Tassajara Park (and Playground!) in El Cerrito

Situated in a hilly neighborhood of El Cerrito, Tassajara Park is a great place for kids of all ages to play. We had so much fun at this clean and large park. It has two large play structures, one for tots and one for older kids, two spinning chairs, two tennis courts, a basketball court, and spacious grass field to run and play.

The older kids’ play structure has climbing opportunities with fun fish-shaped steps and a swirly slide. I saw school-aged kids going wild playing chase on the large structure, so parents with little ones should be aware when older kids are playing (this is true in all cases but especially since the play structure here seems perfect for game of tag).

The playground area is partially enclosed with hedges and metal fences. There is an open space between the hedges and the bathroom, but I didn’t have to worry about my kids running out of the park.

Tassajara Park is nestled into a quiet part of the El Cerrito hills. Street parking is easily available, and only a few cars go by. An ice cream truck stopped there twice while we were at the park! (We did not have ice cream twice.)

A Parent’s Guide to El Cerrito >>

My girls love playing with sand lately, so having a large sandbox is a bonus at playgrounds. The sandbox was big enough for four or five kids to play comfortably. There is no water feature which was disappointing for my older one, but lucky for Mom — less mess! Be sure to bring your own toys; there are no toys available to play here.

Tassajara Park is not busy on weekday afternoons. Weekends get busier but not overcrowded.

Planning to have a meal here? Wooden benches surround the edges of the park. Large trees provide shade for two picnic tables.

Tassajara Playground Features

Location: 2575 Tassajara Ave, El Cerrito
Unique Features: Located in a quiet neighborhood, this park has a variety of slides and climbing structures that are perfect for tots to young grade schoolers. A sand pit, large grassy area, picnic tables, basketball court, and tennis courts round out the park to please people of all ages and interests.
Swings: Yes, but no bucket swings for small babies
Fenced in? No, though there is fencing next to areas closest to the street
Surfaces: The playground area is covered in soft mat material, and the area surrounding the two swings is covered in wood chips.
Bathroom: The bathroom (clean!) is in the same building as the pottery studio where adults can go for drop-in sessions on Mondays nights (7-9:30pm $11/resident $13.5/non-resident). You need to purchase the key from the El Cerrito Community Center for $18 to use it. When you return the key, you get your money back. There’s no deadline to return the key. This is true for all El Cerrito parks.
Lunch tables & seating: A few tables and grills are situated next to the play areas, plus benches are near the playground.
Parking: Easy and free street parking.
Shade: There is not shade on the playground area, but shaded spaces are nearby in the picnic area.
Pros: Variety of equipment; grass field is plenty large for both picnickers and kids throwing balls around; clean and well maintained; appropriate for mixed ages; easy to watch children at both play structures.
Cons: Limited shade; not fully enclosed; stairs down to tennis courts are near playground.

We will definitely return to Tassajara Park!