Readers want to know about fenced parks and parks without sand -- but this is the first time a reader requested to get a list of parks WITHOUT recycled rubber playground surfaces in Orange County. I could just as well have named this "parks WITH wood chips" or "sand-only parks." But I suspect parents aren't typing in those search terms. (I've found those who say they dislike sand and wood chips - actually DESPISE sand and wood chips)!
I can't guarantee that these are all current, because when playgrounds are improved this type of surfacing is usually one of the first things to be added. So please help me keep this list up-to-date by reporting back on any play surface changes from when you are out playing. I'm going to list parks where roughly 90% of the play surface is not recycled rubber. Most have no rubber surfacing. A few have an accessible ramp made with the rubber material that leads down into the wood chip or sand play area.
Pictured above: Tamarisk Park in Lake Forest
Parks in North County:
- Ronald Reagan Park in Anaheim Hills (wood chips)
- Canyon Rim Park in Anaheim Hills (wood chips)
- Imperial Park in Anaheim Hills (wood chips)
- Peralta Canyon Park in Anaheim Hills (wood chips)
- Eucalyptus Park in Anaheim Hills (wood chips)
- Sycamore Park in Anaheim (wood chips)
- Rolling Hills Park in Fullerton (wood chips)
- Hillcrest Park in Fullerton (wood chips)
- Brush Canyon Park in Yorba Linda (wood chips)
- Bigonger Park in Yorba Linda (wood chips)
- Mustang Fields in Yorba Linda (wood chips)
Parks in Central County:
- Belmont Park in Orange (wood chips)
- Eisenhower Park in Orange (wood chips)
- Grijalva Park in Orange (wood chips)
- La Veta Park in Orange (wood chips)
- Balboa Pier & Peninsula Park in Newport Beach (sand) - small section of rubber under slide
- 38th Street Park in Newport Beach (wood chips)
- Balearic Park in Costa Mesa (sand)
- Schiffer Park in Costa Mesa (wood chips)
- Smallwood Park in Costa Mesa (wood chips)
- Pioneer Road Park in Tustin (wood chips)
- Laurel Glen Park in Tustin (wood chips)
Parks in South County:
- Aliso Viejo Community Park (wood chips, except for one bar of rubber under bench swings)
- Acorn Park in Aliso Viejo (mostly sand with just a few pads of recycled rubber)
- Creekside Park in Dana Point (wood chips & sand) - one separate section with rubber in toddler area
- Dana Crest Park in Dana Point (wood chips)
- Thunderbird Park in Dana Point (wood chips)
- Bluebird Park in Laguna Beach (wood chips & sand) - one separate section of rubber under metal slides
- Yosemite Park in Laguna Niguel (wood chips)
- Borrego Park in Lake Forest (wood chips)
- Foothill Ranch Community Park (wood chips)
- Peachwood Park in Lake Forest (wood chips)
- Alton Park in Lake Forest (wood chips)
- Concourse Park in Lake Forest/Portola Hills (wood chips)
- Tamarisk Park in Lake Forest (wood chips)
- Mountain View Park in Lake Forest (wood chips & sand)
- Rimgate Park in Lake Forest (wood chips & sand)
- Barcelona Park in Mission Viejo (sand)
- Craycraft Park in Mission Viejo (sand)
- Barbadanes Park in Mission Viejo (wood chips & sand)
- Marblehead Park in San Clemente (wood chips & sand)
- San Gorgonio Park in San Clemente (wood chips)
- Verde Park in San Clemente (wood chips)
- Los Rios Park in San Juan Capistrano (wood chips & sand)
- Mission Bell Park in San Juan Capistrano (wood chips)
- Bonita Park in San Juan Capistrano (wood chips)
Thanks to the readers who helped me come up with some of these parks for the list. Remember to email me at play [at] funorangecountyparks [dot] com if the play surface is different than what I've listed here.
Originally published in June 2017.
