Where Paradise Isn’t Paved Over

Remember the park around the corner--a swing or two, a picnic table, a soft patch of grass that encouraged some serious cloud-watching? It’s still there.

A happy combination of geography, politics and planning has endowed North County with a full complement of municipal and county parks. Requiring neither an abundance of ambition nor an advance reservation, they invite us to simply kick back, have a sandwich and watch the kids run themselves into a nap.

Here’s a subjective guide to some of the area’s most accessible parks--some of which may already be among your favorites, but others that you may want to explore for the first time.

Listed by the communities in which they’re located, each of them gets a Four-Picnic Basket rating. Unless otherwise noted, each has the four key ingredients that make for hassle-free fun in the summer sun: on-site parking; playground equipment; picnic areas and restrooms.

DEL MAR

Powerhouse Park

and Seagrove Park

15th Street and Coast Boulevard 5 acres You can’t get much closer to the beach and come home with clean feet than with these sister parks, separated by the railroad tracks at the city’s western edge. A luxuriant strip that provides the same million-dollar views as its neighboring residences, it also has plenty of walkways, a “tot lot” play area, scattered picnic tables and strategically located benches.

What it lacks, however, are restrooms and ease of parking (you can feed a meter, pay a lot attendant or go hunting through the narrow streets). If you can make do, you will be rewarded with salt air, the sound of crashing waves and the hypnotic moves of the surfers offshore.

Powerhouse Park is directly across from the Del Mar railroad station. Seagrove is at its southern end, just cross the street.

SOLANA BEACH

San Dieguito Park

1628 Lomas Santa Fe Drive. 122 acres Bring your car into this sprawling park, and it will cost you $1, but it will be the best buck you will spend all summer. Operated by the county of San Diego, San Dieguito is big and diverse.

A ranger staff oversees everything from the rustic playgrounds and duck pond to the hiking trails and sandstone formations. On any given Saturday this summer, you will probably see a wedding in progress in the more manicured lower park, not to mention volleyball games, day hikers, barbecue wizards and snoozers.

The upper park, given over to eucalyptus groves, chaparral and crumbling cliffs, offers more adventure. At its crest is Activity Hill, a hyperactive’s dream come true with wooden suspension bridges, log ladders, balance beams and view towers.

Self-guided nature walks are recommended, and rangers are handy to answer any questions about whatever you may encounter--animal, vegetable or mineral.

San Dieguito Park is at the eastern border of Solana Beach, next to Rancho Santa Fe, at the end of Lomas Santa Fe Drive.

ENCINITAS

Glen Park

2149 Orinda Drive 2.5 acres This lush little swale, punctuated by statuesque pines, palms and peppers, is an old favorite of locals seeking refuge from the madding crowds of the nearby beaches. It’s stocked with the requisite slides, swings and picnic tables, but Glen’s biggest draw is its half-court basketball action; some of the most fiercely contested pick-up games in North County unfold here. A tennis court is also available.

For those with more pastoral pursuits in mind, there’s a nice horseshoe pit (always BYO shoes), and the steep, grassy slopes are perfect for those epic, shoulder-to-shoulder downhill rolls.

The park is tucked in along Manchester Drive, just one block south of the downtown business district. Look for the tennis court and turn east on Orinda Drive.

Oak Crest Park

1140 Oak Crest Road 20.3 acres If one kid wants to swing, the other wants to throw a basketball, and you just want to spread out on some soft grass, then Oak Crest should fill the recreational bill nicely. Capping the hills that separate the bustling “new” Encinitas from the “old” coastal one, the park offers postcard views of familiar territory.

Playground aficionados will appreciate The Wobbly Things, a pair of less-than-stationary platforms set on springs just a harmless foot or so above the sand. A combination of paved and dirt paths among a stand of native chaparral gives strollers a good idea of what it all looked like before the developers came, as well as a chance to walk off lunch.

The main park entrance is on the south side of Encinitas Boulevard, about halfway between El Camino Real and Balour Drive. There is a second entrance on Balour Drive--a shared driveway with Oak Crest Junior High School.

Encinitas Viewpoint Park

Cornish Drive and D Street 2.4 acres Be forewarned. There are no restrooms here, but why omit a jewel on such a mundane technicality?

Perched high on a coastal hilltop, Viewpoint is just that--a pretty postage stamp of a park with colossal vistas. From among the drought-resistant blooms of purple statice and matilija poppies, you get an eyeful: downtown Encinitas; the passing Amtrak trains; the waves on Moonlight Beach and a huge hunk of the Pacific.

There’s also an innovative play structure of the tube-and-slide variety, and, next to that, a generous, grassy field that lends itself to everything from soccer to sloth.

Viewpoint Park is located on the hill above La Paloma Theatre downtown, at the east end of D Street.

CARLSBAD

Stagecoach Park

3420 Camino de Los Coches

28 acres

You can work pretty darn hard here if you like, what with the gym, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts and hiking paths. But this wide-open, turf-dominated park in Carlsbad’s southeast corner also is nice for doing nothing at all.

Just far enough inland to beat the gloom of coastal mornings and late afternoons, the park’s unique feature is in its impressive tot lot play area--a kid-sized stagecoach suitable for assorted frolicking. Most importantly, Stagecoach has acres upon acres of grass, where a kid can build up a healthy head of steam without colliding with something larger and less flexible.

The park is also one of the sites of Carlsbad’s free TGIF Summer Jazz Concert Series, scheduled July 19 and 26, and Aug. 2. Call 434-2920 for more information.

It’s located on Camino de Los Coches, off Rancho Santa Fe Road, almost directly behind La Costa.

Holiday Park

Chestnut Avenue and Pio Pico 5.9 acres If you’re looking for a place where the kids can engage in some serious energy expenditure, this is your spot.

Although it’s a bit short on tranquility (Interstate 5 roars just to the west), Holiday’s staggering array of playground equipment at its southern end makes it an old reliable for local parents. One look at the swings, slides, climbing structures and assorted tools of the monkey business trade, and the offspring will launch into action.

For the less energetic, the park offers a pleasant scattering of picnic tables under towering trees, as well as an old-fashioned gazebo and plenty of stroll-tested turf. For those of middling ambition, there are lighted horseshoe courts.

The park is situated just east of I-5 between Elm and Chestnut streets. Follow the blue city signs with the tree emblem.

OCEANSIDE

Todd Park

Mesa Drive and Parnassus Circle 19 acres A municipal picnic ground dating from the early part of this century, this tree-studded mesa has the well-loved look of an old teddy bear. The park is surrounded by canyons and arroyos left undisturbed by nearby development, and its altitude affords it a panorama ranging from the Pacific to the west to the open spaces of Camp Pendleton to the north. Because it’s somewhat off the beaten path, you can hear the wind in the eucalyptus and the caws of the resident ravens.

The park owes much of its popularity to a deluxe playground, complete with “The Buddy Todd Express,” a brightly painted, kid-sized wooden train that moves only in the minds of its passengers.

The park is about halfway between Oceanside Boulevard and Mission Avenue. Take Mesa Drive south from Mission Avenue and follow the brown signs.

Oak Riparian Park

4625 Lake Blvd. 20 acres With running water a rarity in these drought-conscious times, a park that can boast all the traditional amenities plus an honest-to-goodness moving creek is a treat to the senses.

A carefully preserved riparian habitat in the shadow of nearby tract homes, this oak-lined stream might even provide a glimpse of a tadpole, a raccoon or other members of this lush ecosystem. The creek is just steps away from the immaculately maintained picnic-play areas--an escape from the heat under a green umbrella of gnarled, stream-fed oaks.

The park is on Lake Drive, east of Emerald Drive. The entry is at the intersection of Lake and Ridge drives.

VISTA

Regional Park

North Santa Fe Drive 569 acres The biggest park on this list, Guajome spreads in quiet splendor across meadows, marshes and a 25-acre lake. The ready water supply should keep this park green all summer long.

Named for the historic adobe home now under restoration within its boundaries, Guajome has it all: camping; picnic grounds; tot lots; playing fields; fishing; hiking; nature study and bird watching.

Its size also lends it an extra layer of protection from the outside world--go deep enough into the park and you’d swear you were the last person on Earth.

There’s a $1 vehicle entry fee for day use--a steal.

The county-operated park is in Vista’s northwest corner at the intersection of Highway 76 and North Santa Fe Drive. There are entrances from each street.

Brengle Terrace City Park

1200 Vale Terrace 58 acres Brengle Terrace is perhaps best known for the shows staged at its popular amphitheater, but there’s more than show biz going on here.

With ball fields, tennis courts, volleyball courts and a gym, there’s plenty for active types. The more passive among us will find a sprawling collection of hills and dales for private picnicking.

There’s a tot lot at the park’s eastern edge, and, on a nice day, every preschooler in town seems to be hanging at some odd angle from a colorful assortment of play structures.

But the shows must go on, and this summer Moonlight Amphitheater will play host to such ambitious musicals as “Evita” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” before picnicking crowds. Call 724-2110 for show schedules and ticket information.

To find the park, take East Vista Way and turn east onto Vale Terrace Drive.

FALLBROOK

Live Oak Park

Reche and Gird roads 25 acres If even one of the dozens of old oaks dotting this sylvan landscape could talk, it would tell stories of the weddings, family reunions and children’s birthdays that have been celebrated under its branches.

Nestled into a naturally wooded valley fed by a pair of freshwater streams, Live Oak lends itself to leisurely picnics in the shade of its namesake trees. The $1 day use fee includes parking and use of any of the facilities, from the play areas (one for younger children, one for older) to the ball fields, horseshoe pits and volleyball courts.

The park is roughly 4 miles west of Interstate 15. Take the California 76 exit and follow it west for 4 miles to Gird Road. Take Gird Road north to the park entrance.

SAN MARCOS

Bradley Park

Rancho Santa Fe Road and Linda Vista Drive 24 acres Bradley is the only North County park with its own electronics marquee--a handy way to keep patrons abreast of events, times and temperatures.

Equipped with everything from lighted ball fields to a fitness course, this park will be the site of “Nights Under the Stars,” an evening cabaret show on July 6, and “Sock Hop,” a nostalgic community dance co-sponsored by the Earthquake Cafe on Sept. 7. For more information, call 744-1875.

When not hosting a special event, the park is an oasis in the heart of the city’s commercial-light industrial core. The picnic tables, barbecues and swing sets draw a pleasant mix of retirees, lunching business people and parents with gamboling youngsters.

The park is on the southeast corner of the intersection of Rancho Santa Fe Road and Linda Vista Drive.

ESCONDIDO

Dixon Lake Recreation Area

1700 N. La Honda Drive 8 acres Half the fun is getting to this sparkling little reservoir high in the rugged hills at the city’s northeastern corner. As you wind your way up, you get a close look at slope-hugging groves of citrus and avocado. And coming down, you’re treated to a view that debunks the translation of Escondido, which means “hidden.”

Long a secret with savvy campers and anglers, Dixon is also a day use bargain at $1 a car, with snug, private picnic areas at every turn. The water is off-limits except by boat, but an assortment of vessels are available at rates ranging from $6 for a half-day rowboat to $12 an hour for a motorized pontoon boat. There’s no playground equipment, but youngsters will probably find the ducks and the concession building just as much fun.

Dixon sits at the end of La Honda Drive, which intersects El Norte Parkway about 4 miles east of I-15.

Kit Carson Park

3333 Bear Valley Parkway 100 acres Named for the Indian fighter who took on Mexican forces near here in the mid-1800s, this is a luxurious stretch of a park. It’s so long that it boasts two loaded play areas--a modern set of contraptions at its southern end and the fanciful “Arroyo del Oro” to the north. There, the kiddies can meet The Snake, a huge concrete reptile on whose coils youngsters have swung and climbed for decades.

Kit Carson also has a handy feature for families with teen-agers. Among the many paved walkways that crisscross the acreage, there’s one leading directly to nearby North County Fair. If a picnic with the parental units is simply too much to bear, there’s always the mall.

The park is just northeast of North County Fair, where Via Rancho Parkway meets Bear Valley Parkway.

Felicita Park

Felicita Road 53 acres This oak-strewn collection of hills and dales has hosted innumerable company picnics, family reunions and assorted group outings over the years, making it one of the county’s most popular parks. The $1 parking fee buys access to some top-notch picnic grounds, with dozens of tables placed in the shade of old trees.

And for after-meal entertainment, there are ball fields, tot lots, dance ramadas, volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. Or, you can simply sit back and watch the antics of the healthy squirrel population.

The park is roughly 1 mile west of I-15. Take Via Rancho Parkway west to Felicita Road and follow the signs to the park entrance.

POWAY

Lake Poway Recreation Area

Lake Poway Road 100 acres “I had no idea all this was up here,” is the comment most often heard from first-timers at Lake Poway.

Indeed, with 10 acres of beautifully manicured picnic grounds, 60 acres of prime fishing and boating waters, 15 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, two well-stocked playgrounds and much more, the numbers add up to an impressive park.

Mt. Woodson is the rocky, brushy backdrop for Lake Poway’s eastern shore, but to the west all is smooth and green on gentle hills sloping toward the waterline--40 acres of generous shade-making trees, gazebos, picnic tables, a softball diamond, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits--even a deep pit barbecue.

Swimming or wading is prohibited, but fishing and boating are encouraged. Boat rentals range from $5-$12 a day, and state fishing licenses, and lake fishing permits are available at park headquarters.

Day use fees during the week for non-Poway residents are $3; $4 on weekends. It’s worth it. Lake Poway is arguably the most scenic, versatile park in inland North County. This summer you can pack a basket and enjoy Sunday concerts, each beginning at 5 p.m., on July 14 and 28 and Aug. 11 and 25. Call 679-4383 for band updates.

Lake Poway is at the end of Lake Poway Road, which intersects with Espola Road just north of Poway High School. Espola Road can be reached via Poway or Pomerado roads.