Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park is San Diego’s newest park! The Grand Opening was in April 2019 and this park is COOL. It has five acres of turf field, two dog parks, playground and “discovery play” area, skate plaza, parkour area and bike pump track. There are also baseball fields, a nice loop for walking/jogging and fitness stations, picnic areas and basketball courts. My daughter went right for the colorful play equipment, and then to the discovery area. There’s a lot to cover at this park…
Picnic tables, large barbecues, gender-neutral restrooms, drinking fountains (for pups too), gazebos, lots of parking in the lot or on the street.
Tot Lot, baby swings, group swing, rubber ground and bark, monkey bars, lots of climbing walls/domes, small slide, and a 4-person seesaw. The Discovery Area has a sand lot with cool funnel thing, music elements, and a (fake) climbing rock.
There is one baseball diamond with dugouts, two full court basketball courts, a pump bike track, a parkour training area, and a skate park. There are also large grassy area and four fitness stations around the half mile loop.
There are two fenced dog parks (for large and small). When I inquired about the alcohol policy, I was told it was allowed but the park is so new it was unknown if it would remain that way.
- Dogs Allowed (leashed)
- Good for Events
- Alcohol Allowed (no glass)
- Tot Lot
- Bathroom Facilities
- Sunrise to Sunset
Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds (a tot lot and one for older kids), the Discovery Area and the Parkour area… so I have a lot to cover!
Discovery Area
If your child is a sensory seeker, you will love the Discovery Area. It has music and sensory elements spread out in little semi-private areas divided by fenced gardens. There is a sand toy on a little lot, drums, a big climbing rock, interactive boards, talk tubes and a Grandioso Chime!
Tot Lot
Little climbers will love the Tot Lot! It has a little slide, spinners and other fun elements to explore, things to sit on and stand on, a little bridge and baby swings.
Playground
The playground for bigger kids has LOTS of things to climb too (nets and walls), a group swing, a four-person seesaw, monkey bars, and a balance bar.
Parkour
I know nothing about Parkour 🙂 I took a bunch of pictures though, so you can see the whole area!
Bike Pump Track
This 22,000 sq. ft. pump track was popular! It was entirely fenced and had tables and trash cans.
Restrooms
There were three gender-neutral (unisex stalls), all wheelchair accessible, located near the playground/parkour area. I did not see a changing table… each stall had a toilet, sink and air dryer.
Basketball Court
Also available were two full-court basketball courts. These had lights and where fenced-in.
Fitness
The half-mile loop around the turf features four fitness stations along with benches (for sitting), doggy bag stations and water fountains, ideal for a fitness loop by yourself, with your pup or with a friend!
The loop is also ideal for young bicyclists or scooter riders to ride! It’s flat and has grass on one side (bark chips on the other).
Picnics and Events
There are several spots for events and picnics, ranging from a small, quick lunch to a full-blown party! There are four gazebos you can reserve: three along the turf area (near the playground) and one behind the ball field. Each has a few rectangular picnic tables (and maybe one round table) and a couple of trashcans. Three of the gazebos have barbecues, they are:
- Gazebo closest to the Discovery Center
- Gazebo closest to the playground
- Gazebo closest to home plate (sort of behind the ball field)
The gazebo that is between the parkour area and the baseball diamond does not have a barbecue.
The fee to reserve is $30/hr with a $2 transaction fee. At this time, there is not a direct number to call for reservations. You can call the Carmel Valley Recreation Center for additional information: (858) 552-1616
This is the picnic area by the ball field:
There are also several areas with one or more round tables throughout the park. These are available on a first come, first serve basis.
As of now, the large grassy area cannot be reserved, so activities such as a bounce house or gaming stations are not allowed.
Stage
There is a shelter right at the front of the park. When I called to inquire about reservations, the office called it a stage… to me, it just looked like a gazebo without tables or barbecues. This area is not available to reserve at this time. It would be a good spot if you have your own tables/chairs, but it’s not near the playground.
Dog Parks
Whether a small pup or a big dog, your canine companion will enjoy a fenced-in dog park just for them! Both parks were dirt with several trees, a few benches, and a water fountain with doggy spigot. I would probably not recommend this park on a hot day because there is very little shade (for people and pups).
Dog Visitors
If you’re not taking your pup to the dog parks, the park is still a great place to visit! All the fountains have dog spigots and there are several stations for doggy poop bags too! Just be sure to keep them on a leash.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park appeared to be wheelchair friendly. The restrooms are accessible and it’s a pretty flat park. There are ramps were necessary. Much of the Discovery Area would be accessible with a wheelchair, but there isn’t much else for a child in a wheelchair as far as play goes (the structures are not accessible).
Skate Plaza
The Skate Plaza was also a very popular spot when we were there! It is for skateboards, bicycles, rollerblades and scooters (no motorized equipment). It opens at 7am and closes at sunset.
Turf Area
At the heart of Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park is a five-acre informal turf picnic area. At present time (June 2019), it is not available to rent. But it would be a nice spot to spread out a blanket for a picnic or a game of catch.
Park Map
It appears this satellite image was captured while the park was under construction, so just imagine it a lot greener 🙂 It looks very busy because there is a lot this park can offer!
