This park has a lot to do. They have the Dennis the Menace park for the kiddos, boating for everyone and lot of trails to get steps in. read more

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What a great place to practice wildlife photography... Park up near crane island, set your shutter speed to something useful and just wait and watch the world go by at a slightly slower pace !.. read more

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My sons are avid skate boarders, and they used to love skating here. The setup.was designed for maximum enjoyment on a skateboard. They did a great job designing this. The boats are all kept up very nicely. And very clean. We used to love paddling on the lake. Always perfect weather for too. So many other activitities here for kids to enjoy at the park. Like jingle gym type structures. Just a great place to take the kids. read more

Nice park to walk but stay on the path. There are a lot of bird droppings all over the grass and fleas. The actual lake is pretty murky but the location is wonderful to sit and relax on a bench and read as it's very peaceful. read more

It's dead-center on the line between three and our stars, but rather than rounding up as I normally do, I'm going to round down, because El Estero Park has way too much going for it not to automatically be a four-star affair. There's a double water element. There's the estuary itself (el estero), where you can rent swan and duck boats and paddle around the non-mysterious mysterious island in the middle of the the lake--I mean estuary. But you also have a clear view of Monterey Bay across Del Monte Avenue and Monterey Bay Park and Del Monte Beach. The edges of the estuary dangle really far south on both ends like an Old West gunslinger's mustache, so there's that to explore in your swan/duck boat as well. The middle part of the park, which you have to cross one of the bridges to get to, includes a skate park, a dog park, Dennis the Menace Playground, and three separate cemeteries. I'm excluding those features from this review since I didn't "use" any of them (although the playground looks super fun for kids). There's a path that winds counterclockwise from the northeast side of the estuary all the way down around the western mustache tail and up to Pearl Street, whose sidewalk you can use to cross back into the center of the park and again across the eastern mustache tail back to where the path started. There are plenty of benches throughout the park, most of them facing the water. Some are in better shape than others. There is also enough grass to have a largish picnic on, but not enough for any sort of regular game of soccer, football, or ultimate. The grass is in pretty poor shape in some areas, especially north and northwest of the estuary. I'm sure the aggressive Canada geese's piles of poop don't make the gardeners' jobs any easier, but the park could use some serious love, especially since it gets so much use by the community, which is great to see. The men's restroom was clean when I came. Overall, I had a pleasant experience reading on various benches around the estuary. It's not a quiet or particularly natural-feeling place, but it's a good city park--if only the city would spend more on its upkeep. read more

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Grab a walk grab a picnic enjoy the weeping willows just be be Dennis the Menace or El Estero snacks nearby time to explore grow and sea.

I spent a lot of days here in my childhood and it was extra special to be back with my mom and my brother. The park is easy accessible and has a lot of cool attractions near by like Dennis the Menace park, The first French Consulate, paddle boats, exercise equipment and more. Take a moment from the craziness of the Wharf and Cannery Row and make sure to stop by El Estero lake to enjoy this little treasure in the Monterey Bay. read more

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Lots of wet muddy trails during rainy weather and month of December for sure. I enjoyed the long walk around the area. It's actually a decent size for your walking or running routine. I didn't stop at Dennis The Menace Park or playgrounds, but it turned out to be more spacious than expected. All free public parking available at all sidewalk curbs and more free private parking lots on all sides. I think it's a unique and different feeling here during cold weather months, but views are still different than most for sure. Looks decent and maintained, but note, there are some homeless folks and other crowds in the area, so pick your routes and walking paths wisely. Trash bins may be full and there's lots of green muddy grassy areas. Maybe you'll see something different during summertime. It's a huge place to walk all around if you can. Beautiful end of Autumn views included. Too windy for me. Find nature and allow nature to touch your heart during holidays. Reflections from the water makes this a special place too. Capture your own views. Whatever you do, make it great around here. Free local parks with lots of spaces to walk around are a blessing these days. Be safe and stay healthy. read more

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Sweet little area across the street from the bay. Nice but short walking path with water fowl. Dennis Menace Playground on the other side and boat rentals. read more

El Estero Park - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

Beautiful park and it's a MUST stop every time we visit Monterey! We didn't catching anything, but the weather was nice and the skate park next door was playing some good music. read more

El Estero Park - Fishing - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

I came here just for boat paddling. It is kinda pricey ($15 for 1/2 hour and $20 for the hour). However, since the park is really nice and the lake is a good size, my gf and I paid for the hour. The first 15 minutes were really nice, after that it got boring. Therefore, if you come to boat paddle I recommend just paying for 1/2 hour. It is a nice way to spend quality time with someone and relax! read more

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Review for skatepark in Monterey. Don't bring your kid here unless you stay to watch. El Estero Skatepark is in El Estero Park right next to Dennis the Menace park. Nice skatepark location overlooking the little lagoon with paddle boats shaped like swans. Skatepark is small. Open till dusk. $100 fine for not wearing helmets. No one was wearing a helmet xcept for my kid and two other kids. Only skaters allowed but there were plenty of scooters and BMX A nice older teen stopped and gave my son some tips. Overall my son enjoyed himself until... kids started smoking pot under the tree and in the corner. 13 yr olds on up. Some pyromaniac kid started a fire on the corner ramp. Some older kid started verbally harassing my son and I had to put a stop to that. The new friend my son made stuck by his side while I was watching closely. Around 5 pm some guy named Scooby arrived and brought beer and cigarettes for all the kids. The only other parent there said there was a big fight here two days ago and the police were called. This is Monterey? We have better skateparks in San Jose. Like anyplace don't leave your kid unsupervised No police officers ever stopped by. read more

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This is a great park in so many ways. El Estero Park is just across the street from the beach but it's very much a traditional city park with a man made lake, a fishing pier, dog park, baseball diamond, paddle boating, an exercise course and a first class children's playground. It's very much a local's park. The throngs of tourists pass right by it on their way towards Cannery Row and Pacific Grove but don't view it as a destination. This means finding a parking spot is easy most of the day. Monterey is sympathetic to the homeless who more or less occupy the lawn area across the street from the McDonald's Restaurant. This is a very small portion of the rather large park. El Estero is large enough for everyone and it would be a mistake and a shame to label it as a homeless park. read more

El Estero Park - El Estero Park - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

El Estero Park is a wonderful place to go bird watching. There are many benches that provide excellent vantage points, along with the foot bridge, to spy several species of birds from. read more

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$16 for 1/2 hr to paddle around a lake. I guess it's a "tried it once and that's enough for me" experience. Good workout and the day was serene and beautiful without a cloud in the sky. Water was clean with no trash floating around - that's good. Can't give a resounding "thumbs up and give a try" nor a "stay away from this place" recommendation as it was okay overall. I suppose if you like to spend 30 mins to an hr paddleboating in circles, then this is for you. read more

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Two words. Goose crap. Beware. lots of tourists. traffic in this area is always a hassle. there's a mcdonalds on one corner. there's a denny's-style café attached to the hotel on the other end of the park. the skate park there is decent----at least its a place for skaters to do so safely. the el estero paddle boats are a decent way to kill an hour or two. I've never checked on the pricing but i'm sure its on par with bike rentals or kayak rentals. read more

El Estero Park - Water level is getting low.... It may be time to move the bodies - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

Between Dennis the Menace park, the two wharfs, the views, the beach a block away from the lake you can paddle boat in, this place is amazing. read more

El Estero Park - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

Serene & sweepingly sumptuous park, minutes from the bustle of the marina. Thar be paddleboats, bridges, waterfowl a'plenty, Charles Schulz Children's Park, hiking path, benches a'plenty, gorgeous trees and varied foilage. Despite the large size and prime location, this park manages a cozy and more secluded feel. read more

The phone number listed is INCORRECT and it's LOCKED. The correct phone is 375-1484. Rates for paddle boating are now $17 for a half-hour, $22 for a whole. read more

Nice park, great views, close to Fisherman's Wharf and the Dennis the Menace Playground. We went paddle boating which was a very nice and quite experience and pretty inexpensive. The only thing I didn't like, was all the dog crap dropped along the trail, I mean it was everywhere. i thought Cali was real big on cleaning up after your pets, plus in other parks in the area they have the free doggy bags for owners to use, so I wasn't sure why it was all over the damn place. Either way, this is a nice park to take the family or go on a romantic stroll, just watch the poop. :) read more

El Estero Park - El Estero Park - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

I see some have complained about all the "dog poop" around the park. It is an issue, but the poop you see is actually duck and goose droppings (goose poop can be quite large and easily mistaken for a dog's). The fowl reside in and around the lake year round. Because of all the bird droppings, I don't like walking our dogs there for fear they will pick up a bug like Giardia ... we stick to the nearby Rec Trail along the waterfront. Apart from that, this is a nice place for a leisurely walk or paddle boat ride. Dennis the Menace playground is a great place for young kids and will wear them out, and there's also a skateboard park. read more

I like this picnic area. We are not from Montery, but we live right next door in San Jose :) So, we had planned to BBQ at Asilomar Beach, but they have no picnic areas and with the wildlife, I wasn't sure if they would allow us to BBQ. So to be on the safe side, we decided to look for a park & BBQ there instead. Which we found. Dennis The Menace Park is pretty visible from the street at which you turn off onto heading towards Cannery Row. The locals working at the snack booth was very helpful in directing us to a picnic area. Dennis The Menace Park has lot's of geeses. They pretty much get really close if you feed them some bread hehehe Anyways, so the picnic area has a great view, there's a lake at which you can rent paddle boats from. There's lot's of seagulls & pigeons around there, so it's a great game to have the kids chase them away :) As long as you don't feed them, they will not bother you. By the way this picnic area is located right behind Dennise The Menace Park. We brought some charcoal and a small grill, but realized that they had bbq pits there, so we went ahead & used the parks. There's a baseball field near by & bathrooms which is actually pretty clean. The day we went it was cold & windy, so make sure you check the weather & bring sweaters :) read more

My boyfriend and I were on our way back to Salinas after dinner when we randomly found this park. He saw people riding on the pedal boat, I gasped and that was all it took. He quickly pulled over and before we knew it, we were in the middle of a man-made lake giggling and having the time of our lives as the sun was setting. It was our first time on a pedal boat so we really enjoyed it. This would be an excellent activity for a first date or for a family. It's a little pricey. $18 for 30 minutes and $20 for an hour. But we were in Monterey and this was a fun activity we weren't going to pass up. A must try! read more

Came back with our son this time (as he wasnt born last time). We went on the paddle boat and had fun. There are alot of ducks here, so look where you step and look above you!!! I think we paid 17 for a boat. Parking is plentiful. read more

Waves crashing across the street, bird song overhead, duck and geese honking in the pond, kids playing in the park...for the ear candy alone this place gets 5 stars! There are plenty of spots open to view the water, lots of shade trees. There's a dirt trail that runs along the perimeter of the pond and a couple of open air "gyms" for lack of a better term. On a dry day you can go for a run and get your workout in along the way. If it's warm out go across the street when your done and take a dip in the pacific for a cool down! As good as it gets, indeed! read more

El Estero Park - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

This is a GREAT park- 1) there's a lake, with paddle boats! 2) it includes Dennis the Menace Park, a super fun and free way to entertain kids 3) there's a snack bar 4) it also includes a skateboarding park 5) it even includes an off-leash dog park For specifics see: http://www.monterey.org/rec/locations.html#elestero read more

Take a Walk! Yes, there is a concrete path that goes all the way around the park. Watch out for the birds and their droppings, though. They are aggressive and are always looking for some hand outs. The auto traffic must come to a complete stop, if the birds start crossing the 4 lane street. Quite a funny site to see. The sun came out, so let's go! read more

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Nice lovely lake/park We had an amazing time at the park.. the paddle boating was fun!! even our dog enjoy it!! Would highly recommend the paddle boat rentals :) read more

We really enjoyed taking a turn around the lake on the paddle boat. It was a great way to spend some time outside, on the water! Our chihuahuas enjoyed it too. The park is large enough to enjoy lunch at picnic tables under the shade without being crowded. The gentlemen running the paddle boat rentals were also very helpful. read more

Paddle boating. Nice walk around the lakes--about a miles if you go all around. And the skateboard park is awesome. There is also a children's playground (Dennis the Menace) that has a great train and lots of other fun things for kids to play on. read more

The little boats are too adorable! $20 for half hour, $25 for one hour, and I believe it was $35 for the swan boat. Each boat sits three adults only...you can sit four only if the fourth is a baby/toddler. We decided to go with the half hour and it was more than enough to be out in the water peddling. The only time it got tiring was when we decided to race the boat next to us...now that burned our legs!!! But if you're casually strolling, it's totally fine. I would come back again, enjoyable for both adults and children. There is tons of different species of birds by the big tree out in the middle of the water...which I wasn't a huge fan of. read more

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This is a great park to have lunch and to get away from the busy day. Watching the ducks and the canadian geese, walking by or swimming. If you can block out the traffic that's buzzing past by. The park is a great way to take a break from a terrible day. There are times I just go there and recharge my mental battery. I can't say enough good things about this place. read more

It is a great way to spend an hour or two and really enjoy the beauty. We took our 18 month old reat nephew today and he connected. The staff is polite and helpful and the price is just right for an enjoyable activity. read more

This is a great park and lake, especially for bird nerds. There are great blue herons, great egrets, cormorants, pied-billed grebes, American coots, Canada geese, and plenty of other birds whose names I don't know. There's also a skate park and Dennis the Menace park if you have kids. read more

Great time! My gf and I went there this weekend and it was awesome! $20 for 45mins on the lake was defiantly worth it. Very simple renting process, you give them the cash or card they give you the boat. It's as easy as that. From the lake you have some great views of the hills above monterey and close up views of Dennis the menace park and the wildlife reserve island . Would recommend to anyone! read more

I have been dying to go paddle boating and I finally got into town for a reason other than work! Yes, the lake is small but there are tons of birds and many varities to see. This is a great way to get some excercise and spend time chatting with whomever you can convince to go with you. My honey and I brought some conversation cards with fun questions so the time flew by. I think the owners would be wise to sell these cards in their shop since they really made the whole thing more fun. I think the woman working there is the owner or her family is and she was incredibly nice. Her father was there when we pulled up and he told us to stay out as long as we wanted since his daughter had been late to open the shop. When the daughter showed up she took our picture and guessing we were on our honey moon, she gave us a little discount. I don't know how much business this place gets but I would be curious if locals could get season passes or if there are group discounts. The price was fine for two but I was thinking that $40 would be a lot to pay if we had needed two paddle boats given the small size of the lake you can paddle around. I think everyone should try this at least once and it is a great place to take someone if you need to have a long private conversation where no one can just storm off. read more

We used to drive from San Jose just to come to this park. Now we live here - even better! Something for every age.

We spent a few hours at Dennis the Menace park followed by a paddle boat ride. Family absolutely loved it. Great park, thats well up kept. Lady at the paddle boat scared my wife tho, kept raving on about how deep the lake is...not sure what that was about. read more

This is a park that is just next to central Monterey and neighbors Dennis the Menace park and the local cemetery. Don't let the latter dissuade you from visiting, it's separated by a street and a fence and isn't very noticeable. The park is bordered by a recreation trail that has cross training stations and guides on workout you can do. The park is full of geese and goose poop and there are plenty of ducks if you are into feeding water fowls. Other than that, it's a nice place to grab a seat and meditate on life, make a phone call, or take in some sun. read more

Fun activity after you hit the fishermans wharf. The staff was nice. The boats life jackets were clean. What more can you ask for?