Amazing pickleball courts!! Closes at 10, but I go twice a week, and although it's busy it's a good time. Restrooms are clean and well kept

lol my old review ~2yr ago: "Just wish it had a bunch of pickleball courts". Ask and ye shall receive! Last Tues was their ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating 8 brand-new public pickleball courts in Irvine. + Tall fences to minimize ball-on interferences. + Many tables and benches to sit around. + Many clean restrooms 1-3mins walk away. + Enough baseline room for retrieving lobs. . Okay sideline room for ATPs. . Wide skill range there, from novices to high-intermediate players. - LONG wait. Since the first day, crowds rushed in to line up for open play. The rack is already full with 30+ paddles. + During middle of the day (lunchtime), it's empty. . Only one rack queue for all 4 (or 8) open-play courts. - Starting yesterday (Fri 2/6/26) the other 4 courts became reservation crts. -- On the first day, it was chaotic. My paddle was first in line. A game ended and someone called next 4 and gave me my paddle. I turned to hop on an open court, but no court was open. I turned back and the queue had already shifted along, so there was no spot at the front for me to put my paddle back. I asked around. One person said he was in the same situation, then he grabbed an open 4-paddle holder to put his paddle back in front of the line. I tried to put mine in, but he kept blocking me out to let his folks put theirs in. I was dumbfounded, disgruntled, distraught. No one cared to help my situation. An Irvine city employee walked by, and I explained my situation to him. He couldn't offer much help. After a few min, I accepted my miserable situation and put my paddle back in the end of the line. I only got to play 1 game that day. - The city employees should've known better. Keep 1 or 2 members monitoring the hectic paddle queue to ensure no one gets cut in line. . Moral of the day: before removing your paddle from the front of the line to hop on the next court, make sure you know which court # you're going to, make sure the ppl there are leaving, make sure the other 3 ppl in your group of 4 are going with you. . Idea: If you do wind up in my situation, and you've already lost your place in line, one thing you can try is grab an empty 4-paddle holder, squeeze it in to the front of the line, and put your paddle in. Offer any 3 random ppl (who are already near the front of the line) to join your 1st-place paddle holder. If people object, explain your sad situation first. If they remain adamant, I guess the mission's a no-go, then you'll end up having to return your paddle to the end of the line. I'm only just thinking of this idea now. Didn't get to try it while I was caught up in the moment. Hope the same thing doesn't happen to you. read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Mike Ward pickleball court map & policy (QR). - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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Mike Ward Community Park is a great neighborhood park by the lake, a church with plenty of parking, open space, and walking paths. There were also tennis courts. I saw lots of people walking their dogs and enjoying the park. read more

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I enjoy playing pickleball at Mike Ward Community Park. I never have a problem finding parking, it's spacious (and clean with lots of trash bins), and is well-lit (I usually go in the evenings for a couple of hours). read more

Excellent facility, friendly staff, clean and safe. But be prepared for Super Long lines if you come on any week night! The paddle rack might need to be twice as long. Very hard to get a primetime court reservation online even as an Irvine resident. Half the courts are usually blocked for programs if you look at the weekly calendar - effectively it's only 4 courts available for open play most nights. Good challenge court play is at late mornings and on weekends. read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Mike Ward Community Park spans 22 acres and is located in the Woodbridge area of Irvine. There is ample parking in the private parking lot. The adjacent senior center has a game room, meeting room and multipurpose rooms, and a rose garden. The park has volleyball courts, basketball courts, racquetball court, picnic tables, and an amphitheater. There are large grassy areas and a walking bridge that leads over to the Woodbridge South Lake. Overall it's a very nice park. read more

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I love this park, I have been coming here for well over a decade and it has not changed much, it is a very serene place where you can play tennis, or jog or like myself, take your doggy on a little stroll. read more

Mike Ward is a large park with many different options/activities. It borders Woodbridge Village Center and the Senior Center, and has lots of parking shared with the Senior Center. There are accessible bathrooms, multiple handball courts, two basketball courts that are lit up until 10pm, and a sand volleyball court. There is a large grass field that can be used for various activities. Lots of geese roam the area, so I would watch out for geese poop. My friends and I primarily use the basketball courts. The courts are not perfectly flat, and both of the courts have noticeable cracks on the surface, but they don't seem to impact quality of play yet. The lights are nice and bright, except on one side of one of the courts, some of the lights are broken, so it gets a bit dark. The area is nice to walk around and hang out with friends and family, and serves its purpose well as a community park. Overall, I would give this park 3.5 stars, only because there are other nicer options and some facilities work that can be done. I know that there are plans to install pickleball courts here, which will be nice since it is such a popular sport. read more

I come here to use the tennis/ball walls. Nearby water fountains are nice. Bathrooms are usually open till 10pm. One time on a holiday all lights were off and bathrooms were closed so be careful when visiting on a holiday night. read more

Fun summer concerts each year with a great view and you can bring the whole family! I love it!

Mike Ward Park is a large community park in Woodbridge, adjacent to the senior center, and a parking lot shared by the two facilities. Its racquetball courts are so popular that there is usually people waiting to play. Its large grass field is a good venue for soccer games or concerts. This park has a seasonal creek that runs through it. Personally I have never seen water in it but there is always hope. I enjoy walking around this park although its trail is not a loop so one has to turn back at the trail end. It has many benches along the way so one can sit down wherever and rest a moment before continue. This park is convenient located next to a shopping mall and between the north and south lakes. Many times we will get some picnic food and have a good time. read more

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This community park is stunning. Hubby and I take our little dog here every week for our evening strolls. We love it here so much. The lake is beautiful and you wouldn't expect it to be this massive driving past it on the street. The walking trail here is great, it loops around the entire lake. The only complaint I have are the geese. They hiss a lot at you and try to provoke for no reason. Otherwise, a great spot here in Irvine. Very serene and relaxing. read more

Came here for a few Summer Concerts in the Park series. Great venue for listening to great music, picnic in the park, byob, catching up with friends! Well organized event everything from ample parking, signage, Irvine community event, even has 4-5 various food trucks on sight. Park is clean, well maintained and dog friendly. Plenty of parking, there is even a senior center onsite here too. read more

Nice clean park. No playground though which I do find odd. Just wide open field for you to run around. Summer concerts are always a plus. Close to Woodbridge shopping center so you can grab desserts or snacks. Always feel safe! SYOY! read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Concert night - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Well maintained park. Great for a long walk with your kids or dogs. There's mainly a vast expanse of grass in this park where older kids and adults train or play games. Contrary to the reviews on Yelp, the lake and gazebo is not a part of this park and is a 20 minute walk from the parking lot. Also, there is no playground for kids in this park. read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

First time visit for a Concert In The Park put on by Pacific Symphony. This park is HUMONGOUS!. Ample parking. The Symphony set up on what appeared to be the very back side of the open grass area. The video I took does no justice to how large this area truly is. You MUST visit. When you enter in on Lake (off Alton) into the parking lot (left side), there is a Senior Center on the right. Woodbridge High School is on the opposite side of the Park entrance. This park is spread out and can accommodate many ppl. Unlike William Mason Regional Park, Mike Ward Community Park is smack dab in the middle of Woodbridge community surrounded by residences & businesses. If you want shade, you will need to look for it because the grass area has very little, almost NO trees (even near the walk ways). Best takeaway: It's great to have an event such as a fair, concert, soccer tournaments; or just walk around for exercise. The park is well kept and clean. It's a great park! Happy Park Going and Fight On! read more

This park was overall pretty chill they have racquet ball courts, basketball courts, a huge field area and thats pretty much it If they have a playground i couldn't find it but then again it was dark and i was kinda distracted by wanting to go chill by the lake. The reason i'm giving them the rating i am is because they have the amenities i listed above and they were lighted at night which is totally cool especially on a warm summer night! Overall this was a fun little walk through the park across the bridge and over to the lake to kick it on the gazebo. I'm sure we will be back here at one point to take a stroll as its really close to the $2 theater and its always good to take a walk before your going to be sitting for a few hours. read more

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The chill, pretty park you walk around after a movie from Starplex Woodbridge Theater and shaved ice from Sticky Fingers. Awesome! Cheap date venue. Apparently people run around here also. Love it. Park across the bridge in the plaza and take the bridge walk into the park area. read more

Yeah, so I know this place is fake. That it's probably a deep dark ploy by the Irvine Company to lure me and keep me coming back for more with it's lush landscape, beautiful still pristine water, a majestic bridge, an amazing view, a lagoon for kids to play in, and an overall great place to walk around on a beautiful day like this Sunday but damn if their ploy isn't working. Yes, I'm a sucker and woohoo! It's as good as it gets! I don't like artificial anything but I've been running by this lake since 2007 and catching breakfast afterward at the Ruby's aqua diner. By now, I've fallen in love and I've fallen hard. It's great to sit here and watch the geese/ducks and the various community activities. On my runs, I've dreamed of owning one of the lakeside houses or living in the apartments across the water. It's always been a great place to just de-stress and escape it all. You've got me for life and I'll be back. read more

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The water is across the street which sucks but honestly I enjoyed the park. Everyone was social distancing and respecting the 6ft rule. not many people had masks on though but because of the amount of distance between big groups, it didn't matter much read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

This local park is quite pretty. Not typical but they have racquetball courts, large grassy fields, a community center, large parking lot, and a huge lake across the bridge. read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Excellent homeless encampment, hippie reservation!!! Bathrooms, water fountains, free-range coyotes, handballs court townhomes, ample parking... all the perks of an excellent homeless encampment and or hippie reserve. It's totally legal and the cops love to come out and ask how you are doing. All you SF and Austin peeps, make OC your new home. We need you!! read more

This place Is pretty bad. Lots of bugs and even bee hives in many trees. Homeless circle this place in swarms of their own. Not too kid friendly. Sorry do not recommend. read more

This park is a beautiful and calm place to do pretty much anything at any age! I like to go for RUNS on the east side of the lake. On my runs, I see other runners, people WALKING their dogs, people playing TENNIS, people paddle boating, people feeding the birds, photographers, bikers, kids playing, teens hanging out, etc. It is also a fantastic place for PHOTOGRAPHY. I got some amazing shots from the south side of the lake this morning. I could see the lake, the bridge and the snowy mountains in the background. Pedestrians stopped to take pictures with their phones, too. Since the lake is north-south, the east to west sun doesn't interfere with the shots too much. Sunsets are always stunning if you're on the northeast side of the lake or on the bridge. To the north of the lake, there's an expansive field, racketball courts and picnic tables, where I often see families and groups holding events. It's fairly common to see small groups of youngsters throwing around a football or playing soccer. I give this park 5 stars because it really is as good as it gets!! It's one of the most beautiful community parks I've seen and I've lived all over California! read more

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A couple times a week we stroll to this neighborhood park so that we can walk around the lake and work off some of the growing yelpness on my waistline. I have no clue what the distance is around the lake but I'm guessing it's 3/4 mile. It's beautiful for a man made lake and nicely maintained. There are a lot of ducks, geese and coots that make their home here. Many people bring bread to feed them, which you shouldn't do despite what they told you as a kid, as they get far too fat and also poo all over the walkways. If you come walking at a time in-between when the maintenance guys powerwash the walkways, it can be like walking through a minefield (mostly on one section near the bridge). A great place to bring your picnic lunch or to bring the kids to jump around on the playground equipment or to get some exercise or to walk the dog or even to fish! read more

Gooses, geeses I want my geese to lay gold eggs for Easter At least a hundred a day And by the way... Veruca, darling... hush. I love this park. It reminds me how lucky I am to live in Irvine. There are two beautiful lakes - North Lake and South Lake. You can walk from one to the other. Start at the North Lake. Park in the plaza where you'll find a Ruby's Diner, Champagne French Bakery Cafe, Barnes & Noble, and a Sticky Fingers (candy, chocolate, shaved ice). Take the pedestrian bridge over Barranca and soak up the gorgeous landscape. I wasn't kidding. You'll see geese, ducks, paddle boats, and a nice gazebo. It's the perfect date spot. I just come here to walk around the lake. When you're done with that one, head in the opposite direction (toward the park) and take the bridge over Alton to the South Lake. A bit smaller, but equally as pretty. Very serene. read more

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I love this lake! It's the ONLY place I can go that motivates me to go for a run or jog because the view is so beautiful, there are lots of trees and flowers and the air is super crisp and refreshing. It's perfect! I usually go for a run around North Lake, which connects to the Woodbridge Village Center so you can also run through there and stop by the Barnes & Noble or one of the shops if you need to. The distance around the entire North Lake, from the lagoon/North Lake Beach Club all the way around and across the bridge, is probably about 1 mile. I've been running here for YEARS and I've never been bothered by too many people running or walking around the lake. I actually think more people who live in Woodbridge should take advantage of it. Usually, you see a couple people walking their dogs or running. You also pass right by the North Lake tennis courts so if you're a Woodbridge resident, you have access to those as well. There are also lots of benches and grassy areas for a picnic lunch if you're in the mood to just sit by the lake and relax. I think the best time to go (if you're running) is either in the morning around 7-8 AM before it gets too hot, or else at night around 7:30-8 PM after dinner. The good thing is, since it's in Irvine, it's super safe so even if you're running in the dark, you should be fine. I've been around the lake as late as 11 or 12 at night and I've always been fine. If you're just going to enjoy the lake view, anytime in the day is perfect! read more

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My oasis... Always serene, consistently beautiful, and often private... Ducks, geese, swans are often present for your viewing pleasure; they're also looking for handouts (Warning: Don't feed the animals. They're on a special diet) ...still, who could resist?! There are times when some bread crumbs have inadvertently drop here or there... It's roughly four square miles and has two large man-made lakes at its center. Each lake (North & South) has a lagoon / beach club, a dock facility to rent human-driven pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and hydro-bikes. Summertime connects everyone in the community. Concerts, outdoor movies and various planned activities bring residents and friends together. Very reminiscent of the old drive-in theaters of the baby boomer era. Great people-watching opportunities...my personal favorite ;-) read more

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I consider it as Irvine's "big lake." The view is gorgeous (so I HIGHLY recommend this as a date place). So be prepared to impress your date for a sunset walk! I've taken jogs and walks around this area. You get to feed the ducks along the way too. There's a bridge that can take you from the park directly to a nearby plaza, where you can check out books at Barnes, have some food at the cafe, and even catch $1-2 movies. Now, isn't that a treat? There's a gazebo near the lake, and I've seen weddings taken place here. It's definitely one of those nice relaxing places to be in Irvine. :) read more

The park itself has basic things I will never use, a tennis court, handball court, and other sportsy areas, but what I primarily came here for was the lake! Parking is great, though my dog and I went on a Monday at around 2pm. There is a bridge that goes across Alton St leading to the front of the lake, unfortunetly there is not much of the lake that you can walk around if you park at Mike Ward community park. There is a cute gazebo and some benches, but you can't walk around most of the lake because of lake front houses. We did find however, that if you park at the parking lot on Blue lake st or the parking lot for the tennis courts by Clearlake st and Springbrook st, you can get to more lakefront paths. Otherwise you have to walk around some residential places which are nice...but we just came for the lake! read more

Mike Ward Community Park - "Let me at em'!" - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been here a few times with friends because we were bored at home and not doing anything. Simply put, it's a beautiful park! (as long as you don't look too closely at the water... hahahaah). The lake is probably the main attraction with a trail outside of it. Ducks and geese are in abundance and sometimes you see people canoeing or doing other water activities in the lake. It's definitely a nice place to go on a run or even take a nice walk! You often see people walking their dogs too. The park is really clean and quiet. It's also near woodbridge 5, which is the dollar movie theater across the street! My friends and I just watched Nonstop there, so they have pretty new movies if you want to check em out! :) read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Beautiful!! - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

This is one of two beautiful lakes in the Irvine Woodbridge community. It's a beautiful place to take a walk/jog/walk your dog and just take the kids out to get some air. Or if you're having a bad day at work go sit on a bench and watch the peaceful ducks and birds to clear your mind. The park includes all your amenities especially for Woodbridge residents including gated access to the tennis courts, dozens of swimming pools, the beautiful lagoon in the summer time and even paddle boats for checkout. If you want you can also fish in the catch and release lakes. Or if you so want have a bonfire in the man made beach and have a nice beach volleyball game while you enjoy some BBQ with the many BBQ grills available. For those looking more recreational amenities they also have a huge bike trail around both north and south lakes and along with entire border of Irvine. Or if your looking for bball courts, swing sets for the kids they got that too in the dozen or so parks in the community. If you get hungry the Woodbridge plaza is just a quick walk over the bridge where you can catch a $1 movie or some grub at the handful of restaurants. It's just an awesome place no matter what you're looking for. Simply put this is enjoying life. read more

This is where the Lexus LaceUp Running Series took place. This running series is one of a kind. They go all out for their runners. Providing us nice medals, great tech shirts, awesome water bottle and a hell of a beer opener. In addition the food is delicious and beer is cold. All this for $20 on groupon. Can't beat that price. Now the park: Great little neighborhood park. I would say more but I was trying to get to the finish line. read more

Mike Ward Community Park - And this was the medal for the Lexus LaceUp series - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is a hidden Gem! We ran into it after having a very filling dinner at Ruby's Diner across the street and I really needed to walk off that overly-full feeling. Hugging a privately owned lake, this park features miles of sidewalk with excellent views. There is a small island in the middle of the lake where we saw residents fishing and relaxing. Kids were playing in the Island park, and laughter was heard everywhere. Occasionally I see people with boats lazily floating by. This place has a great feel to it. Have a nice dinner at one of the great nearby restaurants then take a lovely stroll around the lake. There is a walk-over bridge that allows you to safely go over Barranca Pwky, adjacent to Barnes & Noble in the Ruby's Diner shopping center. read more

As other reviewers have said, the Woodbridge Community park is just a small portion of the many amenities within Woodbridge. talking about the park it self in the center I've only come here a few times to play some bball with the lighted coruts at night. But I do live close to the South Lake Lagoon where during the summer months you can swim, play volleyball, take some paddle/sailboats on the lake, feed ducks, go fishing, have a picnic. So much you can do. Most of the amenities you need to live in woodbridge to have access too. The sailboats are fun, but you need to get a boating pass thing from the main office on... creek I beleive it is. Its really cheap though. So much to do, you just need to take advantage of it! I love living here! read more

Mike Ward Community Park - Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here for the OC summer concert series. It's a very large park and the 80s band (the reflexx) was awesome! It's a really fun picnicy vibe. Make sure to bring chairs and blankets and some kinda sunshade. Some people had set up large tents really close to the stage so never got to see the band but enjoyed the sound nonetheless. I know other outdoor events don't allow large shades that block others. I would have mixed feelings about that. The sun was strong and there wasn't a lot of shade. I think I'm ok with not seeing the stage in exchange for not being sunburnt. This event was very popular and the overflow parking filled up before the event started. Lots of dogs and kids around. Really fun to see the kids run around after the bubbles. Love these events! read more

I chose this park for my adventure for the week. I was interested in taking photos of the lake at sunset. However, I barely arrived at sunset and I had to hurry as I was losing daylight. The lake was no where close to the parking lot. Thank goodness for Google maps!! Lol. Beautiful park, lots of walking paths, friendly people and lots of beauty all around! read more

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I found this place on accident as I was driving around Irvine. I was shocked to see in the middle of Irvine, a huge lake and gazebo while I was on the road. I immediately had to u-turn and find a place to park and explore. There is a huge park area and there are tennis courts and basketball courts here. What I liked most though, was walking across the bridge that goes over the street to take you to the Lake area. It's a really relaxing spot and beautiful scenery. You can't walk much around the lake as there are parts where you are in the housing community, but I managed to find my away around. You'll see ducks and geese and it's always nice to see water when you least expect it smack in the middle of Irvine. We had a quick picnic at the gazebo and walked around a bit. Nice time. read more

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Beautiful location! Easy access, just park at the Barnes and Noble near by and walk over! Many people come here to run, walk their dogs, even do photo shoots. There's no hikes and all leveled aka super safe to bring your family if you want a relaxed day. read more

SCENIC, FRIENDLY, PET LOVING walking trail. I was a regular local hiker at Peters Canyon, Crystal Cove, Shady Canyon which were not hardcore but I could get a good workout and enjoy the fresh air. When my dog, Chloe came into my life, things changed. Those hiking favorites were riddled with coyotes and other dangers that I had to find some alternative to walk her and walk me. SCENIC Mike Ward Community Park is really a lake with about a one mile walkway around it. It is truly lovely scenery. Very dog friendly but still need to be careful as there were recent sightings of coyotes at the park and an alleged attack in October 2016. There is a large community of ducks that hang around and in the lake. They are used to people and dogs and will come right up to you especially if they think you have food for them. They also poop alooooooooot all around the walkway too. Unfortunately, my dog thinks it is like doggy caviar and well it's disgusting..... but she loves it. FRIENDLY The people are mostly locals who live in Woodbridge and are very friendly. It seems like I am smiling and having short friendly conversations throughout my walk. There is a North side and a South side. read more