Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
Explore the best best parks for outdoor fun options for kids and families in Santa Monica
Tongva Park
Modern space with play areas for kids. Public park boasting modern architectural features plus play equipment, a splash pad & benches.
Crescent Bay Park
Grassy space with ocean views. Tranquil park featuring grassy areas, benches & a pergola, plus views of the ocean.
Palisades Park
Palm-studded greenspace with big views. This sizable strip of grass, palm trees & walking trails features expansive ocean views.
Ocean View Park
Beach park with a grassy lawn & courts. Busy beachfront park features paddle tennis, basketball & tennis courts, plus a grassy lawn & hill.
Clover Park
17.9-acre area for recreation & picnics. This 17.9-acre park includes lighted ball fields & tennis courts, plus playgrounds & picnic spots.
Ballona Discovery Park
Educational park with wetland plants. Educational wetland park featuring an interpretive walk & gardens with native plants.
Holmby Park
Lawn bowling & a pony golf course. Home to the Holmby Park Lawn Bowling Club, the grounds include bowling greens & a pony golf course.
Carlson Park
Small, shaded park with a picnic shelter. Compact & shaded community park featuring a picnic shelter with a grill, plus walking paths & grass.
Vista del Mar Park
Pocket green space near ocean & runways. Pocket green space & recreation area with ocean & airport views plus barbecue pits & picnic spots.
Culver City Park
Sports, picnics, a dog zone & skating. Leisure space on 41+ acres for ball sports, picnics & grilling, plus a dog park & skateboard area.
Stoneview Nature Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Coldwater Canyon Park
Greenspace with play areas & picnicking. Public park offering play equipment for kids, plus areas for picnicking & a water feature.
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Expansive park for outdoor activities. This 308-acre park features a Japanese garden, a workout course, athletic fields & scenic trails.
Topanga State Park
Wilderness area with canyon trails. This 13,150-acre wilderness area features hiking trails winding through nearby canyons & mountains.
Reuben Ingold Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Franklin Canyon Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
Park with hiking trails & picnic spots. 605-acre park featuring many picnic areas, over 5 miles of trails, a duck pond & a nature center.
Coldwater Canyon Park
Ranging canyon trails with scenic views. Peaceful canyon park offering hillside hiking trails with panoramic views of the city & mountains.
Wilacre Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
Natural site for trails & hilltop views. This park provides hiking paths through wooded areas & coastal sage scrub & expansive valley views.
Wattles Garden Park
Community gardens & a historic mansion. This historically significant site features a mansion, community gardens, trails & a stream.
Sherman Oaks Castle Park
Fun center with an arcade & mini-golf. Family amusement center with batting cages, arcade games & 3 miniature golf courses.
Red Rock Canyon Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
Colorful rock canyon with trailheads. Unique, colorful rock formations bordering hiking trails through a canyon & offering mountain views.
Polliwog Park
Playgrounds, disc golf & a large pond. Park boasting a large pond & amphitheater for events plus a 9-hole disc golf course & play areas.
Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area
Sports facilities, parks, golf & more. Indoor & outdoor sports facilities, a community garden, an amusement park, golf courses & more.
Valley Park
Small park for picnicking, events & more. Petite local park with picnic areas, courts & a playground, plus annual performing arts events.
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve
Nature reserve with trails & a lake. Wildlife reserve, trails & a lake teeming with birds, butterflies & lizards, plus an amphitheater.
Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park
Picnic spot & maritime-themed playground. Grassy open space with a 19,600-sq.-ft. maritime-themed playground & interactive drum play area.
Exposition Park
Public green space with museums & arenas. Urban space comprising 160 acres with arenas & museums, plus some green areas with trees & gardens.
Exposition Park Rose Garden
Charming park devoted to roses. Cheerful formal park featuring a collection of roses & a gazebo.
Valley Glen Community Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Fort Lots-o-Fun Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Fern Dell Nature Trail
Sycamore-shaded walking path by a stream. Quarter-mile footpath along a man-made stream, shaded by tropical foliage & sycamore trees.
Fern Dell Nature Preserve
Outdoor space with lush foliage & trails. Serene enclave at Griffith Park featuring walking paths amid tropical foliage & a man-made brook.
Bronson Canyon Playground
Picnicking, hiking, a cave & more. Secluded, verdant park offering picnic tables, hiking trails, a cave & other features.
Barnsdall Art Park
Vibrant arts center with classes. Expansive complex featuring art classes for both adults & children, plus a gallery.
South Los Angeles Wetlands Park
Scenic green space for picnicking. Public park with riparian habitat, trails, boardwalks, viewing platforms & picnic spots.
Seaside Lagoon
Summertime swim spot & sandy beach. Seasonal spot for swimming, open during summer, with a sandy beach, snack bar & a play area.
King Gillette Ranch, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
588-acre park in Santa Monica mountains. Sprawling ranch in the heart of Malibu Creek Watershed offers 1920s architecture, views & hiking.
Johnny Carson Park
Neighborhood spot for picnics & playing. Named after the TV legend, this space features a picnic area, playground & small performance stage.
Grand Hope Park
Playground, lawns & iconic clock tower. 2.5-acre urban park featuring a playground & grass lawns amid an iconic mosaic-adorned clock tower.
Columbia Park
52-acre recreational park & gardens. A variety of sports courts & fields on 52 acres, along with community gardens & picnic areas.
Vista Hermosa Natural Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
Green spaces, a playground & city views. Trails lead to picnic areas, grassy fields, a pond/waterfall, city view overlooks & a playground.
Echo Park
Lakeside park with paths & swimming pool. Lakefront green space with city vistas, walking paths & pedal boats, plus an indoor swimming pool.
Griffith Park
Hiking trails, city views & L.A. Zoo. Urban oasis featuring hiking & equestrian trails, plus city views, the Greek Theatre & the L.A. Zoo.
Shadow Ranch Park
Sports fields, playgrounds & picnicking. Compact but well-equipped park offering sports fields, basketball courts, picnicking & playgrounds.
Juan Bautista de Anza Park
Open green space for picnics & playing. Recreational retreat offering a children's playground, covered picnic tables & walking trails.
Augustus F. Hawkins Nature Park
Tranquil green space with nature center. Calm, 8.5-acre retreat featuring native flora & wetlands, plus a small museum with nature exhibits.
Gloria Molina Grand Park
Memorial fountain & a performance lawn. Gathering place featuring an intimate performance area, memorial fountain & wade-able membrane pool.
Malibu Creek Rock Pools
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Gloria Molina Grand Park Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Malibu Creek State Park
Mountainous outdoor spot with rock pool. Rugged state park in the Santa Monica Mountains with hiking trails & a rock pool swimming hole.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Numerous hiking trails & picnic stops. 500+ miles of flat & mountainous hiking trails through coastal chaparral, with views & picnic stops.
Vickroy Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Ord and Yale Street Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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