I can absolutely see why this park is so highly rated within the city. Between the zip line, the…read morecardboard hill you slide down, the huge slides, the smaller toddler play area, wide open grassy spaces, walking trails, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and clean bathrooms--this is easily one of the best parks I've ever been to. I was anticipating my brother coming into town early Saturday, but he arrived a bit later than planned. That actually worked out because my daughter and I were able to check the park out ahead of time. When we returned on Sunday with my nephew, both kids were completely enamored. My brother and sister-in-law were just as impressed--the park is truly amazing. It's not overly crowded, feels very safe, and there's plenty of parking. We brought our own snacks and enjoyed a little picnic, which made the day even better. The weather was beautiful, and we already can't wait to return. This will definitely be our go-to park whenever we have the time. Absolutely love this place.

Super fun park in SLO and definitely one of the best playgrounds. Located right next to the…read morebaseball field, this park has two different playgrounds, one for the little kids and a separate one of the bigger kids. Several large enclosed slides which are great for hotter days. There's a fun hill you can slide down on cardboard boxes as well as a small zip line. There's a number of benches and tables for adults to sit. Some are in the shade while others are not. There's some beautiful redwood trees on the periphery of the playground to do a nice picnic under. Parking lot is shared with a pool but there's plenty of space as long as there's no baseball game. There's also tennis courts next to the playground. The playground was redone in 2017 but it's held up pretty well. Overall very enjoyable place to bring kids with lots to keep them busy for a few hours of outdoor fun!

Super cute and small park/playground nestled in a nice neighborhood. You would not even know it was…read morehere, it is that hidden. Plenty of play structures including an old fashioned merry go round (these used to make me sick when I was a kid!) I would say little kids would really enjoy as the park beckons them to come have some a good time. Huge trees provide an abundant amount of shade which is nice during the summer. The neighborhood feels safe so I imagine many families that live in the area let their kids play here. Parking on the street only so you may want to walk over instead.

Great park tucked away in a quiet neighborhood. A nice size with a large variety of activities for…read morekids of all ages. Best part with it being so warm and sunny out is the amount of shade. Nice to be able to let your child play without really having to worry about sun exposure.

To celebrate Bastille Day, the French group again chose Emerson Park in San Luis Obispo. There are…read morelush shade trees lining one side of the park and abundant grass beneath them, perfect for a "Dejeuner sur L'Herbe," or luncheon on the grass, inspired by the French Impressionist painter, Manet. We were immediately welcomed by the host and hostess of our group, who had thoughtfully provided the tables and an umbrella. It is a bit hard to park nearby, but we all managed to ensconce our vehicles and find a place close enough to carry our picnic things. There was a long table with a tantalizing spread of French baquettes, cheeses, sausage, salad Nicoise, berries and an onion tarte. The deserts were almost a buffet in themselves, with Palmiers, cupcakes, an almond tart, Madeleines, tea bread, and a Tarte Tatin. A cooler offered iced beverages. We circled our chairs in the shade and enjoyed this tranquil space in the middle of San Luis Obispo, while our host enlightened us as to the history of Bastille Day. It is so enjoyable to share French culture with a group of people who are also interested! The park takes up an entire city block, and has play structures for children and a basketball court that was in use the day we were there. They also have two Petanque courts or lanes for bowling with bocce balls. We engaged in a spirited game after our lavish feast. If you venture online and explore the options for Emerson Park, there is a site sponsored by the city that asks for suggestions for improvements to the park. One of the many items includes parking and a public garden, as well as other ideas that would only make the park better.

Local Take: The first of the "Mondays in the Park" series started here, as well as, our first park…read morebased SLO Public Health Mobile Vaccine Clinic. The Parks department also help arrange alot & they helped with logistics, chairs, music, & invited a whole bunch of Food Trucks [Baguette About It; Cubanisimo, & Plant Ivy]. The event was quite a success from the Food Truck & fun point of view. Both kids & adults had a good time. The trucks had long lines & sold out of most things after awhile. There were some performances, dancing, & music. The park itself is really close to downtown SLO, but unless you know exactly where it is, you can easily confuse it with another nearby park that is a few blocks more toward Cuesta Grade. This park is more suited to Food Trucks being inside, but the parking around here is not so great. Our Vaccine event was more informative & it was to test the waters in a park setting. We did have a bunch of people stop by for information & did one shot, but oddly enough I had more requests for a free beer or Vodka. It seemed that the majority of the people here mostly had their vaccines done already, but it was nice to chat. Since we just finished the second "Monday in the Parks" event in DeVaul Park, which was less packed with a much better turn out for vaccines, this series in these challenging times, seems to be a hit. While there are two more events like this, in two other SLO City Parks, it is probable that if these continue to be a success, it might become a regular thing. People seem to love the Food Trucks, the fun, & do appreciate the health promotion/ disease prevention aspect as well. Of course, we also enjoy these events as we also work. It is a pleasure for us, especially the Medical Reserve Corp Volunteers, to help our neighbors & our community, in these community settings. Every shot that we do can potential save many lives by slowing down, or even stopping an outbreak...especially with the most recent finding that any one Delta case can spread to 8-9 other people. This is now a very transmissible virus that rivals Chickenpox and even exceeds the transmissibility of several other serious infectious diseases including the now extinct Smallpox. Evolution can be amazing, but can also be very deadly when it works against a species. Over the past months were have done dozens of Mobile Clinics in almost all towns & cities in SLO county. We have had Mobile or Pop-up clinics in a wide range of venues, both inside & out. They include Parks, Community Centers, Churches, Schools, Food Banks/Pantries, Low Income Housing Areas, Farmers Markets, Swap Meet, Workplaces, and more. If anyone wants to propose a place for us to do a Pop-up, we are all ears. If anyone wants to get a vaccine [either Pfizer or J&J] please look for either one of our future Mobile Clinic sites, or head to one of 3 SLOPHDs [Grover, SLO, or Paso]. While it is harder to find, some Pharmacies may have Pfizer, but we definitely do. J&J is used for those who prefer a one shot deal. Things are getting more serious as the C-19 Delta spreads & testing is ramping up again....as well as cases. The completed vaccine rate in SLO County is not the best by far, but we are trying our very best to increase awareness & accessibility for everyone. Please get vaccinated if not already & please kindly encourage those who are resistant to please come out to at least chat with us. We keep up with the latest information and can help address people's concerns as well as help correct misinformation or myths. It is great that the Parks Dept. as well as other groups help support us in these community outreach projects. While it may seem odd to get a vaccine in a park, it is hard to think of a safer more pleasant way to get one. People seem to feel much less anxious in this non-clinical environment. Thank you!

Do not go to Mitchell Park if you have children--especially the Children's Playground. The homeless…read morehave been allowed to take over the park, and it can often feel scary. I have personally been accosted simply walking through the park during the day. But the biggest concern is the safety and well-being of kids. Just yesterday, my wife and I brought our 6-year-old granddaughter there. I knew it could be problematic, but we had 20 minutes to kill and were right there. At one point, my wife took my granddaughter into the women's restroom. Earlier, I had seen a man enter and then leave it. Inside, there was a completely naked woman washing herself in the sink. When my wife and granddaughter walked out, they nearly walked into a zombie-like tweaker near the bathroom door. Very disturbing.

We stopped by here on a Saturday, and it seemed unusually quiet / deserted for a playground on a…read moreweekend. We then immediately understood why - a lot of homeless people sleeping on the grass nearby, random people sitting on benches and a guy filling a plastic bottle from a water fountain and drinking from it, in between dancing in a tweaked out state and rifling through a trash can. It is sad because the play structure is a good size and there is a lot of green space nearby.

Such an idyllic park. We stopped by to give our pup some nice playtime and relaxation and were…read moregreeted with the sight of families enjoying the play structure, beautiful cave and rock formations cliffside, various coastal flora and green grass. It is called dinosaur caves park due to the caves and some dinosaur sculptures located in the play area. Apparently there use to be a big dinosaur centerfold but that was taken away. A great walk and area to coast for a bit (pun intended) but bring your own shade.

Beautiful park that sits up on a bluff offering expansive ocean views, picnic areas, playground for…read morekids and plenty of parking. We visited on a beautiful summer day and it was perfect. Park was very busy with families having a great time. In the 1940's, a large metal dinosaur was built here to attract travelers from the highway to a souvenir and tackle shop. Visitors would pay .25 to walk through the dinosaur down to the sea cave. It did not last long to the public complaining as the dinosaur was an eye sore. After many years of this space deteriorating, the city of Pismo Beach bought the land and in 2003, this park opened. If you walk down to the bluffs edge, you will be able to see one of the sea caves. Great place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon.

Laguna Lake Park has a lot to offer and with the newly upgraded dog park, I had to come visit and…read morewrite an updated review. Overall, was a bit disappointed with the upgrades they'd done to the dog park. It is fully fenced and has completely separate small vs large dog parks which is good. But for the amount spent, I was expecting there to be a much larger grass areas and generally a bit larger of a park for the large dogs. The grass area in the large dog park is in the middle and the majority of the park is actually bark and small rocks, which isn't great for the pups' paws. There are benches throughout and water stations for the dogs which was good to see. They've added some obstacle courses for dogs to play on, which was fun. However, I strongly disliked that I saw folks come in to bring their kids to the dog areas and obstacles like it was a kids playground (which clearly it is not). Generally, from what I have seen thus far, most dog owners are friendly and self aware of their dogs' behaviors which is always great to see. Nice upgrades overall just was expecting a bit more but that's okay. Still a great place to take a walk and enjoy the lake views or go to the dog park!

We were in the area after traveling all day and needed a place to walk around. Laguna Lake Park fit…read morethe bill. Numerous people were out walking, walking dogs, fishing, and picnicking. The park was clean with ample parking and had multiple trails to choose from. The lake and plants made for nice views as well walked. A good stop for us.

June 25, 2026 I used…read moreto take my son here back when the park was new in the early 2000s. Now I brought my 2 little grandsons here today. They really enjoyed the park play equipment as it was all new equipment to them. Seeing it through their eyes they went from one choice to another and loved it. The park is spotless and the equipment appears as good as new. The color theme is green which is a SLO City theme. It's very calming and I'm glad it isn't bright gaudy colors. We had a great time and will come back. We came on a weekday and it was not crowded. Just a good amount of people taking turns on things so everyone could play.

Easy in and out trail. It was flat and well shaded. You can enjoy many bridges over a small creek.read more

My boys loved the skatepark with bonus basketball courts right next door. Bathrooms available and…read morea gas station mini mart walkable without crossing a street. Huge plus, the bowls have drains so the park was skateable despite having rained the day before.

Great hockey! Hard to find on the central coast so we'rehappy to have a rink. Pickup…read moreInformation at @ slohockey on Facebook.

The San Luis Obispo Children's Museum was honestly one of the unexpected highlights of our entire…read morethree-day stay in Pismo Beach. My 5-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter both had a great time, which is not always easy with that age difference. There are three floors with so much to do. The first floor has science activities, and the second floor was probably our favorite, with a fire station, medical station, theater stage, police motorcycle, dress-up costumes, building activities and plenty of hands-on exhibits. The third floor has a train station and more activities geared toward younger kids and toddlers. There's also a small outdoor water-play area, which was a nice bonus. One thing I really appreciated as a parent is how thoughtfully the museum is set up. There are bathrooms on every floor, so you don't have to drag everyone up or down the building every time someone needs to go. It's also very accessible and clearly designed with families in mind. It was educational, interactive, affordable and kept both of my kids entertained for a long time. If you're staying in Pismo Beach or anywhere nearby and looking for something fun to do with kids, I highly recommend making the drive to San Luis Obispo. We would absolutely come back.

This museum is so neat! As you enter and pay for admission, you'll find a craft area, a small gift…read moreshop, and the museum's first floor, which includes an outdoor water table and some play-and-explore areas. Then there is a second floor with all the make-believe establishments, where kids can explore different jobs, etc. There is so much to do and discover for kids! We took our 5- and almost-3-year-olds here, and they both loved it so much! They were a little sad when it was time for us to go. It is also worth noting that there are a couple of single-room bathrooms on each floor, which is great for kids, as they can easily access them and then go back to exploring! The bathrooms were maintained well and kept clean.

This is a quaint little park located right near the beach. My kids enjoy the money bars and…read moreclimbing the pirate ship. There are signs of age on a few of the items at the park, but overall it's a great place for kids!

cute little park right by Avila beach. has restrooms, swings, a jungle gym. great for toddlers! and…read moreparking by the park is free!