There’s a lot to experience at Camino Ruiz Park in Mira Mesa – it has almost everything! You’ll find ball fields with bullpens, a hiking trail, a nice walking path through the park with great sitting areas along the way, a very cool playground, a tot lot, a half-court basketball court, gazebos (available for rent), and lots of fun little hidden experiences.
Bike parking, drinking fountain, restrooms, lots of free parking, lots of picnic tables, gazebos (two to rent)
Playground with slides, swings, climbing wall, monkey bars, bridges, and a Tot Lot with bouncers, slides and baby swings. Everything here is rubber ground (no sand).
Half court basketball court, walking path, hiking trail, three ball fields, bullpens, large grassy area, good for bike riders.
The walk-in sundial is so cool! There’s a gorgeous view and a little garden. Dogs are allowed (leashed). Alcohol is not allowed. There are lots of beautiful hide-aways in this park!
Address:
11489 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
- Dogs Allowed (leashed)
- Alcohol Allowed
- Tot Lot
- Bathroom Facilities (no changing table)
- Closes at 9pm daily
Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds: a tot lot and one for older kids.
Big Kids
The big kid playground has a lot to do! Four slides, lots of climbing areas, a climbing wall, monkey bars and a little play house. In the same area, there is also a multi-bouncer (on springs) and four swings. Something I thought was fun (but my three year old daughter did not think was fun!) is the bongo jungle climber (5 pods suspended from chains)… it was a fun balance exercise!
The play area is all rubber ground (no sand), and there are lots of big rocks around the perimeter that my daughter enjoyed climbing as well. There is a lot of seating for parents.
Near the “big slide” there was a treasure map, but I couldn’t tell if it corresponded to anything on the equipment… I think it was just for show 🙂
Tot Lot
The tot lot is in a separate area (near the other playground) and has a couple of small slides, stairs, bridges, bouncers (on springs) and two baby swings.
Events at Camino Ruiz Park
There are two gazebos available for rent at Camino Ruiz Park. Camino Ruiz Park is not specifically listed in the San Diego Municipal Code 56.54 (as of August 2019), so there are no alcohol restrictions here (but glass is never allowed). It’s important to note that the gates to the parking lot close at 9pm.
Gazebo #1 (pictured below) is right next to the playground and bathrooms, and offers great views! For rental information, call (858) 538-8122.
Gazebo #2 is located at the entrance to the park. I didn’t see any bathrooms close to this gazebo, but it would be closest to the entrance/exit and the trail head.
Additionally, there are two gazebos near the playground/bathrooms that do not appear to be available for rent (available on a first come, first served basis). Each gazebo has three tables.
Walk-In Sundial at Camino Ruiz Park
Camino Ruiz Park has a cool walk-in sundial that marks both the winter and summer solstice. This drone video showcases the ball fields and the walking path, providing a great overview of everything this park has to offer!
Walking Path
The walking path on the edge of the canyon has five scenic overlooks providing the best available views of the canyon. The overlooks are charming, each with art features, seating areas and park information. It would be such a nice spot for a stroll or picnic. The walking path as I have it outlined in the map below is about 1 mile (not a complete loop).
Garden
Along the walking path is a garden with seating areas and informative signs.
Bathrooms
The bathroom building is near the playground and has a men’s side and a women’s side. Each side had a few stalls (one ADA on each side), two sinks, and air blowers. There are no changing tables.
Ball Fields
Camino Ruiz Park has three ball fields. It looks to me like there is a big ball field, a medium-sized one and a smaller one (maybe for tee ball? I know nothing about ball fields!). The two larger ball fields have bull pens and bleachers. The smallest one has bleachers as well, but they are smaller than the other bleachers.
You can get a better sense of the ball fields in the aerial image at the end of this post.
Basketball Court and Bike Parking
The half-court basketball court and bike parking areas are right next to the playground.
Additional Seating
I do not know know what this area is for… do you have any ideas?
Hiking - Camino Ruiz Trail
The trail head for the Camino Ruiz Trail is at Camino Ruiz Park. You can read more about this beautiful hike here! I’ve read that this is the “secret” entrance to the Rancho Penasquitos Preserve – pretty cool!
Aerial Map
Here’s the little aerial map I put together for this Camino Ruiz Park so you get an idea of where everything is located. I hope you enjoyed this blog post!
When are you coming to Tierrasanta?
I’m not too far away from Tierrasanta, so I’ll probably be there sometime soon!