This is one of my favorite spots to check out at Legoland. It looks like they are always updating…read morebecause they had a Sofi Stadium that looked newish. Always cool to see how people build these incredible art pieces.

Really cool if you love legos! They built major cities out of legos it was cool to see. I spent an…read morehour walking around admiring the details they put into it! A must if you're in Legoland!

Beautiful park! Lots of greenery and the playground itself is almost fully shaded with over heard…read morematerial! Had my daughter's birthday there last week and I am so glad I chose this park! The picnic table area is directly right next to the playground, which is so ideal! The bathrooms & parking are a bit far of a walk from the playground and unfortunately no swings, but absolutely love this park!! (Also if planning a bigger event like an invite list birthday party I highly recommend calling vista parks and recreation to make a proper reservation for the covered picnic table area!The ranger comes out very early in the morning and mark it off as officially reserved signs! Brought me great peace of mind!)

Located within walking distance of downtown vista (yes, please, there is a lovely trail from…read moredowntown to the park. About .7 mile), this park features an amphitheater, tennis (2), softball (2), basketball (3), volleyball (2) courts, an indoor gymnasium, plenty of parking, kid's playgrounds, small water stream, bridges and an amazing disc golf course (19 holes). Covered (or not!) picnic tables and trashes are available. Plenty of parking, plenty of shade along walkways, place is clean. There is a botanical park at the top of the hill.

Went on a morning hike with friends. There's a small parking lot, and the trail we took along the…read morelake was flat and easy. The scenery was nice, and we came across both hikers and bikers along the way.

Excellent place to go hiking. It's hard to go wrong with any trail that loops around the lake with…read moremagnificent views. Out of all the trails, I highly recommend Fletcher Point: https://hiddensandiego.com/things-to-do/places/fletcher-point Fletcher Point takes you across a peninsula with excellent views. 10/10 would recommend.

San Elijo Park has a recreation center that you can rent out that holds 80 people max and tables…read moreand chairs are provided. There's also a kitchen, private bathrooms and the yard is included in your rental. The place is huge!! It has a dance floor and plenty of lighting. We used it to throw our son's 1st birthday party. The tables were a little used but put a table cloth cover, it's all good! Chairs were fine. Kitchen had a fridge and microwave and even dish washing soap. The supply room had paper towels for the bathrooms and supplies. Weekend rental is an extra $$ compared to weekdays. They do give you an extra hour for clean up. We rented from 11-3 (4pm with free extra hour for clean up) and the cost was around $450ish. Pretty good for indoor space! One thing is the front door is not open and looks closed. Many of our caterers could not find this place. No clear signage to go to the parking lot for entrance.

Cool park in San Elijo that looks very new and well-kept. They have baseball fields, play areas for…read morekids, walking trails, and two fenced in dog pins...one for small and one for bigger dogs. I think this is definitely a great part of San Elijo. The grass is green and there are always people walking, running, sitting, and playing games here.

I was a little hesitant about Rawhide Ranch based on reviews, but several friends had said their…read morekids LOVED it-- even the kids who weren't into horses. We sent my daughter and her best friend (both age 10) for the first session 2026 and they LOVED IT!! They can't wait to go back and already miss it. My daughter rated it 9/10 - she didn't love the food and the showers weren't the best, but she wore crocs and did just fine showing every day. She rode daily, learned about all kinds of animals, and enjoyed the town-- which was quite impressive. Laser tag, climbing wall, arts & crafts and pony bucks for the store - she was living her best life! Tips: bring a handheld fan - the days are hot! And a cowboy hat (you can buy them there at drop-off). And bring a fitted twin bed sheet! The wagon mattresses were dusty. Plus a blanket or sleeping bag. Jeans and boots for riding . $100-$125 in pony bucks (or less and you can monitor their spending... money goes fast on snacks, drinks, fans, souvenirs, etc.)

My 11-year-old son attended Rawhide Ranch for a one-week summer camp. As part of the camp's policy,…read morechildren do not have access to electronics or direct communication with parents during their stay. Prior to camp, we arranged a simple system where he could signal me through a snack purchase if he needed help. Early on the third day, he used that signal. I called the camp and did not receive a response. After approximately eight hours, I called again and requested to speak with the camp director, I was eventually connected with the camp director, who indicated there had been an issue earlier that day involving my son and wrong medication being given. After insisting, I was allowed to speak with my son. He was clearly distressed and informed me that he had been given the wrong medication that morning. Instead of his usual over-the-counter allergy medication, he was given a high-dose antidepressant not prescribed to him and not intended for a child his age. According to the information provided to me, staff at the health office realized the error and attempted to have him self induce vomiting with a spoon, (he was instructed to stick the spoon down his throat), which was unsuccessful. They then contacted poison control for guidance. At no point during this process was I notified. After speaking with my son, I decided to pick him up immediately. When I arrived, I found communication from staff to be limited, and I was unable to get clear or detailed information about the incident despite asking direct questions. I requested to speak with the camp director, who eventually met with me. During that interaction, I found his demeanor to be notably nonchalant given the circumstances. The situation--a child being given the wrong medication and the parent not being notified--was presented in a way that did not reflect the level of concern I would have expected. When I attempted to ask for clarification and express concern about what had happened, the conversation became extremely tense. There was a clear difference in how seriously the situation was being viewed, and the discussion escalated into a heated verbal exchange. Given the lack of clear communication and the response to what I consider a serious safety issue, I made the decision to withdraw my son from the camp that same night. Following the incident, I contacted the camp multiple times. I was initially told that a refund would not be provided, though I was offered a credit for a future summer. After further communication, I did receive a refund. I also attempted to reach out to members of the organization's leadership to share concerns about the incident. This experience was extremely concerning, particularly given the seriousness of a medication error involving a child and the lack of timely parent notification.

Great spot for a hike! There are plenty of trails to choose from, offering views of the lake, the…read morevolcanic plug, and Carlsbad. The hikes range from easy to moderate depending on the trail you take. Some sections are a bit overgrown while others are well maintained, but overall it's a beautiful place to explore.

Amazing place to go for a hike. There are easy trails as well as some difficult ones. So there is…read moresomething for everyone. Also, where else can you hike to the top of a volcano?!? Great views throughout the trail and a must try hike when in the area.

A beach is a beach is a beach, right? Not really! All along the Southern California coast, the…read morebeaches vary geographically. Some are more sandy and some are more rocky. I was looking for one that was relatively clean, with not a lot of people, and lots of sand with few rocks. Tamarack State Beach is that place! Tamarack is the kind of beach that would make a nice spot for a picnic or a place to watch the sun set. I did neither of those things -- just stayed for a while to let my children get into the ocean and bury themselves in the sand. But they loved this beach so much that we visited twice during our visit to Carlsbad. There was a lifeguard on duty, set up closer to the parking lot where the majority of the people were. If you walk a little ways away, though, there is no lifeguard and the people are fewer. The parking can be a little limited, and you have to pay to park. There is also some street parking, but that's even more limited. Your best best is to hit the parking lot first and maybe circle a couple of times.

Tamarack state beach is a nice beach but this time there were so many rocks along it. My grandkids…read morewere getting hit on the legs with the rocks once the water receded. The parking lot is really small, and we were able to find 3 spots after 10am but it's a hassle trying to get out! You get one car waiting for someone to pull out and it blocks and stops everyone else. My husband literally had to ask the guy to move over a bit because 8 cars were waiting in the line behind him to get out. There has to be a better set up to get out of there. All in all, everyone still had a good time, regardless of the rock situation.