Parks and Recreation

San Diego has some of the finest parks and recreational centers in America. Being home to several well developed regional parks, San Diego attracts millions of visitors for San Diego travel every year, whether residents or tourists. Also one of the largest counties of the state, it has numerous diverse communities and in order to address their needs, the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department has been created.

While the local parks are mainly popular amongst the residents, usually searching for the right spot for a picnic or taking advantage of the great weather to bike or walk, there are about nine Country Parks with areas especially reserved for larger outdoor gatherings and picnics.

These areas can easily accommodate between 50-500 people and are usually set up with benches, tables and barbeques. Most parks even have a covered pavilion with a serving counter, a barbeque stove and an electrical outlet in one area.

There are more than 24 local parks in San Diego County, extending between Fallbrook and Spring Valley on one hand, and Julian and Solana Beach on the other. The picnic areas in the local parks feature barbeque stoves and tables as well. Listed ahead are some of the many San Diego parks that must be visited when on San Diego CA travel:

1) Balboa Park
2) Mission Bay Park
3) Presidio Park
4) Shoreline Parks and amongst the open space parks
5) Marian Bear Memorial Park
6) Tecolote Canyon Natural Park & Nature Center
7) Mission Trails Regional Park
8 ) Rose Canyon Open Space Park
9) Mission Valley Preserve or the San Diego River Park(under the supervision of the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department)
10) Black Mountain Open Space Park

The San Diego Parks and Recreation Department now operates two teen centers and three community centers which help meet the needs, whether social, recreational or educational, of the local population by offering recreational services to people of all age groups. Apart from the services offered in the spheres of child care, adult outdoor adventure trips, field trips and community service projects, there are other programs offered, such as:

1) Senior Citizen Services- includes clubs, centers and activities catering to the social and recreational demands of the seniors in the community.
2) Sports Activities- Information is provided on both community and citywide sports leagues for all age groups.
3) Civic Dance Arts Program- Various forms of dance, such as jazz, tap, theatre and ballet are taught to both adults and children.
4) Therapeutic Recreational Services- Recreation, sports, leisure activities and outreach services are provided to the people of the community with disabilities emotionally, physically or mentally.