Frederick Street Park

There is much more to Frederick Street Park than a jungle gym to let the little ones run around on, although it has an excellent play area. Oddly enough, you can find Frederick Street Park on Frederick Street off of Soquel between Capitola Road and Seabright Avenue. It is a fairly large and safe, clean park located in the midst of a nice residential area.

Dog Area

Santa Cruz County does a great job of maintaining this park; the attendants come nearly every day to do a cleaning sweep and are constantly polishing the place up. There is a short trail that circles around the park if you’re in the mood for a leisurely walk. Bring a dog if you have one or can borrow one, because they recently added a fenced in off-leash dog area. Also, here is an underground spot to set up a Volley ball game when all the ones at the beach are taken. There are plenty of benches for birthday parties, lunches, or just sitting and relaxing. The Jungle Gym is a good size and has all the basic features, including slides and swings. A second play area for younger children is available to ensure their safety. One of the more unique features of the park is a small bike, scooter, or skating area. Its best feature by far however, is the lovely, peaceful view of the Santa Cruz Harbor, complete with stairs leading down to it. Many people have added the stairs to their running route,  and you’ll see them pass through often.

There is always something going on at this park, from happy dogs running around, to birthday parties, or even larping (which is quite entertaining to watch if you’ve never witnessed it.) In any case Frederick Street Park provides plenty of ways for people of all ages to enjoy themselves.