It's a fun neighborhood park, with some extra-special things. 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. read more

I'm not in this area often, but whenever I am, this park is a must-visit! It's the perfect spot to relax 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! read more

Nice views. It's an easy and manageable walk around the lake. There's an option to trek uphill, the view is worthwhile. There's a lot of wildlife out and about. Many pretty birds. Not that many people and it is quite peaceful. It surrounds a few neighborhoods. Trails are clearly marked with plenty of signage. There is a playground and some bathrooms. Would I come here again? Most definitely. Nice breath of fresh air. read more

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Lakeview Park is the starting point for Double Peak hike. You start at the bottom right side of the lake and you follow the trail up, mostly taking lefts then after the first mile you hit the 10k meter mark and take a right to go all the way up, hitting the street and taking your last left up to the summit/peak. Theres a trail that starts on the left side of the lake and it takes you to South Lake. The other trail that goes down takes you to the neighborhood and it's a good loop top. Lots of options! The park/playground is nice and tucked away with a small amphitheater. You'll see many kids on it. It's good for older kids. No swings. There's a little gazebo/canopy picnic area with some tables. I believe you can reserve the spot through the city's website. The lake is a good size, all paved or DG around it, no dirt. It's not fully 1 mile around the lake, close, but run it a few times. The parking lot is limited but there are plenty of street parking. Parking opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. There's also a bathroom. Park is well maintained. read more

Lakeview Park - Pathway - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

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This is a great park is the area with a beautiful walking trail around Discovery Lake. The oark equipment is well used by many children who enjoy it. It's a great asset to the neighborhood and usually well populated. read more

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Long overdue update... This park is one of my favorites in San Marcos. My kids have outgrown the playground, but I still frequent this park once or twice a month. The walking path is mostly shaded which is great for humans and pups too. It's right around .8 miles per loop. There are dog bag stations around the path, so there's no excuse for being a lazy dog owner....get it? Small parking lot which fills pretty quickly. Pro tip: look once in the lot and then just park in the residential area. It's a short walk into the park. Bathrooms. Dog stations. Shade. 5 stars! read more

Lakeview Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

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One of my favorite spots to go hiking, I've never encountered any wild animals like snakes but I did come close to a pack of Coyotes but my friend and I hiked all the way up to Double Peak from this area. Top place to go to, and I already see many people hanging out around these spots and its still not too crowded. Love to see this area because of its cleanliness. read more

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Small parking lot, but there's plenty of street parking available near the park. This is a great starting point for several hiking trails. We hiked to Double Peak, which had a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain and approximately 4 miles. It took us about two hours to complete. Parts of the trail run through a neighborhood and was steep/gravelly in sections. The views of San Marcos from the top of the peak were beautiful and definitely worth the climb. read more

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Perfect little walking path around Discovery lake. Easy flat trail. Usually busy with families and locals there for a walk/run. read more

Lakeview Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

The Lake is central to the walk loop. Beautiful and wide trail. There are benches facing the lake in case one likes to sit and soak in the nature. No swimming . read more

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This is a nice easy walk. There are a couple benches on one side of Discovery Lake if you need to sit or bring a lunch and enjoy the lake view. I enjoy watching the ducks. This is a perfect walk for a family too read more

A fun 5mile loop and more! Great for dogs and families with kids. Benches, trash cans and poop bags are available. There is plenty of variety in the elevation terrain for those who want more than a casual walk around the lake. At this trail head there is a playground. This trail links to South Lake Park which is another 2.5mile loop. read more

Lakeview Park - Views and cactus - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

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If you're looking for a way to get some exercise while enjoying a lake view, watching and listening to birds and ducks, learning the names of local plants/shrubs, and soaking up peace and quiet, Lakeview Park featuring Discovery Lake is a lovely place to go. The park is tucked away in a residential neighborhood, and I always have to use GPS to find it. There are two small parking areas near the entrance, and parking is free. If the lots are full, there's plenty of free parking on the street. A children's play area and restrooms are also near the entrance. The wide path around the lake is paved and mostly level, making for an easy walk. If you want something more than flat, there are some dirt trails with elevation changes, but they're definitely not in the challenging category. IF there is a trail map here or a map of the park, I don't know where it is because I've never seen one. When you're walking along and come to a point where you can turn onto a different path, the name of the path is on the signpost, but there is no indication as to where it goes, how long it is, or anything else. Same goes for the paved walkway that goes around the lake. Having that little bit of information would be helpful. There are also small signs that identify various shrubs and plants. There are plenty of benches and trash cans along the main paved path around the lake, which is great if you want to sit for a bit and helps keep the place clean. There are even poop stations with poop bags for dogs. Unfortunately, not everyone who visits with their dog(s) bothers to clean up after them. All in all, a nice, relaxing place to visit. read more

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We love this park and the walk around the lake, the dock, all of it. The parking lot is small but tons of parking in the surrounding neighborhood. We love the flowers and critters, clean wide open walking paths. Will be back many more times to enjoy. A very peaceful and joyful experience in a perfect location. read more

Cute park with a paved trail that's perfect for walking, running and skating. While parts of the trail is lifted due to tree roots, it's still easy to traverse for some cardio exercise. A small playground is perfect for children and a lake with a small dock for fishing! Though I don't know what you can catch from this lake, I did see quite a few people there fishing and feeding the ducks. There are several trails around the park for hiking as one of my favorites is to go to double peak park via Lakeview park. read more

Beautiful park hidden in the middle of a neighborhood. There is a huge lake here called Discovery Lake, and a paved trail to go about a mile around it. The pavement is a little uneven from earthquakes and roots, but still wheelchair accessible. There are a few benches around the trail where you can sit and rest, and a small park for children to play at the start of the trail. Bring your sunglasses, sunhat, and sunblock, because there is a good amount of sun on the trail. read more

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Love this park and trails around the lake. Very family friendly, even stroller friendly. Lots of kids on little scooters or beginner bikes. You can choose the easy flat path around the lake or hike up the steep hill. Plenty of options for everyone and a playground available. Safe area and well maintained. read more

So, I drove to Lakeview Park this morning to walk for exercise. The distance around the lake is almost a mile, but I usually complete two laps in order to cover a good 2 miles before going home. It's a pretty popular location, and big enough to not feel crowded. It is a Quiet location you when you want to get away to think for a minute, or a nice place to go for workouts and the locals are very friendly. There are people of all age groups there, working out with or without their families. I've gone to this park often by myself and with others so I do recommend this location as a great workout option, If you don't want to go to the beach or walk in the neighborhood, I enjoyed the serenity, the distance, and the cleanliness, of this location. read more

Love this park! We come here at least once a year. It is clean and beautiful! Definitely recommend.

Amazing place to enjoy with family or take professional photos! Always a good atmosphere and great people.

Cute little park, cute little lake. Not much parking but there is plenty of free parking in the neighborhood. The loop around the lake is .75 miles. You'll see ducks, rabbits, squirrels, and maybe even snakes (there was a rattler near the bridge a couple of weeks ago). Lots of people bring their dogs here which means, sadly, that lots of thoughtless people leave their dog crap here, too. So watch your step. Apparently, you can fish here, too. I've seen fishermen but no fish. The stroll around the lake is really very serene. Lots of sociable people here, too. Nice walking loop! read more

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Although I have done the Double Peak hike starting from the top, during quarantine that lot was closed, so I started weekly hikes from Lakeview Park. The first day someone on the trail asked me where the lake was and she was pointing downhill I was stuttered, 'uh um I don't think there is one down there.' It took me a while to realize that it was the "lake" with the ducks that people walk around. I usually pass it quickly to go up that horridly good incline, but it is supposed to be a lake! I walked around it on the way back to my car just to make sure and it is more of a pond. You can run around it in less than 5 mins. IMO, Lakeview park is a good starting point to get to the Double Peak and Ridgeline trails. The trails are clearly marked and at some points you cross the neighborhood to get on the trail. The park itself right now has a closed playground, closed restroom, and open lot a and two hand-washing stations. Even though I saw free plastic bags for dog owners there was still too much dog poop on the paths. Weekends are busy here. The parking lot will be full even at 7 AM. Note that there is ample street parking on Foxhall. I can't imagine the neighbors being happy about all the cars parked, but it is nice to be able to get out and exercise at this time. Overall, the people are always friendly and shout out hellos and good mornings to everyone. read more

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Came here to enjoy an afternoon stroll around the lake. Every time we come I always say I wish we bought a house in this neighborhood- very peaceful and calming :) you wouldn't even know it's here off the 78. Great place for families, fishing ( license needed) or joggers or for some alone time. Might want to wear bug repellent and a hat. :) and bring your water bottle. Playground is closed for now but plenty of grass area. And hand washing stations. read more

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There's dog poop everywhere but the view is nice. It's a quiet place for a good walk with the kids and maybe your pet but be aware there's dog pooop everywhere. read more

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My toddler and I love going to this park and the lake. I usually walk while they ride their bike. The lake usually has ducks swimming around and I've seen people fishing in it. There is no swimming allowed. There are also lots of trees, plants and birds that come to visit them. The path is roughly a mile long. There's also a part that leads up to a hike that takes you up by San Elijo and Double Peak. It's a long one with a steep climb but is definitely worth it! Be careful of the animals you might encounter though I do believe it's on the rarer side. The play structure is huge. I remember when it was smaller than this. There are tables that you can rent for parties. Next to the playground is a fountain that sometimes has water running for the kids to cool off in. There's also a board that had information on it. There are two public restrooms close to the playground. Parking is a bit limited, so sometimes you have to park on the street instead of the lot. It's not too bad though. I definitely recommend going there if you're ever in the area or looking for something to do. read more

Lakeview Park - The view - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

Talk about a lake view! There were plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot. The playground was packed with kids, and it was great weather in December! We took a walk around the lake and fed the water fowl. Very fun. Kids loved it. read more

Great lake hike with a nice climbing hill at the end. San Marcos is close in with lots of eating places . Great breakfast or sunset hike.

A hidden gem in North county. Kids love the play area and the trails and lake are relaxing and so pretty. We love it here. read more

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This is a small public park within in a nicer neighborhood of San Marcos. There is a small parking lot, free, with ample unrestricted street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. The park is next to a large duck pond and also serves as the trailhead for the Double Peak Loop Trail. All Trails link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/double-peak-trail From this park, you begin Double Peak Trail, which is excellent cardio and provides panoramic, bird's eye views of North County. You can also drive up to the top of Double Peak, but where's the fun in that? read more

Lakeview Park - Lakeview Park serves as the trailhead for Double Peak Trail (3.9mi, 1,000 feet gain) - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

Favorite place to take a drive to. Beautiful lake, plenty of wild life, incredible scenery. I encourage you all to find a day to visit this location: enjoy a picnic with friends on the dock, take a hike around the entire lake and view the many perspectives of the different trees and sights of the water, or even drive by and take a few aesthetically pleasing photographs. This place is perfect to come to for a morning jog or even just to sit, relax, and enjoy nature and Earth's beautiful environment. Clean location, huge park nearby, dirt paths that lead around the entire lake. read more

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I used to hike the trail from the parking lot to the double peak intersection on a weekly basis in the early 2000's. Recently stopped off to try it again and forgot how difficult this is. Its seriously straight up and doesn't stop. The trail starts at a park with a pond and meanders through some residential zones and back into the wilderness. There are a few other trails that you can branch off to. Great trail for hiking, running, or mountain biking. It has some great views of the valley and places like CSUSM. read more

This is a beautiful park, and now one of my favorite places to catch the sunset. I make the drive from central SD on the weekends to walk my dog and see the sun go down. Definitely recommend for bird watchers, runners, and families. They also have dog doody bag dispensers and plenty of garbage cans conveniently placed around the park. read more

I absolutely love this place, it's also known as discovery lake. I've been coming here ever since I was little. This place is great if you're looking to relax, fish, hike, jog, feed ducks, or play at the playground. There is a cute little dock you can go on to fish or feed ducks. If you look really close there's always a bunch of tiny little fishes right on the sides of the dock. If you sprinkle food to them they eat it, it's such a cool thing to see. Feeding the ducks is also great too, there's always so many of them. The best thing about this place are the hiking trails! There's a loop that goes around the lake and there's also a bunch of other trails that go other places as well. My favorite is the trail that goes up the hill all the way to double peak. It's such a great workout! Some of the paths on that trail are very steep so be careful! Going all the way up takes about an hour or more. There's no bathrooms or drinking fountains until you get all the way to the top (double peak), or before you leave their down by the parking lot. The parking lot is pretty small, if you come during the afternoon it's usually full. Thankfully there's lots of street parking. This place is great and very safe, there's usually a good amount of people so you always feel safe if you come to jog by yourself. read more

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This is a nice looping walk-path around a duck filled lake. For those that want to get their shoes a little dirty take the Peak Trail up the hill. At the top of that hill you'll find trailheads to the Cima Trail (West) and the Double Peak Trail (South). The Cima trail will take you through people's backyards toward the ocean. However if you chose the Double Peak trail you go up mountain. Both trails are recommended. - The parking lot is small for Lakeview Park.. You'll have to park in the street on the weekend. - It's unsettling that there's a big sign posted along the trail stating that over 300 new luxury homes are going to be build right along this park.. If you haven't been here in a while you might want to visit it again asap. You're going to lose the quiet and tranquilly of this park in the near future. read more

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Came here for a training session with Andy H. Decided to check out a new trail/park and stumbled this gem that circles around Discovery Lake. Path is wide and you don't have to worry about making room for passers. Lots of people come here to have picnics, fish, or to exercise. Very well maintained and great to enjoy the scenic environment. Various paths lead to other trails, but we weren't able to venture off. Would like to trek off the beaten path, and will do so eventually! read more

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This is a cute little park surrounding a small (and I mean *tiny*) lake near the hike up to Double Peak. There's one parking lot, which of course gets very packed on the weekend. You can often find street parking if you drive around a bit, though, so a packed parking lot isn't terrible. I honestly don't know how big the lake is, but we did one lap in less than 5 minutes, so it can't be very big at all. Still, it's a nice little hideaway, with separate paths for walkers/runners and cyclists. There's a trail that leads off *that-a-way* up and around the lake itself and another trail that heads around *this-a-way* for those interested in dangling a fishing line. They have a cute little pier plopped down on one side of the lake, which people can clamber out onto for pictures or a moment of quiet reflection. They have benches located on another side of the lake (kind of at the top of the lake) for those in need of a quick sit-down. At the top of the park (near the lot) is a playground, which seems to be very popular and well-kept. The thing I love about this park is that they have a sunscreen dispenser attached to the wall of their restroom building. It's the small things, you know? We typically add a quick stroll around the lake to the back end of our Double Peak hike, as a way to ease our muscles after pulling the hill to the top of the peak. It's quiet in there, and beautiful. read more

I've been going to this park since I was young. They have a path that goes around the lake, great for going on a jog, biking, or walking your pet. My complaint is that the quality of the lake has always been subpar. It's very brown and you definitely could never swim in it so make sure your dog doesn't decide to jump in. It would be nice if teenagers would stop littering in the lake. The park itself is usually very nice but if someone is having a birthday party it will be overrun by children and make parking difficult. There's a fountain and most of the time there will be children swimming in it when it's warm/hot outside. read more

There are two things I love outdoors and that is the beach and hiking! Well... I sprained my ankle a month ago and was aching to get back out into nature. The sand at the beach is a no go but uneasy terrain hiking is also a no go. So... .what does one if they are not in the best of physical shape or even if you are (I seen some of you walkers are RIPPED) its a nice walk for anyone. It is dog friendly and has an unpaved and paved area. The view is gorgeous, I mean its my city. When I take a smell of the foliage and hear the nature I am a five year old girl playing in the yard of my Elfin Forest home. Nostalgia and exercise equals A+++++++ PS there is even a playground for the little ones to play at nearby the entrance of the trail. read more

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Lakeview park is a beautiful kid friendly place to go! There's a short trail that is paved all the way around the lake making it safe and easy for a simple walk if that's what you're looking for. However, there is also a dock that you can walk out on where you can see all the ducks and fish. Additionally, if you're looking for a nice hike there's an alternate path that goes all the way up to double peak! I was born and raised in San Diego and Double Peak has one of the most beautiful views around in my opinion. If you're looking for a beautiful place to go on a walk or hike, you've got to checkout Lakeview Park! read more

Lakeview Park - The lake! - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

I live in Encinitas and this park is less than 10 miles from me - what a local gem! There is a small playground and picnic area w/ a gazebo overlooking the lake - a real nice peaceful area that is really family-friendly! The lake has a 0.75 mile loop around it that is good for running or walking and is pet-friendy. It also appears that the lake is suitable for fishing, however, I do not know if anyone actually catches anything... My boyfriend and I have a tradition of going hiking every Sunday morning and we chose to hit up Double Peak Trail since we had seen great reviews about it online and it was close to our apartment. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn on our way up to Double Peak and instead of going through the residential neighborhood, we made a right turn in the road and ended up trekking the Cima Trail Loop which had some great views of the city but eventually landed us back at the bottom of the hill and back into the parking lot - I was a little disappointed we took a wrong turn, but this gives us a good excuse to come back for round! Overall, the views were beautiful and the trails are well maintained and very lush - I can't wait to return to tackle Double Peak Trail (once I've accomplished this I will probably change this to a 5-star rating!) read more

Lakeview Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, California

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