• Location: 7007 Moeser Ln. El Cerrito, CA 94530

• Phone: 510-559-7000

• Website: www.el-cerrito.org

• Pricing: Free

• Hours: Open all day, every day

 

Description: Cerrito Vista Park is a excellent park to visit in the El Cerrito area. The park is somewhat enclosed and surrounded by trees so it gives off a lot of shade in certain areas good for cooling down on a hot day. There is a big field where there are often little league sports games being held, which is surrounded by a track. The track is great for doing laps running, walking, or watching your child pedal around on their bike. The main play structure is great for older children. It has challenging aspects like different ways to climb up and pretty steep slides, to keep your older child engaged. Set farther back from the big play structure is a smaller play structure for younger children to play on. If you walk up the stairs behind the small play structure there is actually a somewhat secluded picnic area with a few picnic benches and a small grassy field area- it's a nice spot for a small family lunch break. You can also rent that area for a party and set up a jumpy  tent like we did for our baby shower. When the giant grassy field is not in use, it is a nice spot to play chase or relax on your back and stare at the clouds.

 

Highlights: The bigger and somewhat challenging play structure offers something nice for older children to engage in, which is not always easy to find. The track is nice so you can let your child play and then take a lap or two for extra exercise. During my second pregnancy I walked many laps around that track and up and down their many sets of stairs trying to induce labor!

 

Tips: Bring water. The playground can get pretty hot mid-day and the water fountain there is not always in good standing. Also if you need to use the bathroom sometimes it is locked. But if there is a little league game going on of some kind, one of the coaches almost always has the key. If there is not a game and it is locked, you can obtain a key from the recreation center across the street.