What a great park! As a new mom, I'm always on the hunt for great parks throughout the East Bay...and Arlington Park has made the list. There's a few things I currently look for in a park before frequenting: is there easy/convenient parking, are there swings for not just the older kiddos, is there an open grass area for play or picnic, are there slides or safe infrastructure, and most importantly, is this a place I can make memories with my little or just unwind a bit. The answer to all of the above for Arlington Park is yes. I'm surprised how many parks don't have swings anymore, so grateful to those that do. Arlington Park has an incredibly large grass area to throw a blanket and bring a book to meet friends/take a break as well. Easy and free street parking, and did I mention there are ducks? Large enough to walk and spend some time, while also a great meeting spot. Would def recommend if looking for a new park or just a resting space and place. Well-kept grounds, perfect for keeping up the well being :) read more

Cute park with lake of ducks and turtles. Safe and pretty. Only issue is you have to go through hoops to buy a key for the bathroom :-(

They put decoys in the pond. I was wondering why they were so mellow, and I felt sorry for the live ducks who hit on 'em and get no response. It's like watching Ryan Gosling in that movie where he played the lonely guy in love with an anatomically correct sex doll. But I digress as the decoys are not the only attraction here. It has barbecues, a basketball court, an elaborate playground, and even a clubhouse you can rent if you are part of, well, a club. It's a pleasant patch of green for the hillside dwellers of El Cerrito. RELATED - Looking for dining options in El Cerrito? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2VyCP18 read more

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Tranquility with my doggy one day at this park and then some mosquito bites. Oh wells. Children friendly playground and where I took my nephew Easter egg huntin' on the spacious grass field. The eggs were gone in less than a minute on a sunny Saturday. It's more for the parents delight and mine. Caught a lovely scene of sundown at the beautiful park that has a mini pond, basketball court and a trail. I felt at ease and calm here. read more

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I used to come here with my mom way back when we first came to the area. We lived in El Cerrito and I had lots and lots of fun playing, making friends, and being black didn't seem to matter. My sister and I would go. As we got older, we went less and less. On my most recent visit, I was shocked at how small the park is. I went into a small room where they had classes and there was a small kitchen. It was quite stuffy and open. I wanted to show my husband where my sister, our newfound friends and I used to hike and ran into a gate. Apparently, in the past few years (decades) there was fencing and a whole community of houses. Oopsie. I guess things change when you aren't around like you used to be. I'd go, if I wanted to have a nice lunch outside, but it wouldn't be a destination. Too much time has passed. But I still have wonderful memories of hanging out. But those memories, much like my visits will remain in the past. read more

Cool little man made pond for ducks etc. Gets a bit mucky but still cool. One little playground for the little kids and one bigger one for bigger kids. Although the playground structures are not as big and advanced as other parks they are sufficient for the area. We had a very nice time. read more

Really nice park with ponds and lots of lawn. I grew up here before this was a park. There were horse stables at the bottom that burned down in the late 50's. Where the tennis courts are now was a wonderful (for us boys) frog pond with hundreds of tree frogs singing away at night. There was an old derelict house slipping into that pond on the East side. Lots of good memories there after they made the park too. -Brian P.S. To my knowledge there was never a firehouse there as stated. This was a rock quarry (where Camp Herms Boy Scout camp is/was) . Before my time, there were rail-cars used to transport the gravel through a tunnel under Arlington Blvd at the bottom there. You can still see remnants of the tunnel if you look carefully under the curve. read more

This is one of our very favorite playgrounds and we have spent many many hours here swinging, playing in the sand, and sliding, and climbing and playing some more. There's actually two separate areas...one for little kids and one for bigger kids which is really nice...you can tell those big kids trampling your 1 yr old to get lost. There is also a huge grassy area perfect for soccer, frisbee, or your occasional hippie sunbathing in 60 degree weather. There are also wild berries that grow towards the back of the park, and paths that go into the woods that I have yet to explore. There's also a small creek with running water and a little bridge crossing that my kid seemed to love running across and back, and across, and back, and across, and back yet again...its amazing what he finds interesting. There are also picnic tables that are reservable for parties and bbq...contact EC parks. There are also tennis courts on the other side of the bathroom building...which I've also never explored since my kid carries his toilet in his pants. I overheard once that you need to pay a yearly membership fee...$40 or something to get access...but don't quote me. Easy street parking, but be careful cuz traffic goes a bit fast on this stretch of road. read more

Small little park. Used to be a fire station. Nice to relax on beautiful day. Small playground for kids. Red center to rent out. Small ponds. read more

Arlington Park - Public Services & Government Near Me - El Cerrito, California

This is a pretty little park in the East Bay Hills and seems to be very popular with the kiddie birthday party crowd. But are you sh!tting me about the bathrooms? This is a public park but the restrooms are locked?! There's a "helpful" sign on the door telling you that you can go to the Community Center on Moeser to buy a key (turns out what you actually do is rent the key but the sign says actually says "purchase" ). That's a 23 min walk away per Google, if you're unlucky enough to be desperate for a restroom and carless. Luckily we were neither and someone neglected to fully shut one of the doors so we didn't have to cough up the $18 to get a key for a restroom we needed to use exactly ONCE. I can't believe more people haven't complained about this obscene policy. What, they have a huge problem in the El Cerrito hills with undesirables hiking way up there to pee in their precious bathroom? You can tell how pissed off and desperate people have been about this situation by the damage around the door handle and lock. Maybe just lock the bathrooms after dark, huh? That's what most parks do and it seems to work fine. There must be a healthy black market for illegal copies of those keys... read more

It's a small nice park. I can see it being useful for hosting some events for small kids; they've got a nice little playground set up. I do like the greenery here. Ultimately, though, our time up in the hill was best served by walking around the immediate area (there's quite a few nice stairways and views nearby). In that regard, it's a respectable location! read more

When I was 20, I threw my eight year old brother a birthday party. I rented the clubhouse and sent out invitations. What possesses a parent to drop off their eight year old to be supervised by 20 year old ME? Who knows, but they did. It was a cold January and we started off with a picnic in the park. Again, why these parents would charge me with their children is beyond me because I let them run wild. We had kids in the water, up the tree, in far corners where my eyes could not see. Towards the end I was able to corral them into the clubhouse to open prezzies. WHY DO PARENTS BUY TOY WEAPONS AS GIFTS? I don't know but I allowed them to open these weapons of mass distraction (guns, bows and arrows, soakers, etc) and then wage war against each other. Looking back, I'm surprised a child was not hurt in the writing of this review. The kids, now adults still remember that day. Best. Day. Evar! Only thing better was the party that I threw the following year at Toons-- a mountain of ice cream and video games. Now, who needs a babysitter? read more

Nicest park in EC, although way up in the hills and inaccessible to most. Good toddler play area (only park in EC with bucket swings) and sandpit, and one large big-kid structure & 4 big swings. Warning - no fences or gates anywhere, so you have to keep an eye on your kids. Bathrooms require a $15 key. read more

This park has been a part of my life since I was in elementary school! We use to take day trips there & have nice lunches. After I was no longer in elementary school my parents lived close enough to the park so we would visit. This park has a clubhouse that you can rent out for birthday parties or any occasion you may have. The park also has 2 tennis quarts, a small pond with a round cement track around it, two play structures (for small and big kids), large grass area and picnic tables. Parking here isn't too bad, it's in a residential area so you are able to find parking just a matter of how close. The park is always clean and a very peaceful one as well. In the AM the area gets really cold so being a jacket and gets sunny in the PM. Great place to take pictures also! Really love this park! :) read more

Love this place! Tennis courts might be some of the best I've ever played on, and that includes courts that the UC Berkeley Division 1 mens and womens team practice on. Area is very peaceful, parking is easy and convenient, and the surrounding park is great. Basketball court looks pretty bad to play on, but I mostly play indoors anyway. Overall a great park. read more

Arlington Park - Great tennis courts. - Public Services & Government Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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This is a very large park that is quite well maintained. There is a very large grassy area, picnic tables scattered about, a clubhouse, swingsets, two large play structures, tennis courts and a large pond at one end that leads into a creek running through the park. My kids love it, although it can get rather cold. Minus one star because the creek is wide open without any sort of barriers to keep the little ones out. read more

This is an awesome park, its very spacious and more than enough room for everyone to enjoy. There are some items i would like to address, there is some attention needed at the big slides for a while now there is a odd flooding in a small section (I'll post a picture) and an area that has construction work as if they started and didn't feel like finishing (by the swings) #safetyhazard. Other than that i will continue to come to this park with my kids :) read more

Arlington Park - This has been here for some time, not exactly sure what there doing. - Public Services & Government Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Pretty fun park always used tl go here as a kid. There is a huge grou ds with lots of things to do. They have a little pond. They have a huge funslide. And they have little stepping stones that lead right up a hill. Im not gonna say wjere it is but there is also a geochache nearby the abandoned girl scout camp. There is also a lil river that runs through the park. read more

Great neighborhood park to take the kids with multiple playground areas for young tots to older kids. A couple nice areas with benches perfect for parties and where we held our daughter's Bday party. Also fun to toss down a blanket in the vast grassy area and have a picnic. read more

This is another nice local park - with two playgrounds with new swing/ slide structures with lots of safety features, a sand box, large grassy areas, a creek, picnic tables, a clubhouse, a pond with fish, and tennis courts. It is a really nice place for young and old alike. read more

Nice El Cerrito park, surrounded by trees, greenery, with an excellent toddler play ground.

Great Park, we have been coming here since my now 3 year old was a baby. There is a smaller baby/toddler play area and a bigger kid area. A little far from each other if you had a 3 year old and 6 year old both to watch though. The park has lots of green areas, trees, SHADE, little trails. Big grass area. Pond areas are nice with little wildlife. BBQs and tables there but this is a popular park so you may have to pay to reserve as it can get busy on Sat & Sun. The street.... is busy to cross to get here if you park across the street... warning people have died or been hit. SO hold tight and be aware... same thing at the park as it is not right on the street from play areas but there are no gate. SO on to the he view, from getting up here way up on the hill..... WOW! Lots of water down there! GORGEOUS! They building also has bathrooms (you need a key though from the city for a fee) and a water fountain. read more

Three lovely tennis courts at the north end of this park! Came here on a Friday evening at 4pm and there was one court open. Courts are well maintained; however don't come here too late because the courts aren't lit at night. My partner and I felt embarrassed with our tennis skills after watching a tennis coach and his 10yo-ish students practice in the court next to us. He was so good that I wish I had him as an instructor growing up! read more

Good park, like the amenities, my boys LOVE the pond. I wish it had bathrooms regularlyl available.

This is a great park. Clubhouse, bathrooms, pond with fish, picnic areas, swings etc. 3 tennis courts, and to answer about whether a fee is required, NO, there is no fee required on any EC courts. HOWEVER, you CAN reserve an El Cerrito court. But to do so you have to pay a yearly fee. For the most part these courts are unreserved, except on weekends in the mornings when a group usually does, and also for some USTA matches. Great park. I've played there for years. read more

love this place. big enough that it never really gets crowded.

I love going to this park with my near 3 y/o daughter. We've been going here since she was just 11 mons. old. It's one of the few parks you can take your young baby to w/out worrying about being too little or knocked down by bigger kids, b/c there's a tot area very baby-friendly and then a big kid area across the creek ("big" as in 3-10 years old). The tot park is still fun for her, and she likes to use both sides. I just have to strongly supervise her on the big castle slide across the little stream. There's also a nice pond nearby with a couple of mallard ducks. Very scenic. read more

it's nice with very good air quality and mature trees and some new plantings. a cool space to picnic or read a book and has a great kid area. it needs: beat cops patrolling more often - we once witnessed a group of thugs burning lighter fluid for hours at a time with no food, just flaring up a fire which stunk the whole place up and made many of us ill. plus bathrooms, one should not have to buy a key, that is ridiculous. however, there is probably a reason for this, they don't want it all trashed up as so many parks in Berkeley are, and many Berkeley parks have no bathrooms at all! overall a very nice park with ponds and nice walking areas. read more