Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
Explore the best best parks for outdoor fun options for kids and families in San Marcos
Double Peak Park
Hiking trails with panoramic vistas. Rugged, 200-acre park featuring a play area & hiking trails that lead to a summit with ocean views.
Sunset Park
Athletic facilities & a disc golf course. Green space featuring play equipment & facilities for sports plus a dog park & disc golf course.
San Elijo Park
Picnicking, off-leash dog area & hiking. Green space with a dog park, community center & splash pad, plus playgrounds, trails & picnic areas.
Simmons Family Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Harmony Grove Village 4th of July Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Shadowridge Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Walnut Grove Park
Sizable park with diverse activities. Large park with athletic fields, trails, a picnic area, equestrian facilities & an events center.
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
Spacious park for hiking & picnics. Large park featuring native plants, picnic areas & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Leo Carrillo Historic Park
Historic park in the heart of a canyon. 19th-century hacienda in a secluded & meticulously landscaped park, home to numerous wild peacocks.
Jesmond Dene Park
Recreation space with ball fields & BBQs. Community green space offering lighted ball fields, picnic tables, BBQ grills & a playground.
Alga Norte Community Park
Spacious park with athletic fields. Roomy park featuring a basketball court, baseball fields & picnic areas with barbecues.
Grape Day Park
Historic park with kids' play equipment. The oldest park in the city, with historic buildings, a playground, horseshoes & community events.
Alta Vista Botanical Gardens
Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.
Brengle Terrace Park
Expansive outdoor area with disc golf. Lush outdoor park with unique activities including a disc golf course & performance amphitheater.
Grove Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Oak Riparian Park
Playground with a field & picnic spots. Scenic neighborhood green space next to trails with a playground, grassy field & picnic areas.
Felicita County Park
Athletic fields, playgrounds & disc golf. Expansive area offers various sports fields, two playgrounds, walking paths & a disc golf course.
Aviara Community Park
Sports fields, playground & picnic space. 24-acre community park features athletic turf fields & courts, a playground & lighted picnic areas.
Boomers Vista
Family fun center with mini-golf & more. National amusement center chain featuring mini-golf, go-karts, bumper boats & arcade games.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Poinsettia Park
A public park with a tennis complex. A park with a public tennis complex, athletic fields, grassy areas for picnics & a playground.
Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation
Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.
Hidden Canyon Park
Green space with a shaded playground. Park with a playscape shaded by huge umbrellas, plus grassy open space & undeveloped land.
Moonlight State Beach
Volleyball, kids' play area & snack bar. Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.
San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve
Wildlife-watching & visitor center. Nature reserve with 7 miles of trails plus a visitor center with exhibits overlooking the lagoon.
Encinitas Community Park
Large spot with fields & a skate park. 44-acre recreational area featuring multi-use sports fields, a huge skate park & open space.
Guajome Regional Park
Camping amid lake, pond & marsh areas. Campground is home to a lake, pond & marsh, plus a playground, trails & a historic adobe house.
Hosp Grove Park
Unpaved nature trail with ocean views. Winding through a eucalyptus tree grove, this trail with elevations of 100 feet offers ocean vistas.
4S Ranch Community Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sea Cliff County Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
San Dieguito County Park
Natural area with playgrounds & sports. This scenic park offers play & picnic areas, plus trails, baseball & basketball facilities.
Mance Buchanon Park
Sports field with play & picnic areas. A 27-acre park centered on a multipurpose sports field, with play & picnic areas, plus restrooms.
Buddy Todd Park
Grassy retreat with grills & a play area. Shady outdoor park featuring a children's playground & a covered picnic area with grills & outlets.
Fletcher Cove Beach Park
Waterfront viewing deck & a playground. Picturesque park with a viewing deck, grassy area & playground, plus tables & a basketball court.
Torrey Del Mar Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Hilltop Community Park and Recreation Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Capistrano Park
Neighborhood space for sports & leisure. Outdoor recreation area with baseball fields, tennis courts & a playground, plus picnic tables.
Powerhouse Park
Bluffside setting for play & leisure. Perched above a wide sandy beach, this green space has a children's playground & picnic areas.
Sea Grove Park
Recreation lawn with an oceanfront view. Oceanside park offering lawns for relaxing & picnicking along with beach access.
Penasquitos Creek Waterfall
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mira Mesa Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Miramar Overlook Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.
Torrey Pines State Beach
Sandy swim & surf spot with picnic area. This wide, sandy beach with a picnic area is popular spot for swimming, surfing & fishing.
Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve
Lake fishing, plus campsites & cabins. Staycation spot for locals with 7 man-made lakes for camping, boating, fishing & picnics.
Roadrunner Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mission Trails Regional Park
Expansive recreational area with trails. 8,000-acre recreational park featuring 60 miles of trails, along with a lake for boating & camping.
La Jolla Hermosa Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Big Rock Park
Park with a playground, sports & more. Park featuring tennis & pickleball courts, basketball, an off-leash dog area, a playground & more.
Wolf Creek Park
Scenic neighborhood green space. Recreation area with a sports field & playground, along with picnic shelters & mountain views.
Calumet Park
Ceremonial site with grass & ocean views. Located above an ocean bluff, this green space lined with benches is used for events & relaxation.
De Anza Cove Park
Beachfront volleyball & recreation area. Beachfront park offering volleyball courts, picnic space, a multiuse path, boat launch & playground.
Rancho Mission Canyon Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Vail Ranch Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lindo Lake County Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Civita Park
Grassy areas, playgrounds & live music. Popular city park with a splash pad, food trucks, several playgrounds & an amphitheater.
Lake Murray Community Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lake Murray
Fishing, boating & a waterside path. Small boat rentals, fishing & many picnic areas, plus a walking & biking path along the reservoir.
El Monte County Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Temecula Duck Pond
Pocket park with veterans memorial. Compact park featuring ducks paddling in a petite pool & a memorial to war veterans.
Butterfield Stage Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bonita Cove
Swimming area, playground & picnic space. Waterfront park providing lifeguard-supervised swimming, a playground, picnic space & BBQ grills.
Old Trolley Barn Park
City park with a playground. City park on the site of an old streetcar barn, offering a playground & summertime concerts.
La Mesita Park
Tennis courts, skate park & playground. Green space with play equipment, grassy areas, picnic sites, tennis courts, a path & a skate park.
Margarita Community Park
Green space with an accessible play area. Gathering spot with a dog park, sports fields & a playground & splash pad for kids of all abilities.
Ward Canyon Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Presidio Park
Historical park with a cultural museum. Expansive park offers a cultural museum & historical sites, plus trails, city views & picnic space.
Harry Griffen Park
Dog-friendly park with summer concerts. Green space with jogging path, picnic & play areas & off-leash dog run, plus free summer concerts.
Pauba Ridge Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pioneer Park
City oasis of lawns, paths & broad trees. Tree-shaded lawns & paths make up this picturesque park, which sits atop a 19th-century cemetery.
Flinn Springs County Park
40 acres with a stream & playground. Large 40-acre green space with a stream & gazebo, plus a playground & baseball fields.
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in San Marcos.