Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
Explore the best best parks for outdoor fun options for kids and families in San Carlos
Stafford Park
Open space for picnicking & play. Small community park with picnic tables, playground equipment & a separate play area for toddlers.
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
Woodland hiking & grassland wildflowers. 467 acres of woodlands & grasslands known for its hiking, wildflowers, bird-watching & scenic views.
Red Morton Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve
Preserve with canyon & ridge hikes. Dog-friendly preserve offering 366 acres of open space, with hiking trails through canyons & ridges.
Stulsaft Park
Trails, playground, picnics & water fun. A 42-acre park featuring wooded trails as well as a playground, summer water feature & picnic area.
Leo J. Ryan Park
Waterfront green space with a boardwalk. Lakeside park featuring a boardwalk, boat launch & grassy areas, plus tennis & basketball courts.
Laurelwood Park
Hiking trails to Sugarloaf Mountain. The city's largest park (225 acres) offers trails leading to Sugarloaf Mountain & scenic picnicking.
Bedwell Bayfront Park
Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.
Huddart Park
Forested area with trails & picnic spots. This 900-acre, forested park offers hiking & riding trails, plus picnic areas & an archery range.
San Mateo Central Park
Japanese gardens & an ice-skating rink. Vibrant, 16-acre park featuring Japanese gardens, a mini train ride, playground & ice-skating rink.
Ryder Park
A playground, splash pad & picnic area. Neighborhood park with striking, modern picnic pavilions, BBQs, a playground & seasonal splash pad.
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
Magic Mountain Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
Eleanor Pardee Park
Grassy fields, playgrounds & gardens. Neighborhood park with playgrounds, grassy fields, community gardens & a multipurpose concrete bowl.
Robert E. Woolley State Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Village Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Nature Preserve
Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.
Byxbee Park
Public park with earthworks & art. Birdwatching, cycling & walking are popular at this park with sculpted earth & conceptual art.
Cornelis Bol Park
Long paths & a native plant garden. 13.8-acre city park featuring multi-use trails, a playground & a native plant garden.
Bayfront Park
Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
Mitchell Park
Recreational activities for all ages. Grassy park with tennis/handball courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, splash pad & a fenced dog run.
Magical Bridge Playground
Play structures around a grassy mound. Slides, swings & climbing frames around an artificial hill, plus a treehouse & bridge.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Forested fields for hiking & picnicking. Open grasslands & forest area with 12 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling & horseback-riding.
Central Park
Sports field, tennis courts & playground. This 13-acre recreational area features tennis courts, a playing field, picnic spots & a playground.
Foothills Nature Preserve
1,400-acre nature preserve with trails. Miles of trails guide visitors through woodlands & fields, past streams & lakes in this vast park.
San Bruno City Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Junipero Serra Park
Park with impressive views of city & bay. Park offering picnic areas, a creek & walking trails plus scenic views of the city, bay & mountains.
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Vast wetlands park home to nesting birds. Spacious wetlands park boasting gravelled, shoreline trails known for birdwatching & jogging.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.
Mariposa Park
Neighborhood park with a playground. Compact, butterfly-themed park with a playground, seasonal water-play sandbox & picnic tables.
Frontierland Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pioneer Memorial Park
Quaint green space with benches & paths. Small, serene park located next to the library featuring ample benches, walkways & shaded areas.
San Pedro Valley Park
Scenic hiking trails & picnic areas. Park boasting a visitor center & seasonal waterfall plus picnic areas with BBQ pits & hiking trails.
Cuesta Park
Public green space for active locals. With wide-open spaces & shaded parts, this park has a playground, tennis courts & BBQ facilities.
Marina Park
Shoreline park with mile-long trail. 30-acre park along the shore with picnic tables, a mile-long workout trail & large group shelters.
Kennedy Park
Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.
Tennyson Park
Play area, skate park & baseball field. Public green space with amenities such as a playground, skate park, lawn & baseball field.
J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Protected intertidal zone & beach. 3-mi. stretch of beach & tide pools full of marine life, including sea stars, octopuses & crabs.
McNee Ranch State Park
Mountain trails with scenic ocean views. Steep mountainside trails for hiking, biking & dogwalking, with sweeping views of the Pacific below.
Charles F Kennedy Park
Play area, ball field & amphitheater. Green space with a playground, baseball field, amphitheater & occasional community events.
Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve
Hiking area featuring a working farm. Rural nature preserve with 25 miles of hiking trails, plus a working farm & a model plane launch.
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Lake, scenic vistas & miles of trails. Varied landscape including 11 miles of trails, lake, meadows & ridge views in a 2,143-acre preserve.
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Sheltered cove surrounded by cliffs. Cliffs surround this sandy beach, where whales are often spotted close to the shore.
Meek Park
Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.
Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area
Lakefront park offering water activities. Lakefront park offers 471 acres of space for picnicking, swimming, fishing & non-motorized boating.
Alta Loma Park
Park with tennis & basketball courts. Open city park with a basketball & tennis court, playing fields & a playground.
Garin Regional Park
Hills, fields, streams & farming history. This natural area with hills, fields & streams houses a seasonal visitor center on ranching history.
De Anza Park
Spanish Aztec-themed picnic & play area. Picnic grounds & play space with basketball, a sports field, horseshoes, skate area & climbing fun.
Seven Seas Park
Family-friendly recreation & a dog park. Neighborhood gathering place offering a dog park & lots of kid activities including a spray pool.
Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park
Spacious preserve with trails & a garden. Expansive park featuring trails, a creek, gardens & farm animals, plus a seasonal barn center.
Seven Hills Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Las Palmas Park
Tiki-themed playground, dog run & more. 24-acre tiki-themed park with a playground, water features, a dog run, tennis courts & bathrooms.
Baylands Park
Wetlands, trails & recreation areas. Developed park of 70+ acres on San Francisco Bay with playgrounds, trails & a wetlands preserve.
Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum
Park with gardens & a historic house. Small green space featuring scenic gardens & a 19th-century house open for occasional group tours.
Alviso Marina County Park
Popular hiking & bird-watching site. Hiking, biking & bird-watching are popular activities at this bayside park with paths & boardwalks.
San Bruno Mountain State & County Park
Hiking trails & picnic spots with views. Mountain recreation space featuring city & bay views, hiking trails, picnic areas & open meadows.
Serra Park
Tennis courts, ball fields & open lawns. Nature area with tennis courts, ball fields, playground & picnic areas, plus manicured & open space.
Central Park
Land & water activities in a scenic spot. Lakeside park with a golf course, 4 playgrounds, boat rentals, a fishing area, picnic sites & paths.
Braly Park
Retreat with tennis courts & Asian flair. Park featuring Japanese design plus venues for sand volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard & tennis.
Muwékma Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sabercat Play Area Central Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Aqua Adventure Water Park
Family-friendly waterslides & pools. Recreational facility featuring waterslides, pools, swimming lessons & an on-site eatery.
Always Dream PlayPark
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lake Chabot Regional Park
Scenic park for hikes, boating & fishing. Parkland featuring a 315-acre reservoir for canoeing & fishing, plus trails, picnic areas & a cafe.
Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
Wildlife, trails & a lagoon for swimming. 101-acre park featuring a lagoon with swimming & fishing, plus wildlife & waterfront trails.
Hillside Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Ortega Park
Recreation spot with a large playground. Park with basketball & tennis courts, a cricket pitch & more, plus lots of kids' play equipment.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
McClellan Ranch Preserve
Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.
Gomes Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Stevens Creek County Park
Trails, picnic areas & a reservoir. Miles of multi-use trails, shaded picnic areas & a large reservoir for fishing & boating.
Chabot Park
Disc golf, fishing & forested hikes. Leafy nature area with a big lake, hiking trails & a disc golf course, popular for fishing & biking.
McLaren Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Raynor Park
Play areas, a field & horseshoe pits. Longtime park with dinosaur-themed play areas plus a field, horseshoe pits & picnic areas.
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in San Carlos.