This profile of San Lorenzo Community Park was written by Jessica Manrique.
San Lorenzo Community Park is a true East Bay gem. Where to begin? This park is huge! I could spend a couple hours here, if not a whole day, with activities to keep the whole family busy. A few miles from Oakland, and about 30 minutes from either San Francisco or San Jose (depending on traffic, big time!), it is right in the center of the Bay Area.
Playgrounds at San Lorenzo Community Park
Giant playground by the duck pond
The newly renovated playground next to the duck pond includes two giant slides, zipline, basketball courts, rope tree house, and multiple rock climbing walls. Bear Mountain is the most obvious feature of this play area; it is gigantic and super fun for adults and kids. Unfortunately, this bear of a climbing structure makes it hard to keep track on the little ones since everything is so spread out and on multiple levels.
Toddler-friendly playground
On the opposite side of the San Lorenzo Community Park, closer to the gated dog run, is the more toddler-friendly playground with gentle-sloping slides and adequate guard rails on the sides. Discovering the toddler playground was a relief, because it was so much easier to keep eyes on the kids.
More features of San Lorenzo Community Park
This park was built with convenience and hosting in mind. You can find restrooms conveniently located on each corner of the park as well as water fountains. Unfortunately, the bathrooms are not equipped with changing tables for babies, so bring something to lay them on outdoors.
There is an ample amount of free parking surrounding the park.
Duck Pond
In addition to the two playgrounds there is a beautiful duck pond, a frequent nickname for the whole park. Our whole family enjoyed the scenery. Pro tip: The guard railings are spaced far apart, so keep an extra eye on the little ones.
On any given day you can catch local schools practicing or playing games here on the multiple softball dugouts and soccer fields. There is always some activity going on. From the top of Bear Mountain, we had a clear view of the soccer and softball fields.
Community Center and Picnic Spots
San Lorenzo Community Park has a community center managed by Hayward Recreation; you can find many recreational classes here or reserve it for parties. Various fees apply.
And don’t worry about the sun; there are multiple gazebos that host under them barbeque pits and tables and benches for seating!
Plan your visit to San Lorenzo Community Park
1970 Via Buena Vista
San Lorenzo, CA 94580
(510) 881 6700
Website >
Things to pack:
- Picnic for the family (enjoy on lawn with blanket or on one of the many picnic tables)
- Light outerwear (close to Hayward shoreline, can get breezy depending on time of day)
- Attitude for exploring and enjoying the outdoors!
Don’t forget your furry animals too! Not the most updated but efficient gated off area for your dogs to run around in and meet other furry friends.
[All photos by Jessica Manrique except that overhead shot from Hayward Area Recreation]
