Best Parks for Outdoor Fun

Explore the best best parks for outdoor fun options for kids and families in San Jose

Rotary PlayGarden

Rotary PlayGarden

Accessible children's playground. Interactive & accessible children's playground with slides, climbing equipment & seating areas.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Animals, activities & conservation focus. Small zoo with an array of animals & rides, plus an education center, petting zoo & puppet theater.

Kelley Park

Kelley Park

172-acre green space with lawn bowling. This park, which contains a zoo & living history museum, offers picnic spots & lawn bowling greens.

Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park

Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park

Public green space with sports fields. City park offering shady green space, plus softball fields, basketball & unlighted tennis courts.

Emma Prusch Farm Park

Emma Prusch Farm Park

Community farm with orchards & gardens. Compact community farm features heirloom vegetable gardens, orchards, chickens & a fair.

Central Park

Central Park

Picnicking, a pool & recreational sports. 52-acre park with 2 playgrounds & athletic courts/fields, plus a swimming pool, picnic area & BBQs.

Live Oak Park

Live Oak Park

Grass field surrounding a playground. Park grounds with a large grassy area surrounding a sand-floor playground set well off the street.

Alum Rock Park

Alum Rock Park

Large park with mineral springs & trails. Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.

Hellyer County Park

Hellyer County Park

Urban park with a multi-use, paved trail. Green space featuring a 15-mile paved trail, plus picnicking, disc golf, a dog park & a velodrome.

Martial Cottle Park

Martial Cottle Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Houge Park

Houge Park

Playgrounds, barbecues & basketball. Neighborhood park with horseshoe pit, basketball & tennis courts, plus playgrounds & barbecues.

Raynor Park

Raynor Park

Play areas, a field & horseshoe pits. Longtime park with dinosaur-themed play areas plus a field, horseshoe pits & picnic areas.

Almaden Lake Park

Almaden Lake Park

Spot for fishing, hiking & picnicking. Park with a 32-acre lake offering fishing, bocce courts, trails & a seasonal concession stand.

Muwékma Park

Muwékma Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Portal Park

Portal Park

Picnic facilities & recreation center. Small park offering a large, reservable picnic & barbecue area, playground & recreation building.

Hidden Lake Park

Hidden Lake Park

Scenic green space with a lake. Picturesque destination with a relaxing vibe featuring a lake with ducks & turtles.

Cardoza Park

Cardoza Park

Baseball, volleyball & play areas. Ten-acre park featuring a baseball field, horseshoe & volleyball courts & an outdoor amphitheater.

Braly Park

Braly Park

Retreat with tennis courts & Asian flair. Park featuring Japanese design plus venues for sand volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard & tennis.

Ortega Park

Ortega Park

Recreation spot with a large playground. Park with basketball & tennis courts, a cricket pitch & more, plus lots of kids' play equipment.

Baylands Park

Baylands Park

Wetlands, trails & recreation areas. Developed park of 70+ acres on San Francisco Bay with playgrounds, trails & a wetlands preserve.

Ed R. Levin County Park

Ed R. Levin County Park

Extensive trails, a dog park & more. Vast, natural retreat featuring 19 miles of trails, an off-leash dog park, a golf course & more.

Seven Seas Park

Seven Seas Park

Family-friendly recreation & a dog park. Neighborhood gathering place offering a dog park & lots of kid activities including a spray pool.

Alviso Marina County Park

Alviso Marina County Park

Popular hiking & bird-watching site. Hiking, biking & bird-watching are popular activities at this bayside park with paths & boardwalks.

Vasona Lake County Park

Vasona Lake County Park

Site with a sprawling lawn, trail & lake. Public green space with 45 acres of lawn, a multi-use trail & picnic areas plus a lake with fishing.

Las Palmas Park

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.

Serra Park

Serra Park

Tennis courts, ball fields & open lawns. Nature area with tennis courts, ball fields, playground & picnic areas, plus manicured & open space.

Jollyman Park

Jollyman Park

Quaint place for picnics & sports. This 11.5-acre urban park contains ball fields, a playground & shaded picnic tables.

Jose Higuera Adobe Park

Jose Higuera Adobe Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

De Anza Park

De Anza Park

Spanish Aztec-themed picnic & play area. Picnic grounds & play space with basketball, a sports field, horseshoes, skate area & climbing fun.

McClellan Ranch Preserve

McClellan Ranch Preserve

Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

Year-round hiking & biking with vistas. Scenic spread on 739 acres with rolling views & trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding.

Stevens Creek County Park

Stevens Creek County Park

Trails, picnic areas & a reservoir. Miles of multi-use trails, shaded picnic areas & a large reservoir for fishing & boating.

Cuesta Park

Cuesta Park

Public green space for active locals. With wide-open spaces & shaded parts, this park has a playground, tennis courts & BBQ facilities.

Pioneer Memorial Park

Pioneer Memorial Park

Quaint green space with benches & paths. Small, serene park located next to the library featuring ample benches, walkways & shaded areas.

Mariposa Park

Mariposa Park

Neighborhood park with a playground. Compact, butterfly-themed park with a playground, seasonal water-play sandbox & picnic tables.

Mission Peak Regional Preserve

Mission Peak Regional Preserve

3,000 mountain acres for recreation. Vast mountain preserve popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding, R/C flying and hang-gliding.

Sanborn County Park

Sanborn County Park

Lush forested park with camping & hiking. Verdant wooded park featuring RV/tent campsites, plus picnic areas & over 15 miles of hiking trails.

Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve

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.

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

Hiking trails, wildlife & dramatic views. 18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.

Sunol Regional Wilderness

Sunol Regional Wilderness

Park with hiking trails & a scenic gorge. 6,859-acre park with varied terrain & a scenic gorge for hiking, a visitor center & more.

Redwood Grove Nature Preserve

Redwood Grove Nature Preserve

Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.

Magical Bridge Playground

Magical Bridge Playground

Play structures around a grassy mound. Slides, swings & climbing frames around an artificial hill, plus a treehouse & bridge.

Mitchell Park

Mitchell Park

Recreational activities for all ages. Grassy park with tennis/handball courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, splash pad & a fenced dog run.

Byxbee Park

Byxbee Park

Public park with earthworks & art. Birdwatching, cycling & walking are popular at this park with sculpted earth & conceptual art.

Baylands Nature Preserve

Baylands Nature Preserve

Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.

Cornelis Bol Park

Cornelis Bol Park

Long paths & a native plant garden. 13.8-acre city park featuring multi-use trails, a playground & a native plant garden.

Aqua Adventure Water Park

Aqua Adventure Water Park

Family-friendly waterslides & pools. Recreational facility featuring waterslides, pools, swimming lessons & an on-site eatery.

Sabercat Play Area Central Park

Sabercat Play Area Central Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Gomes Park

Gomes Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Central Park

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.

Foothills Nature Preserve

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.

Always Dream PlayPark

Always Dream PlayPark

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Eleanor Pardee Park

Eleanor Pardee Park

Grassy fields, playgrounds & gardens. Neighborhood park with playgrounds, grassy fields, community gardens & a multipurpose concrete bowl.

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

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.

Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum

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.

Vargas Plateau Regional Park

Vargas Plateau Regional Park

Hiking trails, birds of prey & sea views. Grasslands & wooded canyons home to eagles & hawks, with gentle walking routes leading to bay views.

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Natural area with mountain biking trails. Scenic forested park featuring redwoods, natural springs & a series of cycling trails.

Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area

Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area

Lakefront park offering water activities. Lakefront park offers 471 acres of space for picnicking, swimming, fishing & non-motorized boating.

Uvas Canyon County Park

Uvas Canyon County Park

Wooded park for camping, picnics & hikes. This sprawling wooded park with waterfalls offers camping, picnicking & 6 miles of hiking trails.

Loch Lomond Recreation Area

Loch Lomond Recreation Area

Reservoir park for fishing & boating. Scenic 175-acre reservoir park for fishing, boating & hiking (seasonal & can be closed by drought).

Seven Hills Park

Seven Hills Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Forested fields for hiking & picnicking. Open grasslands & forest area with 12 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling & horseback-riding.

Coyote Hills Regional Park

Coyote Hills Regional Park

Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.

Charles F Kennedy Park

Charles F Kennedy Park

Play area, ball field & amphitheater. Green space with a playground, baseball field, amphitheater & occasional community events.

Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park

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.

Highlands County Park

Highlands County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Outdoor destination for hiking & biking. Hiking, biking & jogging trails on varied terrain rising from sea level to steep coastal mountains.

Skypark

Skypark

Basketball court & skate park. Diverse activities are available at this public space with a skate park & basketball court.

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