Beach Park in Bakersfield, California

Beach Park is located on the corners of Oak Street and 24 Street in Bakersfield, California. It is a large park that is usually busiest on weekends, evenings and holidays. The park is open daily from 5 AM to 10 PM.

Beach Park is especially popular with families as the playground was redone in the middle of 2010. The tired old toys were removed and more modern, child safe toys were installed (though I do miss the charm of one of the previous dinosaur slides that used to be there). It is truly a children's paradise. In the words of my five year old, "It's the best park ever!"

There are two playgrounds. One for older kids aged 5 to 12 years old and the other for the toddler crowd 2 to 5 years. The playgrounds are close to teach other but kept separate by way of an awning that has picnic tables underneath.

The larger playground for older kids has several slides with bridges connecting the play sets. There is also a faux rock mini wall setup where kids can climb up and pretend that they are really climbing a cliff on a mountain. A swing set with four swings sits off to the side of the playground.

The toddler playground is smaller with a play set that is connected by a curved tunnel. It has two slides with a separate swing set for younger kids at the back of the toddler playground.

A restroom is not far from the playground. I recommend going with y our child if they need to potty as the bathroom entrance does not face the play area and you won't be able to see who goes into the restrooms when your child is in there. It's always best to be safe then sorry when it comes to your kids.

A water fountain is merely steps away from the playground. Unfortunately it does not work that well (as of July 2010). The water trickles out very slowly and close to the area where it comes out. If you push the button a certain way, you can get slightly more water to come out but it's not a good way for your child to get a satisfying drink after playing hard so you might want to bring refreshments with you.

Besides a stellar kid's area, Beach Park has several aces of beautiful green grass with picnic tables sporadically placed, making it the perfect area to spend some time with family and friends. You have your choice of sitting under one of the many trees at the park or you can sit out in the sun. You may also be visited by the squirrels that live at the park. We counted more then 8 in just one area when we were there!

A fenced field sits on the park grounds where teams can play soccer and the like. During league season, the field may be closed to normal park users if a game is in progress or will be played soon.

A freeway is in view of the park and you can hear the hum of traffic going by, though it is not that distracting from your park experience.

A river bed is also by the park. Most of the year it is dry but during a few months of the year there is water in it. Some visitors like to swim in the river to cool down from the Bakersfield summer heat. If you are planning to go for a dip, be careful. Several people have thrown garbage into it over the years that have been buried in the sand and you don't want to get hurt so wear shoes when going in.

A bike trail runs down the side of the park by the river bed so you can park your vehicle at the park and take your bikes out to enjoy a ride.

One corner of the park has a Cancer Memorial with statues of a man, woman and child. It is a nice tribute to visit whether you have been personally affected by cancer or not.

Want to go to Beach Park when it is not that busy? Go on a weekday between 7 AM and 10 AM. The park is generally not that busy during those times and you may even discover that you have the park to yourself for a little while.

For more information about Beach Park, visit the City of Bakersfield Recreation & Park's website here.