I had some time inbetween meetings while in downtown Bakersfield and wanted some fresh air under a…read moreshaded tree, so I pulled up to Jastro Park and took some time to enjoy this nice public space. It was great to see it a buzz with a large family gathering bumping good tunes, individuals escaping the heat in a similar fashion to myself, and folks taking pictures. It's cool to see the city continue to invest into this park with the pickle ball courts and upgrades being done for the pavilion. I need to come back to get some time on those pickle ball courts!

If anyone was at the Juneteenth event here on Saturday, and was at the playground, I was the girl…read morethat fell backwards whilst swinging up high and landed on my side. I feel a bit embarrassed now, it is too late to be embarrassed, my pelvis, hips and arm are very sore now, when I hit the ground, my legs felt limp...My experience, not very good and had to be extra careful.

Nice place, very peaceful. We have Some homeless sleeping but harmless. Great view and a great…read moreplace to enjoy a book. Or chill.

This park for me has a feeling of nostalgia. My grandma used to take me here when I was a toddler…read moreto play and visit the ducks. Going back as an adult it's definitely changed , some for the better and some just unfortunate. I love the addition of the fountains and I love how it was relaxing and quiet for park . I love how you can see the museum's garden and I love how the play-area isn't very close to the street so kiddos don't get hurt . I had no idea it was a historic landmark so that was fun to read about . Ill be honest , the unfortunate I spoke of is all the litter in the water and around the park. I enjoyed my time here, I'll visit again .

i mean it's a place to stretch your legs but I wish the place was cleaner. All the trash cans were…read moreoverflowing and the bathrooms were rough.

I'm here every week with my dogs. Great little fenced in spot with plenty of place for my energetic…read morehuskies to run. Water bowls, garbage cans, and benches dotted around the perimeter. Usually regulars will tie extra poop bags to the fence and bring bottles of water. Because this park is a sump, garbage can sometimes wind up at the bottom of the park, but it's maintained weekly and is usually pretty clean for a dog park. The one thing this place NEEDS desperately is more signage about the rules. Last Sunday, July 11, 2021 we arrived around 8am and found a group of about 20 boys and 4 coaches having football practice. Usually I wouldn't mind this type of thing and welcome the socialization for the dogs, but the kids were not properly talked to about respecting the dog park. One of the boys opened the fence gate and let both of my dogs out, who of course then bolted out into the busy street. I feel that this could have been avoided if there were proper signs about closing the fence and being mindful of the dogs. Especially because this dog park is just the small fenced in area of a larger park, I feel like they could play anywhere and dogs really just have this one spot.

I love Deer Peak Park! This was one of my main parks as a child and through my teenage years…read more There's plenty to enjoy here. My favorite part is the wide grass area which has held countless pick up football, soccer, wiffle ball, and any other field game. The basketball court is well kept and is a fun spot to practice skating when not in use for basketball. The playground has two nice sections, one designed for younger kids and another larger section with more advanced play equipment. They also have some of the better swings around.

Nice, quiet little park located in Seven Oaks…read more There's a large play area for children, basketball court, picnic benches (with BBQ grills), and a medium sized covered area for parties/get togethers. This park also has restrooms.

Another great park in Bakersfield. This parkway is on the bluffs of Bakersfield, known for its…read morehiking trails, waking/run pathways, and the views of the city, oil fields, or the mountains sides. It's also a great place to take a date and have a little one on one conversation.

The name says it all, the views are panoramic!…read more Now look, when I say panoramic, I mean Bakersfield panoramic. Bakersfield isn't known for being the most scenic city in California, but it has its moments. The park is situated atop a bluff with endless views of Oildale. The views are truly expansive and it's beautiful to spend an afternoon walking across the bluff or our favorite for visiting the park...feeding the squirrels! I have truly never seen as many squirrels as I did at Panorama Park! They are everywhere and they are wilding out! Before arriving, we went to Winco and picked up 6 pounds of unsalted shelled peanuts. Yes...6 pounds! We set up, started throwing, and out they came, baby! The squirrels be swarming!!! They have a bunch of little underground tunnels and they start communicating with each other and just make their appearance. The squirrels are uber friendly, to the point that they were taking peanuts right out of our hands. They'd eat a ton of peanuts and act like they'd never seen one in their life! The squirrels are hungry!!! It's a fun and wholesome way to spend the afternoon. Note though, like any public space, the park isn't all wholesome. We overheard some interesting and potentially (actually definitely) illegal conversations taking place, so like anywhere, be aware of your surroundings.

This cute little community park of only 2.5 acres, is almost s twin sister to Olive Park West, less…read morethan half a mile away to the West. There are two entrances to this park, one on Cecilia Court on the North side and one on Ruth Court to the South. There is a lot of grass for such a small park, and tall shady trees. There are three picnic tables sprinkled around the park, each with its own (charcoal) grill and trash can for easy clean up. On this Monday morning in June there was a volleyball net strung up in the middle of the grassy area but nobody was at the park. There are two benches in the park, one facing the grass and one facing the playground area. There is a water fountain near the play area. There is a disc gold target for the adults. For those unfamiliar with the sport, one throws a disc (Frisbee) over and over to reach a target. See the link below for details. http://www.pdga.com/introduction The play area is covered in bark to soften falls and has two large play structures, one for older children, and a scaled down one for the younger set. There are three toys for toddlers they can ride on with springs at the bottom. Why don't they make these kinds of toys for adults? I would totally give them a spin. Just as with its sister park, there are no public restrooms.

McCray Park is a small park (1.8 acres) located in the middle of a residential area in Oildale. It…read moreis mostly grass, much of it shaded by large old growth trees. There are brightly colored play structures with bark below for safety. There is even a baby/toddler swing and two swings for older kids. There are picnic tables with BBQ grills next to each scattered around the edges of the park. I saw two large families having picnics in the park on the Saturday I was there. It seemed like a very safe green oasis in the middle of brown Oildale. As I was driving to the park, I passed an old man out for a walk. When he reached the park, he lay down in the shade of one of the trees for a little rest. I suppose he could have been a transient, but somehow I just didn't get that vibe from him. He was very clean and nicely dressed, so I'm going to asume he was just a local resident out for a walk on a very hot day seeking the peaceful coolness of the shade. Only negative was that I did not see any restrooms. This park is within walking distance of Sears Park.

Mannel Park is one of the original parks in Shafter and one of the oldest parks in Kern County!…read moreIt's fully shaded with large established trees and is decently lit for evenings. The park is surrounded by a quiet residential area and the local high school to one corner. There's plenty of picnic areas and bbq's. It can get quite busy on the weekends and is recommended that you reserve a spot ahead of time online (http://www.shafter.com/DocumentCenter/View/3494) There's even a cute gazebo in the park that is the focal point of many community events.