This little hidden area of San Juan Capistrano is definitely worth a visit! In fact, Los Rios…read moreStreet Historic District is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood in California, and it features historic structures dating back to the late 1700s. This area also preserves three original adobe homes built around 1794--the Rios, Montanez, and Silvas adobes. Later in the 19th and early 20th centuries, wooden board-and-batten houses and Victorian buildings were added to the street. There's a spacious park including a butterfly garden, Hidden House coffee shop, a tea shop & a few little stores and several restaurants. There's also an adorable petting zoo! It's quaint and easy to see in under an hour, or you could spend a few hours relaxing & taking your time. It's easy to access to Los Rios from the 5 & there is plenty of free or low cost parking. Additionally, the train stops right in SJC and you can easily access this area from the stop. Peace.

7/26/26 What a gorgeous place to take the family out for a lazy Sunday afternoon! There are plenty…read moreof adorable places to visit and take a stroll. My family took the Metrolink from the Anaheim station ($10 per person) and it took about 45 minutes. Hubby and I drove from San Gabriel which took a little over an hour. My usual go to is The Hidden House Coffee shop with affordable and well made drinks, offering a sizable outdoor patio. The Ramos House Cafe is a few steps away, as well as the Los Rios Tea house. All of these are historic homes, vintage and picturesque. Within a few feet from the public parking lot is the Montanez building, where a nearby butterfly sanctuary is located. The Los Rios Cottages are for rent which are located next door to the Ramos House, very pretty but these are right alongside the train tracks, if you don't mind that racket, it'll be fine. It's an easy stroll and a beautiful destination. Come check it out. There are plenty more shops that I haven't visited. Today, I am limited as I have a medical boot (and a crutch) that's preventing me from my usual nosiness in discovering things on foot, until next time.

Unique adventure for kids. Wouldn't recommend for older kids over 12. Not that big and lots of…read moresmaller kids around.

This playground recently got renovated. It's at the corner of Golden Lantern and La Cresta. It's…read morestreet parking only and not a lot. There are no restrooms. It's fully paved with rubber surface. There is one play structure that's a very cool pirate ship. There's a slope with 1 infant swing and 2 saddle swings. There are 2 tables with seating. There are 2 benches by the play structure and 1 by the swings. However, they also have a palm tree lined "bench" on Golden Lantern side. This area provides some shade, otherwise, not shaded. It's near the ocean though so not very hot. It is gated and small so easy to keep an eye on kids. There are 2 trash cans and no water fountain. I recommend this park if your kids like pirate ships and for a relatively short play time.

Such a great park! We were in the area for a tournament and needed a place for our boys to run out…read moresome energy. The neighborhood is very friendly and lively! The park had so many different play structures and even had a zip line about a block away. Great spots for adults to relax while the kids play too!

OVERALL The Backyard is quite the little neighborhood treat…read morein Rancho Mission Viejo, CA. RATING BREAKDOWN | Playground: 5 | Restroom: 4 | Environment: 4 | Price: 5 | PARKING Side street parking nearby is free. LOCATION/AMBIANCE The playground is surrounded by a residential village with single family homes and townhouses. This area of SoCal is absolutely beautiful with its mild climate, oak canyons, valleys, and hills. The playground entails a linear design which serves as a clever use of space. PLAYGROUND Its features include the following in no particular order: + sturdy playground equipment with poured rubber surfacing + turf hill for sliding or rolling down (bring cardboard pieces) + plenty of concrete for scooters, bicycles, tricycles, and strollers + kid-sized zip rail + swinging egg chairs in front of a fire pit + adirondack chairs + benches + slides + swings + shade trees + huge community chalk board + picnic shelter My kids love playing outside probably more so than most children these days. They didn't want to leave on 2/21/22. RESTROOM I was so lucky there was a clean restroom open for one of my daughters. It was located within a short walk of the play structures in the building called The Garage. MY FAVORITE PART... How I found this park... scouring Google maps per usual. MY LEAST PART... It's in a remote area for sure.

This is a beautiful little park tucked in to a Capistrano Beach neighborhood, which offers some…read morepretty special views of Dana Point and the ocean. On the beautiful day that we went, the ocean had these awesome multicolored azure hues like a tropical island. It's also a dynamite park to have a picnic, with plenty of shade and lots of grass. It's also great for little kids with plenty of space to run around and some low trees that are fun for them to climb. We enjoyed a great little picnic here after getting some poke for Kawamata Seafood! Five stars

This is a pretty cool part to stop at when in the area. It has nice views on an elevated cliff. If…read moreyou want some spectacular views go to Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove.

This playground was amazing and one of the cleanest and most well maintained I've seen. It was…read moreenclosed, huge bonus, had a sandpit that was freshly raked or flattened, as well as a fake tidepool water table type feature. The play structure was large and elaborate and the castle and dragons theme was carried out throughout. My kids also loved the music corner with the guitar and keyboard features.

Lots of activities for the kids. Nice shaded areas and plenty of parking. Beautiful grounds and…read moreoverall very clean

Great park that has a bad mitten for volleyball net and also a basketball court full size. It also…read morehas plenty of free parking and lots of picnic benches. It also has a massive field with a baseball diamond in it. You can also reserve the area for your private parties to the city.

Nice park with easy parking. There is a bathroom but I didn't check it out…read more The playground has two sets for older kids and an open one for smaller kids. My 18 month old still enjoyed the larger one and going up its three levels. Lots of slides. A climbing wall. Sand pit. Tables. And the ground is the cushy kind (not rocks and not mulch). They do movies at the park sometimes and the open lawn area has a small hill which makes it easy for viewing. The downside is that you can hear the freeway from here. And it smells pretty strongly of mosquito repellent (which is probably a pro and a con).

Great location, great park plenty of grass area to play soccer or games. They have a bathroom for…read morekids to use and adults. The playground is big and my son enjoys this park very much. I enjoy the park also nice to have a picnic at.

A gorgeous, perfect park. Beautiful views, so many different things for kids to do, and even the…read morebathrooms are nice. This park is a certified Monarch butterfly waystation and habitat! We loved watching the butterflies and searching for the Monarch caterpillars among the milkweed. We just passed through on vacation, but if I lived in the area, I'd love to bring my kid here every single day!

Creekside has a large dog park, with a separate area for small dogs and pups. Nice friendly…read moreoff-leash place.

So happy the bird houses were brought back and this neighborhood treasure was make into an official…read morepark for San Juan Capistrano. We have loved this little place and have added birdhouses over the years. We are so thrilled the neighbors here worked so hard to have it made into a real park.

This is such a hidden gem of a place. Parking is free. It's dog friendly for portions of the sandy…read morearea. The views are absolutely spectacular. It allows you to walk right over to Doheny State Park thereby saving you money for parking. I have forgotten my state park pass on occasion and have been saved because I parked here instead. There are picnic tanks that make it perfect to eat al fresco by the sea. I personally love picking up my grubs from Kawamata Seafood right up the hill. The two goes hand in hand. To me, there's no better way to enjoy the two simultaneously.

I love walking and like to get my steps in so this is a perfect place to be especially when it's so…read morehot inland. You can enjoy a nice ocean breeze and take pictures of the natural beauty!