Children delight in an unexpected burst of water. A group of preschoolers explores the back of a colorful cement snake. Moms gather on shady benches and visit while keeping a watchful eye on their kids. Summertime is park time for many families.
Regardless of the park you visit in the Danville-Alamo area, it’s clear that playgrounds for kids are a priority in our community. There are seven beautiful public parks in our area and each has a theme that is distinctly different from the others. The challenge is deciding which park is best for you and your kids.
Here at the Weekly, we take this challenge seriously. That’s why we asked the experts of the Iron Horse Mother’s Club to help us in an informal survey ranking Danville and Alamo’s playgrounds. With more than 420 members and dozens of playgroups meeting weekly, these moms have a rambunctious toddler in one hand and a list of what they like about the local parks in the other.
In fact, the members of the Iron Horse Mother’s Club love the local parks. Over 90 percent rank the parks in Danville as good or excellent compared to our neighboring communities. And judging from the number of people who use the playgrounds, it isn’t just moms making use of these community resources – lots of people have discovered the beauty in our parks.
Hap McGee Park
Nestled on the grounds of the old Alamo orphanage, a special joint commission of Contra Costa County and the town of Danville created Hap McGee Ranch Park. Given its history with children, it seems only appropriate that this park’s playground was voted tops in the area. The packed parking lot and busy picnic area tell the story: This new park is a delight for kids and moms alike. The play features are interesting and the park is well designed.
A water play area greets visitors, with sprinklers, fountains and just a couple of inches of water perfect for splashing. The multi-colored, rubber pads under the water feature cushion the falls of kids trying to escape its cooling spray. Unexpected fountains erupt with water from time to time, delighting (and occasionally terrifying!) unsuspecting youngsters.
The generously sized sand area, complete with an old-fashioned hand water pump, is brilliantly placed under a towering oak tree, enabling sand play on the hottest day.
Separated by a sunny strip of grass, there are two play structures, one for tots and one for older kids. The barn-themed play structures are designed for climbing. Even school age kids will enjoy climbing these wood structures. Rope climbing walls, interesting ramps and hanging ladders create a challenging obstacle course for kids of all ages.
There are bathrooms, a sand volleyball court, a dog park and a group picnic area located nearby, and the park’s setting away from major roads is truly peaceful. This time of the year, the play areas get hot during the mid-day sun. The newness of this park has not yet worn off, so plan to arrive early to enjoy it without the crowds. Warning: The playground is set back from the parking lot about 100 yards. Pack light or bring a wagon!
Osage Station Park
Moms love Osage Station Park almost as much as Hap McGee Ranch Park. Located in the Brookside neighborhood, this park has been around many years. At Osage, a gold rush era town park awaits young park goers.
When the weather heats up, there is a tiered pool for wading. There are no big fountains or fancy sprayers at Osage, but kids don’t seem to mind. The natural-looking rock pond and stream make up for the lack of more theatrical features.
As a swing-obsessed 3-year-old pointed out on a recent visit, there are “no swings at all” at this park. However, the slides, the wooden buildings and climbing structures provide adequate distraction. Moms like the strip of cement separating the two play areas, because it allows a parent to easily keep an eye on more than one kid.
Sand is in abundance at Osage and aspiring archeologists might want to explore the sand pit in the shaded back part of the park. Bordering the playground are sports fields surrounded by a shaded concrete path perfect for strolling. On the west side of the play area a rose garden bursts with a profusion of flowering bushes.
The mature trees make this park a delight to visit in the summer. In fact, the Iron Horse Moms voted this their No. 1 warm weather park – but don’t hesitate to check it out year round.
Diablo Vista Park
Got a younger child who likes to explore? The playground located at Diablo Vista Park is ideal for kids 4 and under. Affectionately known as “Snake Park,” this park’s pint-sized climbing structures, bucket swings and large sandy area is perfect for toddlers. The park is divided into three play areas: one with small buildings, one with a climbing structure and slides, and one with swings. This design is ideal for keeping younger kids from running into a swing’s path.
The center point of the park is a large tile snake reminiscent of the Gaudi architecture found in Barcelona, Spain. The snake, topped with fountains and a cement pad, slithers down a hill, offering pint-sized climbers many different paths to explore. Kids who climb the snake will be treated to not only a bird’s eye view of the park, but also a few fountains for water play. For many park goers, racing up snake hill playing a game of tag and chasing water down the snake’s back is the best. And that works for moms, too! Kids who spend their morning running up and down snake hill are tired kids by afternoon.
Despite its water feature, this park’s sheltered location makes it the favorite winter park among the Iron Horse Moms. The play area is sunny, so this time of the year it is best to visit early.
While Diablo Vista Park is in excellent condition, it is slated for refurbishing sometime during the 2005-06 Fiscal Year, according to Marcia Somers, Danville’s Community Services Director.
Oak Hill Park
Seeking a scenic park with a pond to feed some greedy ducks? Look no further than Oak Hill Park. This park, located on Stone Valley Road, has a large pond filled with waterfowl just waiting for a toddler to feed them.
After feeding the ducks, a stroll around the pond exploring its vistas is a fun adventure. The path encircling the pond is wide enough for walking with a stroller and short enough that a small child on a tricycle can make the loop. The new Veteran’s Memorial, located along the path, offers parents a chance to combine a history lesson with a park outing. With duck feeding and pond strolling complete, toddlers will be ready to explore an entertaining playground.
The large farm-themed playground, filled with sand, swings, slides, playhouses, climbing structures and misters, has a babbling brook running through the middle of it. The surfaces under the play structures range from sand to tan bark to soft foam, making this park highly accessible for all kids. Some older children may enjoy the playground’s more freestanding climbing structures, but there is plenty for the under-3 crowd, too.
To beat the heat, visit this park in the morning. Also, during the school year, avoid arriving between 3 and 3:30 p.m., when neighboring Monte Vista High School is dismissing its students. Don’t forget to check the temperature of the slides in the sun before enjoying.
Danville South
This popular park is hard to find. Tucked in the south Danville neighborhoods just east of I-680, this park is not visible from Camino Ramon and only one sign indicates parking for this hidden treasure.
Danville South is a small park with a lawn area, a couple of play structures, swings and a small sand area. Moms agree its smaller size is the feature that makes it appealing and relatively easy to keep an eye on the kids. One mom of triplets indicated this was her favorite park because she could easily keep track of all three kids at once.
Large trees surrounding the area leave it nicely shaded in the mornings. Its fully fenced exterior isolates it, preventing toddlers from wandering off. There are benches and a table for snacks or lunch in the park.
This water feature-free park is perfect any time of the year: It is sheltered in the winter and offers some shade in the summer. Bathrooms at this park are portable, so be sure to pack some anti-bacterial hand wash.
Livorna Park
Located in Alamo this is a lovely park with a gazebo that is visible from Livorna Road. A popular spot for impromptu dance recitals, boisterous games of “ring around the rosy,” and spirited light saber fights, the gazebo is popular with creative preschoolers.
Maintained by Contra Costa County, this park is a little different than the others. Unlike many of the wooden playgrounds in Danville, this play structure is made of plastic. Similar to the other parks in the area, this playground contains many interesting features. There are two playgrounds, one for smaller kids and one for bigger kids. Both play areas are filled with plenty of slides, bars and objects to climb. Swings are located near the park entrance, and a small, shaded picnic table is perfect for a play-date lunch.
Bathrooms, picnic tables and a large grassy area that is nice for walking, round out this park. Consider a visit for a picnic winter, spring or fall. In full sun, this park can get warm during the summer, so visit early in the day or late in the afternoon.
Sycamore Valley Park
Built in the early 1990s, Sycamore Valley Park, located on the north side of Camino Tassajara, is an aging playground with some very inviting features. Situated next to the bocce ball courts, the playground is ideal for family outings.
This playground has two play structures, one for toddlers and a second one for older kids. The two playgrounds are separated by benches decorated with colorful, handmade tiles. A generous sandy surface means lots of room for building castles and digging. There are a total of seven swings in the playground, more than any other Danville park.
The water play area features sprayers, fountains and multi-head showers that delight the many children and more than a few passing runners. The cement under the sprayers can be a little slick, so caution the kids to go slow. Likewise, watch kids on the metal slides in the summer sun.
There are some minor maintenance issues on one of the play structures. According to the Danville Community Services director, a slide was removed for repair recently. At this point, there are no plans to replace the slide because the entire playground is slated for renovation later this year.
Unless your kids love water features, this park is best visited during the spring and fall. Also, you might want to avoid this park on a windy day. Its location is exposed and the large amount of sand is ideal for dust devils.
Top 10 things to take to the park
1. Sand toys
1. Tonka trucks
2. Sun block and hats
3. Water or juice
4. Snacks
5. A change of clothes for everyone
6. Blankets for sitting
7. Bubbles
8. A cell phone, just in case
9. A picnic to make a day of the adventure!
Quick reference for parks
* Hap McGee – Water, water, water
* Osage- Love the shade
* Diablo Vista – Don’t miss the snake
* Oak Hill – Bring bread to feed the ducks
* Danville South – Small, but worth a visit
* Livorna Park – Charming gazebo and play area
* Sycamore Valley – Bocce courts nearby for dad
