Pretty park, so peaceful and you can even do a small walk via a path that will conduct you to the…read moreSerbian Church across the street. I had a very pleasant picnic when working in the area. Easy to park my car, nice environment of a few children playing but overall very quiet and calm. Clean tables for picnics and nice view from above.

Absolutely beautiful park located in San Marcos near Costco. It's hidden, big, quiet, and peaceful…read more Tons of grass, trees providing shade, benches, and a playground. There is one drinking fountain but no bathrooms.

Woodland Park is a nice place to walk your dog....they keep the park nice....there is a playground…read morefor the kids....they have tables with benches scattered around...on the weekends especially, people reserve tables for parties..

We came upon Woodland Park today on our way to pick up dragon fruit cuttings in San Marcos, and I…read morehad to check it out. This City of San Marcos park is modest in size. It has a beautiful perimeter of trees and shrubs. Inside, there's open green space with a pond, covered picnic tables, and playground equipment. There's a swimming pool at the northern end, but I didn't explore that end of the park. Next time we come out this way, we'll have to enjoy a picnic here. Street parking only.

Nice, breezy, plenty of shade, clean, friendly atmosphere and tucked away.. This park is a hidden…read moregem. It's safe and fun for the kids. There are BBQs, restrooms, and plenty of grassy areas if you wanted to take your pets or children to burn off some energy.

We're traveling the country and for a few weeks are at the RV park connected to this place…read more It adds a nice overlook, paved path, playground and open ground. The infrastructure is worn but is in okay shape. What it needs is some health and safety enforcement: the glass to stop being dropped by visitors, dogs to be leashed by visitors, and the homeless to be kept from living on the hillside. I just started to explore a trail and turned around not wanting to walk past a homeless "camper."

This is a nice little park if you want to see the view of the Hollywood sign…read more Once again, Yelp doesn't like it if I only give you my opinion. They want me to go on and on and on for no reason. So here's some extra words so the review will be posted.

Mountain view park is an East Escondido park where you might attend a birthday party once in a…read morewhile.. This park has some picnic ( party areas), nice playground sets, and a really cool climbing spiderweb orb. Grass is pretty well maintained and there are some city tennis courts. There is also a soccer and a little league field too, but seeing I live in another part of Escondido we've never used those for league play. Just know in the summer that the playground slides get very hot ( like hot lava), so be careful. Good to know - There's an abandoned white house next to this park that's always used for wedding / family pictures. I know this all too well :(

Great place to take the kids especially on Saturdays since the barn is open and you can go inside…read more Got some turtles and activities for them to see. The park is pretty nice as well, you can paint a rock and add it to the snake rock garden if you would like. There's a couple small spots you can walk next to the pond and see some turtles, birds and ducks.

This is a nice good walk. Excellent lake view lots of ducks to watch too. I love it when the cactus…read morebloom they are so beautiful! I start at the bottom near Silver Shadow and walk up to the recreation center. They're are restrooms and a faucet if you need water for your pups. I like to use the trails instead of the main walking road it gives me more of a workout. Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes from March through October. If you let them pass they aren't a threat. I do this walk/hike by myself it's never stopped me. I love it here

It's a fun neighborhood park, with some extra-special things…read more First of all, the lake. From this park, there's a nice, flat, shaded walk around Discovery Lake. It's relaxing and beautiful. Many times of the day, there's enough of a breeze to keep things cool. Second, there's a fun playground for the kiddos. Even if you don't have kids with you, I like hearing the sound of kids playing. I enjoy that this is a great place to start for a hike up to Double Peak Park. If you are working your way up to hiking further, you don't need to go very far to get to some nice view spots.

I'm not in this area often, but whenever I am, this park is a must-visit! It's the perfect spot to…read morerelax with a picnic in one of the many shady areas or stay active and enjoy the outdoors. The flat trail around the lake makes for a peaceful walk, and if you're looking for more of a challenge, you can continue up to Double Peak (maybe next time for me!) The scenery is beautiful, the trails are well-maintained, and there's plenty of space to unwind. I'd love to bring my niece and nephew here this summer for a playground and picnic day. They would have a blast exploring and enjoying the open space! Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area!

Hollandia Park is a beautiful place for a stroll…read more It has something for everyone: a fantastic playground with a climbing wall for the kids, a great skate park, and it's totally dog-friendly. Parking along the road is super easy, too.

My grandkids are enjoying playing here this evening.... they are enjoying the climbing structure,…read more as well as the other equipment....it's early evening and a good time to play..

A park famous for its osk trees!…read more A quick walk for grandkids to enjoy the park's track trail! Offers playground ,picnic areas with barbecue , volleyball court and restrooms as well!

Egret, Red shouldered hawk, Heron all spotted at the park. They also have horned owlsread more

Kit Carson is a fantastic free large public park that I cannot recommend enough. It is a wonderful…read moreplace to take a walk, run, play, and explore. There are tons of people each morning taking walks and in turn is a very safe spot. You will likely need to come here several times if you want to explore everything. Come with a friend or enjoy alone.

Queen Califa's Magical Circle is here which you need to see to believe, but I love how HUGE this…read morepark is. Plenty of walking trails, duck pond, outdoor theater, frisbee golf, tennis courts, playground, and so much more. Spend the morning here and then go to Farm to Smash(see review) for lunch to enjoy some delicious burgers!

Tucked away inside the massive 285 acre Kit Carson Park, you'll find Queen Califia's Magical Circle…read moreGarden by renowned artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Completed and opened to the public on October 26, 2003, this whimsical, meaningful, and colorful sculpture garden is surrounded by an incredible 400 foot snake wall. Once you meander through the mosaic & mirrored mini-maze, there are nine freestanding sculptures: Cathead Totem Birdhead Totem Yelling Man Totem Bullhead Totem Untitled Totem (Bird on a Square) Kingfisher Totem Step Totem Snake Totem Each totem is something marvelous to behold, and de Saint Phalle's mosaic work is simply spectacular. There are also 3 freestanding benches faced in travertine marble by Pierre-Marie Lejeune that measure from 13-20 feet in length. In my opinion, the standout feature of the garden is the central structure called Queen Califia and the Eagle Throne. It is so beautifully unique, and the space underneath almost feels sacred with the golden egg (former) fountain and the spectacular celestial ceiling. Queen Califia was a legendary black Amazonian who was believed to rule a terrestial island of gold and riches "to the right of the Indies." It is only fitting that this special garden has been erected in her honor. In fact, this is the only American sculpture garden by Niki de Saint Phalle! The garden is surrounded by a locked fence and is only open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9am-12pm, and on 2nd & 4th Saturdays from 9am-2pm. Docents were available to answer questions today, and they are usually onsite during the hours when the garden is open. This special space is certainly worth a visit, and it would be lovely to pair it with a hike and a picnic in the park for sure. Keep in mind that there is a short walking trail that you need to traverse to get to the garden after you've parked your car, Additionally, you can hike in from other areas of the park as well. Be sure to take a look at the story boards to the right of the entrance facing the snake wall before you enter to gain more history and context for this special installation that we are lucky to have in Escondido. Entry is free and parking is free. There are bathrooms in the park. I took about 20 minutes to peruse the area, and that was enough time for this visit (it was also 90 degrees), but do plan accordingly depending on your interests and needs. Peace.

When I knew I'd be spending a few days in Escondido, I started looking into all that this San Diego…read moresuburb comes to offer. After checking out TripAdvisor, Queen Califia's Magical Circle Garden stood out. I'm all about art, especially when the scale is impressive like it is here. We stopped by on a Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m. Make sure to check out their website to see when they're open because their hours are quite limited (Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. when I was there and every fourth Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.). It's located inside Kit Carson Park. I didn't have any trouble parking in their lot and then walking to the sculpture garden. Once you arrive, take in all the artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, created. It's weird, it's cool, and it's trippy all in one. There's some information you can read to learn more and while we were there, there were some members of the non-profit that is involved with the art installation there that told us more about it. Walk around and take it all in. You can easily do it in 10-15 minutes and it's a free attraction. Saint Phalle has other artwork in San Diego, but the Magical Circle Garden, is by far the most expansive one in terms of scope. And the most interesting in my book.