty big park, Super clean lots of grass area to play. Bathrooms…read more Lots of park area and play for kids. They have shaded area with benches also for parties. Can't wait to be back

We recently hosted a party here and it was the cutest park! You can register and make an account…read moreonline without having to go in person, and you can check the dates and times you are look for. There is a $50 deposit which you get back, and you pay based on how many people and hours you plan on staying +if you are a non-resident different prices. There is a restroom nearby the playground and shelter and it is fairly clean for a park restroom. You do not get a lot of foot traffic around there which is great, lots of parking available, and areas for kids to play, adults to relax, and for dogs to run around including a field.

I have to give this 5 stars because I got married here and it was the perfect spot for a small…read morewedding. Cost was $150 to rent the park for 4 hours... can't beat that. It's in a neighborhood so very quaint and dog friendly as well.

If you're thinking about this park to host your wedding, don't do it. Smells horrible! Strong dog…read moreurine odor and strong dog poop order throughout the whole park. This place is essentially a dog park. Residents will bring their unleashed dogs here to roam through your reserved areas and pee right near your ceremony. We had THREE separate unleashed dogs traipse through the wedding ceremony. Even though you reserve the park for private use, nearby residents think they own this place. They all come here to drink. Very loud and rowdy even while the couple was saying their vows. We had at least 5 or 6 people want to come down to the lower area during our rental period and they would argue with us saying "it's a public park". We spoke with the park rangers and they said we have the right to the space for our use and don't have to let people in. PROS: The view and rental price. CONS: Dog urine smell, dog poop everywhere, dog poop smell, entitled residents/neighbors, heavy alcohol use here among neighbors/residents. Zero respect from the public. No restrooms. Ceremony area down below is very slanted.

They do have a very nice area where the field is green and beautiful and more importantly so they…read morehave a nice facility as a restaurant men and women boys and girls really quiet neighborhood really bad reception just an FYI this took forever.

Love this park. So gorgeous. So many beautiful views. Love the trails. Basketball courts…read more Baseball. Soccer. Playground. Picnic tables

This park is insane…read more It features (a) green open areas aplenty, (b) ocean views, (c) clean restrooms, (d) baseball/softball diamonds, (e) soccer fields, (f) tennis/pickleball courts, (g) plenty of parking, (h) a playground with an ocean view, (i) cute little critters running around, (j) picnic tables with some shade, and (k) so much more. It would have been the perfect sandwich park, except that we had already eaten a late breakfast followed by Balboa Bars as we walked around Balboa Island and Little Balboa Island, so we weren't hungry yet. Oh, well, next time! The neighborhood that surrounds the park is cute as well, but it still looks and feels 1970s middle class even though it's 2020s upper class. As in most parks, the playground is surrounded by benches so that parents/uncles/aunts/older siblings/nannies can take a load off while their charges are at play, but one of the benches has its back to the playground, because who wants to watch kids when you can relax and watch the ocean and the tops of the cliffs surrounding it--all from the comfort of the edge of a playground? That wisely rotated bench is what brings the rating up to five stars.