Richmar Park in San Marcos has a fun playground and great facilities. Recently opened (February 2017), the playground has a huge climbing structure, spinners, and swings. The park has a large grassy area and performance plaza.
I’ve wanted to visit this park since that I saw that big climbing structure and saw this YouTube video! The facilities have changed slightly since that video… the ADA swing is by the baby swing and there are four saddle swings together.
ADA friendly, Can reserve, parking lot (free), restrooms, drinking fountain, picnic tables, gazebos, picnic tables, public transportation.
Playground, bark, climbing structure, monkey bars, seesaw, spinners, spring bouncers, baby swings, saddle swings, ADA swings, small slide.
Large grassy area
Alcohol NOT allowed, dogs allowed, parking lot (free), performance area (per webpage)
Playground
The playground at Richmar Park is pretty cool! There is no sand here, all bark! The playground has some small climbers and a small slide.
Climbing Tower
The climbing tower is not for the faint of heart! Helicopter parents might want to look away 🙂 I don’t have details on how tall it is, but I’m guessing 15 feet. It has rope nets and lots of areas to climb. My (pretty adventurous) daughter stayed away!
One thing she did go for was the spinner, which is super fun! It spins pretty fast and she loved that she could sit or stand.
Swings
In one area of the playground there is a baby (bucket) swing and an ADA swing. In another area, there are four saddle swings.
Other Fun Features
The playground is designed for children 5-12. There is a group bouncer (for three people) and a seesaw/teeter totter (which I didn’t get a picture of – dang!).
Restrooms
The restroom building is right next to the playground, and looks pretty new. It has a men’s side and a women’s side, with drinking fountains between. Both restrooms are accessible.
Picnic Areas
Right next to the playground, there are three picnic tables (unshaded). They cannot be reserved, but they are closest to the playground and restroom building (and parking lot).
A bit away from the playground/restroom building is a gazebo picnic area with 4 rectangle tables. This area can be reserved (and should be reserved for groups over 25 people) by calling (760) 744-9000 ext. 3500 or www.san-marcos.net/reserveapark
The cost to reserve the gazebo / picnic area at Richmar Park is between $100 – $150.
This is the best picture I could get of the whole reservable picnic area. There are a group using one of the tables I wanted to respect their privacy! You can see in the map below that it is set away from the playground though.
Rules at Richmar Park
Drinking in public is not allowed in San Marcos, so no alcohol is allowed at Richmar Park. There is also no smoking, no vaping and no glass containers. If you’re getting a permit, you might be able to have alcohol though, so be sure to ask!
Grassy Area
This big, beautiful grassy area is next to the playground and gazebo, and would be a great spot for a bounce house / inflatable – which are allowed at Richmar Park with a reservation. Your jump house company you pick must be on their approved vendor list, and cannot be larger than 15×28.
