1. Gibson Mariposa Park

    1. Gibson Mariposa Park

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    El Monte, CA

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    Gibson Mariposa Park

    4.1 (14 reviews)

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    How to say butterfly in several languages 7/8/22
    Jenni M.

    * butterfly-themed park with great beginner skate park * Gibson Mariposa Park in El Monte, CA ("End of the Santa Fe Trail"), was the result of grassroots efforts by the locals. Instead of a weed-filled, dusty and unsightly lot, the community wanted a safe, fun space to take their families. So after a decade-long wait, the 4.3 acre park finally opened in 2012. AMENITIES + 2 quarter-sized outdoor basketball courts + beautiful murals & dedication plaques throughout + butterfly garden ( with educational kiosks & decor throughout - learn how to say butterfly in MANY languages!) + grass playing area + meeting room + outdoor picnic areas with shade available for rent + restrooms + skate park (partly in the shape of a butterfly!) + small amphitheater + splash pad (certain hours/seasons apply) + swings + various sized play structures + walking path CONS - so many weeds - graffiti - dirty women's restroom - homeless hangout (living in their cars) Even with these easily-manageable cons, it was still a pleasant park to visit. My 7 and 9-year-olds loved the skate park area when we were there on 7/8/22. The older kids were all nice. DEDICATION It warmed my heart to read the plaque next to a beautiful tree that read: "The City of El Monte dedicates this tree in loving memory of Gibson Mairposa Parks' 'Luchadora, Maria Rosario Valdez'. May her fighting spirit forever live on in our hearts. March 10, 2012." SOURCES https://www.dailynews.com/2011/02/22/el-monte-readies-for-ground-breaking-on-gibson-mariposa-park/ https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/165/Parks-Facilities https://amigosdelosrios.org/gibson-mariposa-park/

    Basketball  courts
    Kream Of Sum Yung Guy Y.

    I been coming to the SGV a lot and never new about this cool skatepark .. I love it .... Came early on super bowl Sunday for skate session. There's even a basketball court to ball up picnic areas , grassy areas , restrooms , tables , benches, playground for kids , shade areas to rest , & parking ETC... awesome place !

    1 of 2 slide play areas.  The slides on this one are high up. Better for older kids.
    a t.

    Who woulda thought a nice new little park in El Monte! I was pleasantly surprised. This park is decorated very nicely. There are two sets of slides/ playgrounds, swings, a basket ball court, covered seating area, and these beautiful butterflies that offer shade. Around the park there are these cute spinning poles for kids to stand or sit on. I like that they have rubber floors, a sand area and a wood chip floor area too. I think in summer they have a water spray area. I would dock half a star for the slides as they are quite narrow and high off the ground. For younger kids , the landing is a bit rough.

    Children playground

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    Photo of Debbie G.
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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Nice little park. Good parking. Accessible bathrooms. And lots of shady bench seating.

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    4 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    8 years ago

    The park is really dirty all you see is on the floor. Not a place to bring a children too

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    Photo of Lina M.
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    13 years ago

    Rosemead park definitely has more to offer than this park. This is more off a kiddy park vs. walking or for pets

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    14 years ago

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    Peck Road Water Conservation Park - Beautiful Yellow Warbler | IG @moniquedao

    Peck Road Water Conservation Park

    3.8(65 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I guess I didn't really explore this park as much I should have during my first visit, as my memory…read moredid not recall how big the park actually is. And perhaps I was just bothered by how inconspicuous the park entrance is: it's a gate that does not immediately look like the entrance to a park, which is how I missed it the first time I visited over a decade ago. During my recent second visit, I came back with a better appreciation for parks and birds. I did not expect to find any birding lifers here, but I in fact found four in one day. I heard the Green Heron before I saw it, and photographed it without realizing what it was. I just thought it was another Black-Crowned Night Heron, but boy was I delighted to find out later when I was reviewing my photos that it was a Green Heron lifer. The park appears to know it's a great spot for birding as there is signage indicating possible seasonal bird encounters. Perhaps I should stop talking about birds, but I can't help it. Also, "Peck" Road? Birds are the point. It's a large park with a delightful amount of nature to get immersed in. I can't wait to come back for a third visit!

    A friend of mine introduced me to this hidden gem a year ago for birding. I recently returned and…read morefell in love with it all over again. This place is a birder's paradise, with its large lakes and blooming flowers, inviting many bird species. I've counted over 20 different species in just a few hours of walking a whole loop. My only complaint is that it was closed the one day I made the long drive out, on a day that it wasn't supposed to be closed. But thankfully there is a cut out on the gate to the side so you can still walk in. You'll just have to park on the street instead of drive in and park inside. So this is just something to watch out for - random closings.

    Photos
    Peck Road Water Conservation Park - Bullock's Oriole

    Bullock's Oriole

    Peck Road Water Conservation Park - Bullock's Oriole

    Bullock's Oriole

    Peck Road Water Conservation Park - Nice

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    Nice

    Live Oak Park - Sunset 03/13/26

    Live Oak Park

    4.1(101 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    One of my favorite parks in the area--…read more I originally heard of this park after a recommendation on where to host a baby shower/ park picnic. We ended up renting a large picnic shelter and it is actually in high demand during the summer time (rented out in June for an August date). Despite a very warm day (mid-high 90s) the shelter kept us relatively cool. The kids loved the space-themed playground and the large shelter can host up to 180 or so people whereas the smaller shelter can host up to 50 or so people. (+): experience with renting out the shelter- benches were clean, employees were nice (+): amenities of the park- tennis courts, large walking area, multiple parking lots, basketball courts Overall, I would come here again and also consider renting out the park shelters.

    Live Oak Park is one of the most popular parks among residents locally and visitors that reside in…read moreother cities. They have a designated walkway for people who are running/walking, basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, playground, and spaceship in the middle. It's newly renovated which makes the quality a lot smoother than before. Restrooms are available as well near the courts and also near the playground area. Parking is plentiful in parking lot but can fill up quick. Street parking is also available for free. There's 8 pickleball courts, which fills up quick these days. You can queue up with your paddles when it's full. The pickleball community here is great, on the weekends there's people who manage it voluntarily which is nice for newcomers. Overall, a great renovated park, very clean, friendly people, and spacious.

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    Live Oak Park - Blast off

    Blast off

    Live Oak Park - Cool design

    Cool design

    Live Oak Park - Play ground

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    Play ground

    Barnes Park

    Barnes Park

    3.9(7 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    This park recently reopened after about 2-3 years of renovations. Although they cleaned up a lot,…read morethe park itself still feels unfinished. The soccer field is still stripped out and is currently just a dirt field. There is a recreation center with foosball and ping pong which was cool to see. That said, the park now has new basketball courts, a huge playground, and it looks like the homeless encampment has been cleared out and is no longer there. Overall, it's a nice place to go for a run since it has a small half-mile loop, and it's also a great spot to walk your dog with poop bags available throughout the park.

    I have been a resident in Baldwin Park Ca since 2019 and an active resident whom works out at…read moreBarnes Park while my child plays. Today what put fear in me was graffiti being written with the words " NIGGERS GTFO." As a woman of color I do not feel safe in my community with seeing this on display on government property, I have also experienced hateful remarks by others in the Baldwin community in the past however, seeing it in writing on a public structure is very disturbing and a red flag. In addition, I have video footage of the concrete evidence, with the graffiti and the park has surveillance. Im afraid to address this with Barnes Park and Baldwin Park Police because BPD will not do anything about it. I will never return to this park or bring my child. Might as well relocate to a more welcoming environment that does not reciprocate hate towards minorities and that is more so ever safe. Barnes Park should be held liable because they left this hate on their property. Security should had pro trolled and documented this offense.

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    Barnes Park
    Barnes Park
    Barnes Park

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    Rio Vista Park - Thelma Chavez grew up in Hicks Camp. Her father, John Chavez, was born in Hicks Camp.

    Rio Vista Park

    3.9(7 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    It's nice to put a little park in El Monte for the community especially for a preschool right next…read moreto it. However, you can't directly go into the park from the school which is to make it safe with fences bordering the school and park. There are three ways to enter the park via the surrounding streets or if you're riding your bike or running on the track on the dam, there's another entrance from the dam. Though the park is pretty clean with a small play area for kids, the park itself is hidden as there are no signs to guide you to the park. It's not much of a problem though as you'll be curious to enter the walkway to the park since you see a gate open on Bisby Ave. There's a small walking trail that takes you around the park with information about the Rio Hondo River and different flowers that can serve as an education for kids to learn about or even adults to know more about the city of El Monte. If you need to go to a place to relax if you're in the city, you ought to drop by here because the environment of the trees and grass will help calm you down besides the noise from the planes from time to time since there is a airport located across the dam.

    This hidden gem is right next to the El Monte Airport and Rio Vista School. What's neat about this…read moreplace is that you wouldn't know it was there if you weren't looking for it. There are three access points (gates) that get you into the park but you have to be a local or resident to even know the park exists! There's no parking lot and no big signs leading you into the park. You really kind of have to walk into it. I think that's the whole charm of the park. It's great to know that the city of El Monte created a space just for it's residents to enjoy recreational activities. The small park has an open grassy space and walk way that circles the park. There is a big playground with swing sets, slides, and jungle gym for the little ones. All around the area, there are local plants, trees, flowers, and bushes with signs explaining the different species etc. There are also signs and boards that people can read about the history of the area and a sign showing a map of the Emerald Necklace that circles the surrounding cities. Very interesting if you ask me! Also in the park, there are tables and benches all around for barbeques and picnics. If you have to use the restroom, no worries! They got those too. One great bonus to this park is that there is an entrance to the Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River/Sante Fe Dam bike trail. You can enter it and head north towards Monrovia or head south to go to Whittier Narrows. How cool is that?

    Photos
    Rio Vista Park - View next to the park of the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel Valley Airport.

    View next to the park of the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel Valley Airport.

    Rio Vista Park - Rio Vista Park is dedicated to The people of Hicks Camp

    Rio Vista Park is dedicated to The people of Hicks Camp

    Rio Vista Park - Cool natural canopy.

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    Cool natural canopy.

    Gibson Mariposa Park - parks - Updated September 2026

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