Fantastic park one of the best places to chill relax and swim. I come here normally when I want to…read morefeel away from everything but it only takes 5 dollars the most.

Wish I had known about this lake early in the summer. Possibility for 6 lifeguards but when I went…read morethere were 3. It's very clean. They have "all kids" swim then adult swim. I love it!

What an absolutely cute spot. I don't even care that I first missed the sign and were went past it…read more I don't even care that we got there At 8:30 because they open at 11 and we still had a long line to wait in. Just loved my day there

It's one of those hidden gems. A perfect place to spend…read morehalf a day in open water with kids. Not too far for tri valley resident. There is plenty of areas to lay your mats or raise tents. Shallow waters for little ones. They do provide vests onsite but must be limited. The floaties and tubes are allowed only in certain areas. There are always lifeguards on duty. Limited parking And reservation is per day per person. $6 per person. They close it once they are full. Place is open 11-6. We reached around 11:30 and it was almost full. There are changing rooms, shower and restrooms for both men and women. Life guard was on duty and at one point they did ask everyone to come out. They also have a diving deck which is 11 feet deep. There are picnic areas too. People were having picnic, celebrating birthdays and grilling. Perfect for a hot tri valley afternoon. No food onsite so carry everything. There is 5 min walk from parking lot so you need to drag your beach stuff. Recommend to get one of those beach carts. Only drawback the beach/ sandy part is limited and it was mostly occupied and sand is coarse.

Our favorite place for quiet contemplation. Enjoying the weather, sounds of running water and…read moreenjoying the best secret in town. Again, staff was busy making the garden look even more lovely. The hardworking, friendly and talented staff are the best.

Five stars because it costs no yen…read more As far as Japanese gardens go, this one is my least favorite because it is rectangular, with a visible metal fence perimeter, with ugly trash and graffiti visible from across the creek and no opportunities to feed the koi fish. Three things, though, that make it special is that they have memorial plaques, stray cats, and blowtorched wood for an aged and weather-resistant finish. From 1913-1962, the site was a practice site for farming and raising livestock for Hayward Union High. It became a garden by the late 1970s, and when dedicated in 1980, focusing on botany (with plants donated by local Japanese-American nurseries) rather than religion. Every first Saturday at 1pm there's a free lecture/tour. It's not especially beautiful or big (3.5 acres) or exciting (the few people I saw there were on their phones), but it's a peaceful, clean area. I think informational displays could help people enjoy it more. Or phone chargers. Information like, many of the wooden connections (including the main entry gate) have notches instead of notches to fit together like puzzle pieces. This more authentic approach prevents rust. Or, the garden uses the Shakkei technique: when you can stand at the highest point, the surrounding trees are meant to look like distant mountains, with specific plants blended with the Japanese maples and native Oaks to make the garden feel ten timers larger than its actual 3.5 acres. Or, the hand-selected granite boulders from the Sierra Nevadas are buried one-third into the ground so it looks like they are growing, which is why I don't manicure myself often. .

Such a sweet playground! I enjoy all the accessibility intended to allow children of all abilities…read moreto play. The lounge chairs for parents near the more exciting features are also very cool. My son plays basketball at the nearby recreation center and we walked over to the park after his session- not realizing it was Mia's Dream Come True until halfway through play. This park is epic - from the Braille to the musical/sound features, awesome fire truck and the spouting whale! We could spend hours here (or at least an hour because Mama's got a schedule). For now we'll be back most weekends after basketball practice. I'd recommend this park to all parents of small children.

Mia's Dream Come True Playground is one of the best playgrounds we've visited in the Bay Area. It's…read morethoughtfully designed, inclusive, and has something for kids of all ages and abilities. My biggest tip is to avoid after-school hours if you can. The playground gets extremely crowded, and it can be hard for little ones to navigate all the excitement. If you go earlier in the day, it's a much more relaxed experience. Overall, this is absolutely worth a visit and has quickly become one of our favorite playgrounds. It's easy to see why so many families love it.

A great place for the entire family. A beautiful park where you don't have to drive for hours to…read morevisit. On the weekends, parking is $5. Best to get there early because parking fills up quick. I was there for a BBQ on July 25th, at 10 a.m., and I was able to make parking in the overflow. There's parking on the outside street, but that fills up quick, as well. Anyway, inside the park, there's a long trail that goes all the way around the lake. There's boat rental, either kayak, paddle boat, you can rent a tour boat. I think you can bring your own boat, but it's best to call and make sure. There's BBQ and picnic benches. Volleyball court. A lot of green grass to sit, play sports. There's only one restroom near the boating area, and a few small restrooms if you trek around the lake. There are plenty of hiking trails. There's camping as well. An outdoor Cafe next to the boats. No swimming or wading. You can fish, but I wouldn't eat what you catch. There's warning signs about the water.

So this reservoir was built in 1874 but closed to public, then opened for recreational use in the…read more60s. So the trails around the lake have matured really well. Like most parts of the paved trails are very well shaded from trees that have grown over those years. My dog and I walk for around an hour to hour and a half, so we usually pick west or east from the parking lot and return the same way. I think we've only explored like half of the lake so far. I've seen wild turkeys, deers, rabbits, and ducks around. And if you are wearing overear headphones, you get the natures remix with all the birds and insects chirping.

It was really just beautiful over there I've never been to Castro Valley in the town at south so…read morethis was the first really enjoyed it recommend you all to go try it out with your family the views up there on the hill to her just beautiful at sunset

Beautiful park with a view of the bay and the SF skyline…read more Perfect spot to walk wolfie. A children's playground is present as is a huge field meant for softball. If you live down the hill take a walk up instead if the treadmill on an incline one day. Better air to breathe and no views like this at some stuffy gym. Get outside and bring a frisbee for your four legged friend.

This is one of the only two parks in Hayward City & Rec that allow a bounce house or inflatable…read morebouncer. The park offers a lot of space, a couple workout areas, and a rundown park for kids. I wish Hayward City & Rec would give more options. This isn't the nicest park to want to host your child's 1st birthday Across the street there is baseball field. There is also a walking trail behind the park area

This is neighborhood park where most people know each other and the laughter of children fill the…read moreair. There's a nice playground at the top of the hill and a very large grassy area below for recreational events, and across the street there is a baseball field. A little known secret is the trail that leads alongside the baseball field that overlooks the canyon with spectacular views. I highly recommend it.

This park is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!…read more Lucky for us, my family moved in this area and Greenwood Park is within walking distances. With it's infamous 3 towering flower structure that offers beauty and shade, you can't miss it!! While there are the typical play structures found at typical parks, Greenwood has a number of musical instruments to play with and enjoy. The park has plenty of seating areas and also has BBQ grills. There are restrooms available but I can't speak on the conditions since I haven't actually used them. The park is spacious, clean, and is the perfect spot to relax with a snack or have a full blown paaaartay!! 5/5 stars, my family and I love everything about Greenwood!!

Probably one of the nicest parks in Hayward. Problem is its just in an unusual hard to find spot…read morethat is almost hidden - unless you are one of the lucky residents nearby. Flowering trees, walkways, little musical instrument for kids, bay friendly rated landscaping, beautiful flower shaped shade artwork, hammock, swings, play structure, small trampoline, basketball hoops... I could go on and on about all the different amenities. There is something for everybody. One beautifully done park... likely from money from the new nearby construction. Big newer homes are on one side and then trailer park homes are on the other side. Its a public park and no matter what you pay for rent or where you live it is here for you to enjoy. The one problem I saw was the basketball hoops. They were like tiny lakes. For whatever reason the concrete contractors messed up. They made little swimming pool instead of flat concrete that doesn't puddle up. I've bounced a ball in a tiny pool of water... and let me tell you - its one way to end the fun. Great little park for all residents of Hayward. Worth a little drive to get to.