Southside Park

We arrived to the park mid afternoon via scooter, set our rides down near an old tree, and proceeded to walk the significant trail system. The lake drew our attention and served as excellent bird habitat. We didn’t see anyone fishing at the time but it seems the lake is set up to facilitate that activity. The concrete observation decks with great views of the lake were wonderful, and we appreciated being able to sneak beneath those and find private spots to spend together.

Always a great experience. We love the outer perimeter track (about a mile around) the mature trees and big pond make it a perfect urban nature space. (Photos taken by a friend)

It’s a good spot for a walk, and letting kids play. Some areas could use a bit more maintenance, but overall it’s a pleasant place to spend some time outside.

Great park. Free parking on the street. Large playground. Areas for picnic. Court for pickleball and others. Small areas for fishing.

South side park was a great experience. We celebrated our family reunion there. The weather was amazing on Sunday 09/28/25. The atmosphere was wonderful for the kids! They have a lot of things for the children to do. The pond is also nice to watch the ducks.

SOUTHSIDE PARK IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY OF SACRAMENTO PARKS I’VE SEEN IN SACRAMENTO!! I LOVE SEEING THE DUCKS SWIM IN THE POND! THE POND LOOKS SO PHENOMENAL! THIS PARK IS SO PHENOMENAL! VERY NICE TO TAKE WALKS, PLAY TENNIS, PLAY BASKETBALL, AND A BIG PLAYGROUND FOR THE KIDS TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN! SIMPLY AMAZING!!! 🥰

Beautiful old growth trees. The willows and other tree/shrub varieties are beautiful. Saw lots of geese and goslings. Nice place to pull up and chill with some friends or family… or just pull up solo and read under a tree.

Been going to Southside Park since I was a kid, fishing and playing at the playground. Now over the years I've been taking my kids to Southside Park to fish and play. I drive an electric car, it's also a good place to charge your car in the meantime.

This neighborhood park has been around before I was born and before the X/Y freeway, connecting Hwy 50 to I-5 was built. In fact, the fishing and recreational pond use to be twice the size and had paddle boats before it was cut in half for the freeway. There is still a large enough pond for fishing, and I believe the public swimming pool finally opened again the the summer, after years of closure due to lack of funding to operate and staff it. The park has a few picnic areas and tables with bbq pads, and can accommodate several parties and get togethers at the same time throughout the park. There is street parking along the east, west and both sides of the park. You will find plenty of shade because it is full of trees throughout the park. The park has also been used for established festivals, such as the crawdad and seafood festival, pacific rim festival, and many many more. The last function I attended was an annual neighborhood reunion where we have vendors, dance groups, and as much as 200 attending.

Came to this park for a nice afternoon walk and really enjoyed it. I can't believe it took us so long to check this park out! We always see it off the 50 and it looks so nice. Now we know it is nice! There's a community pool that was under some maintenance, a large playground for kids that was being used by quite a few kids and parents, pickle ball courts, basketball courts, a nice pond, mature trees all throughout, wide open grass areas, picnic tables and BBQs, and a sandy trail bordering the whole park. We saw a couple people running on the trail and some other people sprinkled throughout the park, but overall it was pretty quiet. We also read some of the historical facts on signage surrounding the pond which was interesting. Overall, a really nice park that we'll use more often now.

The playground/play structures area are nice, with two levels, one for the littles, and one for older kids. That whole area is gated and pretty safe, although since this is downtown, definitely check before your kids play on the structures and make sure there's no questionable items they may pick up, step on, etc. Overall, I do think people who do illegal activities elsewhere in the large park stay outside of this gated (low gates) area where the kids play as they do respect or know better, and hopefully it stays that way. The rest of the park is huge, with a pond, a walking/running path, and covers at least 6-8 city blocks, there's plenty of grass, a stage area w/an artistic mural, there's several stone tables for picnics, tennis courts, and even a pool, although at the moment the pool (which is obviously not free and requires admission) is under repair. Overall, Southside Park is not one of city's best parks, parts of it is kind of rundown, and b/c of its location it's got a lot of interesting individuals loitering after hours or sleeping on the picnic tables, and stone or metal benches throughout the park, and some of whom do things you wouldn't want your kids to see, smell, witness, or try. This is a gathering area for the homeless, with some sleeping or camping out, especially during the pandemic. But it's still a nice park b/c it's downtown where it really needs some urban greenery especially for the neighborhoods immediately surrounding that corner of Sacramento.

I went there for my nephews birthday to let the kids play for 2 hours i was so tired but had fun

I love what has happened to South Park, for all ages come in play look at the amazing mural

I parked here to visit a nearby shop and decided to actually check out the park as well since I had some extra time (was particularly intrigued because the map shows that there's some body of water here). Eh, graffitied restroom building and the pond is hard to see as it's mostly surrounded by tall foliage. Was trying to find the best view of the pond (apparently there's a pier for fishing) but stopped walking along the perimeter of it when I saw a lone Target shopping cart at one point. Witnessing a wanderer looking inside of a parked truck was also another signal for me to bounce out of here. Bit of a shame that the park is in its current condition as it has colossal trees that look pretty neat and a colorful amphitheater. Overall I'd say skip this one if you're looking for a park in the area.

Today, we signed up for Sacramento City event called "Universal Universe" play date at Southside park. We arrived shortly after 10:30 AM on Saturday, and there were a lot of kids playing at the play ground. We visited a few booth (Police Officers and SMUD) and got some goodies. A great places for all ages to play. Bathroom was recently renovated and added a few additional areas such as music ground and a spinner. It's a fun place for kids!

If you've lived in Sacramento for awhile you've probably driven by this park but stopping to go to it, not so much. Today was my first time going to the park because I was at a grilled cheese event. I enjoyed the easy flow of the park. The park had a pond, playground, and long walking path. The bathroom situation is far and few between. I could see if you lived in the area you'd frequent this park.

What a nice park to visit! There's two main areas to play with slides and bridges. There's a sand area for digging, a music area to get groovy, swings to fly, and grass to run around. Next door was the grilled cheese festival, so I read the reviews. While there today, the park was clean, they had restrooms with closed doors that were also clean, and I didn't see a homeless camp too close to the park or any homeless people around. We had a fun time playing, being creative, and just being a kid today. If you're in the area, this is the place to play!

Southside Park is not one of Sacramento's best parks for multiple reasons, making it easy to rate rather low. But considering that it still provides plenty of much needed resources to a corner of downtown that would otherwise have none, you have to give credit where credit is due. In short, consider it a flawed park with good intentions. On the positive side, it's a big, spacious park covering at least the size of six city blocks. There's an iconic stage with beautiful murals, plenty of grass for games or playing with the pup, many beautiful trees, a big lake filled with ducks, tables for picnicking, a large play structure for kids, tennis courts and a pool. I've never seen the pool in operation but I will assume when it is when it isn't COVID. There are fewer negatives, but still plenty to list. This is a big homeless gathering spot, with many actively sleeping or camping. The pond is fenced off and not in the best condition. And I would t suggest anyone, man or woman, hang around at night because of an unsavory element known for gang and drug activity. It's also in eye and ear shot of a busy freeway. Keep it all in mind and enjoy what you can out of it. I will personally come back whenever I have the chance. A city park - even a flawed one - is always better than no park at all.

Park is so fun and is very inclusive for all children. It is clean and there are bathrooms. Nice place for a picnic right next to the pond. Big grassy area my dog ran around in while the babies played. It was a good experience. Kids took a nice nap after.

Great place to take the family. There's a lake, lots of f space, stage, swimming. Picnic tables Basketball courts

This park is pretty huge. There are two playground structures, a sand area, and a few sets of swings. Walking around the park, you will come across a few different exercise platforms/bars. The pond features a variety of of ducks. There is free parking on one side of the park. They have a cool stage for events away from the playground. This would be a fun place to take your family for a few hours.

The bathroom is absolutely horrifying. It smells, trashed up, urine everywhere, random phone numbers on the wall offering "favors" and only one stall for each gender. Men's doesn't even have a door to close for their stall. I know it's a park so I wasn't expecting much from it, but the bathroom is one of the worst I've seen. I like their pond; seen a few kids small fishes. I couldn't see what kind of it they caught. They areas where you can call and reserve for parties/celebrations. A lot of playground equipments and fun activities for kids of all ages to run and enjoy life.

This park is absolutely beautiful in the fall. The leaves turn beautiful yellows and oranges. There is also a nice path under the trees that you can walk with your family and/or friends. It's right near the freeway, so if the sound doesn't bother you I'd say give this park a try! People bring their dogs or sit on the benches and enjoy the sunshine. Happy holidays!

Growing up just blocks away from SouthSide Park, I have many fond memories playing at the playground, swimming in the swimming pool and fishing in the pond. I remember going to their annual fishing derby sponsored by Sacramento Parks & Recreation, and going to the park on the Fourth of July to watch fireworks. Yes fireworks! Back then fireworks were set off on the island in the middle of the pond. I remember watching men throw a ball trying to hit another ball, later to find out that they were playing "Bacci Ball". They also had an area to throw horse shoe on a metal stake. You have to remember this was over 50 years ago. Most of you weren't even born yet! The City of Sacramento has made a lot of improvements over the last 100 years. Yes you heard right! The park is over 100 years old and is still going strong! The amphitheater was built in 1934. The mural on the amphitheater was painted by members of the Royal Chicano Air Force! May I add that they did a fantastic job! The City also added tennis courts, 2 new play areas for the kids, a club house, a 3 quarter mile trail around the park with 4 fitness stations along the way plus picnic tables with barbecues. Today my wife and I are back for ( FIESTA EN LA CALLE ) Latin America Independence Celebration. Special guest "JORGE SANTANA" was performing here today! What a special treat! The whole day was full of fantastic entertainment! Starting with 5 different bands (CORA SOL, LATIN TOUCH, MAMBA GOZADERA, CONJUNTO LIBERACION, JORGE SANTANA ! Plus Aztlan Folklorico De Sacramento, Mistura Brasileira Samba Dance Co, and Yemayasalsa Dancers entertained the crowd all throughout the day! Family First Auto Club displayed some of their beautiful "Classic Custom Cars" This outdoor event was free to the public to attend. Great Food! Drinks, Free Parking and Free Admission ! What else can you ask for! So mark your calendar for next years (FIESTA EN LA CALLE) Latin America Independence Celebration. SEE YOU THERE!

SIT REP Running the pups here in this space is nice. THE SET-UP My old weekend PARK stomping grounds when I just living a couple blocks aways at 4th & T. I still power-walk around this beautiful park during the work week since it's just a few blocks down from my work site. THE LOWDOWN One of the better community-oriented parks that I've seen, even with it's own pool house and playground. A really nice community gem.

This park is pretty, the lake is very nice. Tennis courts are kind of bad, wouldn't recommend those. Can't speak to basketball courts or other amenities. But for a nice natural space there is a good amount of room to spread out. Chargers for electric vehicles are available on the west side of the park. Pretty scenery and lovely trees and ducks to observe here.

We love this park. They have tennis courts, a basketball court, restrooms, free street parking, a lovely pond, a space for big and little kids, a huge sand pitt, a lot of shaded seating and more... This is a perfect place for a picnic too. Yoy could easily spend hours playing at this huge park. It also has a walking track. The trees are huge. I remember going to the park as a kid and loving how big the trees were. This is a must visit park. I like that they have a fence around the perimeter. It is a low fence. The park is beautiful and so much fun. I have tested out almost everything. Everything is a win. Oh and my daughter says it is one of her favorite parks. I posted some videos of me trying out the park. I recommend this park.

Clean and plenty of space. This park is well maintained and hosts many events in Sacramento including the grilled cheese festival which is my favorite. Lots of parking

Southside Park is one of the best parks in Downtown Sac. I'm not a local, but I have been to a few parks in downtown Sac, and this park is great. One of the best things about this park is how big it is. Other parks in downtown are so small that it doesn't really feel like a park. Southside is not the case. Southside covers about five or six full blocks, is in the heart of downtown, and is right next to the freeway. That may sound like a bad thing, but you get used to the cars passing by to the point where you just drown out the noise. Other things that make this park so great are the two tennis courts, the basketball court, the space-themed playground, the swimming pool, the "gym" stations around the park, the stage/mural, the abundance of picnic tables, and the (man-made?) lake that covers up about a third of the park. The tennis courts and the basketball court are well kept and clean. The playground is actually pretty big with a lot of things to do for both children and adolescents. The pool is closed during the winter, but the "gym" stations are a nice touch to keep the adults active. The mural/stage is really colorful and cool! The picnic tables must be great during the summer. And the lake is really nice to look like, even if it's winter and everything is dead. Another thing I really enjoy about this park is how it gives you a sense of community. I see families with their kids playing and walking; I see business men and women working out during their lunch break; I see the elderly walking around the perimeter smiling; and I see people of all ages, races, and ethnicities playing tennis and basketball. It's really amazing! Overall, I would definitely go back to this park whenever I'm in town. I bet this park would look lovely during the spring and summer too!

My 3 littles love this park! 2 different themed play sets (with turf & bark); each play set is geared toward different age groups. There's plenty of swings to share, lots of benches to rest. A sand pit, NBA themed basketball court, a large Pond and a Community Pool! It's a neighborhood fav!

We love this park. Great playgrounds, swings, lake & merry-go-round the kids love to fall off. Southside park happens to be my sons fave!

Yeah, that's right, 5 stars for a city park! Why? Because it hits every mark on my list of what makes a park awesome. I) Playground for playing a) equipment for climbing b) spinny things for getting dizzy c) padding for soft(ish) landing d) swings for swinging e) sand for digging 2) Swimming pool 3) Pond a) ... for fishing b) ... for duck/goose breadcrumb tossing c) ... with an island for wild life watching 4) Dirt for getting dirty 5) Lots of grass for picnic blankets and rough housing 6) Picnic tables and benches 7) Murals and/or sculptures 8) Amphitheater a) events held in and around amphitheater 9) Fitness stations and runners/joggers path 10) Bocce, horseshoe, tennis, and basketball courts 11) Lots of restrooms!! 12) Absence of litter 13) Many trees for shade, birds, beauty What more could you ask for?

This park would get more than 5 stars but 5 is all we have. I normally open a page in a map and put my finger on it. Wherever the finger lands I find a park in that community to go with my kids. I've been to bad parks, OK parks, good ones and then there is this one. This one TOTALLY ROCKS! This one wasn't a "go where the finger lands" park, this was a park a friend told me about on Friday. She told me this was not a park that had one or two good things like most parks, but that it had it all. She was not kidding, picnic area, swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, ground covered in bark, some areas rubber, grass and others in sand. Something for everyone. This park was amazing to me. I walked in and felt like leaving my kids behind to try it all. The park was full of kids but there is so much stuff to do that it didn't matter because something was available for each kid. It is also gated, BIG plus, since I have a child that bolts. Love it, love it! I have to add that this park had so many sensory things for my son with Autism that I felt like jumping with joy because that's NEVER the case. He could spin on more than one thing, climb, swing and play in sand. My kids all had dirt even in their eyeballs. That's what I'm talking about. Oh and I fell. One of my sons got on the merry-go-round and was falling off so I jumped on it to pull him up but he fell anyway. I jumped off so that I could grab him before he bolted but jumped off going against the way the wheel was turning and I fell so hard my lil butt bounced. Got up immediately as I had no time to feel sorry for myself. :( That was a little embarrassing but all of my kids fell at one time or another so I'll take that as I had just as much fun as they did. My tail bone is killing me and I feel like my brain is still rattling but hey... I guess I'll just have to shake it off. I'll definitely be back.

Who doesn't love this park??? Anyone. . . NOPE! We all love Southside park! Over the years I have attended many events at Southside park from baby showers to Adlut birthday parties to children's birthdays. This park has an array of wonderful attributes. *For the most part, the whole park is shaded by old Sacramento Trees. *The children's structure is one of the best in town, with a spaceship and merry go round, both toddler and big kid swings etc. All amazing and allows children to use their imagination and run free. *I love that the park itself is square, following the street blocks, giving power walkers like myself a goal to complete a lap on a lazy day, two laps on a good day, four on a very active day. Each lap equals .75 of a mile. Not shabby! *Since I just work downtown I don't really jog around the park, but it appears to also be a joggers delight! Many active joggers are there daily! *In each corner of the park are picnic benches and BBQ pits, no need to reserve, just arrive early and stake your claim. *Horseshoe pits, are widely used by various local characters, daily. All in All a very nice, local, adventurous park to take a stroll at or host an event.

My two toddlers and I L-O-V-E this park, which (like Wendy's family) we call the "Space Park". This is by far our favorite playground destination! BEST DESIGN: There are separate play areas for all ages and abilities. It was specifically designed to be an accessible playground, in a partnership between the Southside Neighborhood Association, the Disability Advisory Committee, the city, United Cerebral Palsy, and Sutter Health. BEST TIME: Early morning is best, before the "sullen teens" and other, um, unsavories arrive. As is true with any public space, keep your eyes open, watch your "6 o'clock", and trust your instincts. But I have tell you, we haven't had any trouble here, just fun fun fun! "HEADS" UP!: Be prepared to change a diaper in your car -- I can't recommend the bathrooms. When I lamented to a local politician about the cold, strange, steel toilet seat and the lack of a changing station, he said that they have had trouble with fires in the bathrooms. Apparently, the toilet seats and changing tables have been used as camp stove holders. Wow, sad on so many levels. BEST SCULPTURE!!! You must go investigate the aliens in the ex-Airstream spaceship. On cloudy days and at night, you see the neon and LED lights. Done by local artist Joe Scarpa. At night, we wave "hello" to the aliens as we drive by on W Street or on the freeway :)

I used to HATE running. And, I used to HATE people who liked to run even more! (if you're not being chased by some deranged lunatic, why the hell are ya running?) I am now becoming one of those running idiots that I hated so much... But, this park is making my fitness goals much more enjoyable. No, it's not surrounded by pretty, pretty, homes and pretty, pretty people like McKinley Park... but, I also don't have to dodge and weave through a gaggle of strollers, dogs, renegade ducks, mud puddles, and walkers that clog up McKinley. Instead, at Southside, I get to peacefully run in circles with little soccer kids (that out-lap me), big soccer dudes, random dudes pulling tractor tires and other strange, large objects, and church-goers (that I get to pass up, and feel good about passing up those faithful). There aren't a lot of strollers, pooches, and mud puddles. Just an occasional whiff of some herbal refreshment being enjoyed by park-dwellers, the occasional cop, and sounds of the freeway and sirens... which I can barely hear thanks to my iPod.

Good park to walk around during the day. They have a lot of events here and in the pond I have caught blue gill with a bobber and worm bait. Your not able to get in the pond and wouldn't want to anyways, there is a seasonal pool for that. They also have 4 fit stations, two tennis courts and 1 basketball court. They also have a huge jungle gym for kids. They do have bathrooms, but I have yet to go in them. With some of the questionable people I'd rather not. It is located a couple of blocks from insight coffee.

This park is pretty awesome for almost all ages. There's a restroom and tennis court. Restroom isn't the cleanest and only one stall each. When we went the water fountain wasn't working. The playground had swings, slides, climbing, etc. There were a few things you would have to help your child get down from...doesn't look safe at all. Other than that, everyone looked like they were having fun! there's benches and tables to sit on. Looks like a cute place to have a gathering. I saw a few people fishing in the water too. We went when the farmers market was going on so parking was a little intense, but by 2 ish there was parking everywhere.

I came here last Sunday with my Chihuahua Cora to walk around the park before going to the Farmers Market. Tip: Try to not go to the park between 8-12 on Sundays because there is SO much traffic in the neighborhood from the gigantic Farmers Market across the street. Parking at this time will be tough to come by, and good luck crossing the street. The park is nice and shady which I loved! I love being able to go to the park on a warm day and not be burned by the sun. I also like how there is a trail and sidewalk circling the whole outside of the park. This makes navigating around very easy and gives me a path to walk my dog on that doesn't involve zigzagging every which way. On the Sunday I came there was a small Mexican Festival going on in one corner of the park. I thought it was nice and community oriented, and took away some from the various homeless people I saw around the park. This isn't the nicest park I have been to. The grass isn't much grass at all by just cut weeds, it's not very nice for your small dog to walk or play on or for people to relax in. I do like the pond which is a unique feature and was very beautiful! Since the park is on the smaller side I did two laps around and then crossed the street and went under the freeway to continue our walk to the park on the other side and back. We had a great time!

Nice park to take a mid day stroll! Loved coming here when I was a kid, the swing chairs were always the best but the playground was just so big and full of different things to do, that's why it was always fun to come when I was younger. Now that I'm older I rarely visit parks since all the kids in our family are quite old. But with the pandemic days are quite boring when there's nothing to do and so me and my bf started a new habit for our off days. Lunch and then a stroll in the park to walk off some of it. Also I'm a sac native and my bf is from the bay, so I took him to south side park for our third park stroll of the week and he loved it. He said it's by far one of the nicer parks I've taken him to in sac ( he's been to Land park and McKinley). But it was also my first time being there in my mid 20s, and too my surprise not much has changed, only that I'm am bigger lol. The path along the pond is my favorite, nice and spacious, perfect for social distancing, with lots of different nice views along with the fall colors that surround you which makes it even better.

Four stars for what seems to be a nice, urban park. I walk past the park every day as I go to work and am pleased that it seems to be enjoyed by the whole community. You have a group of guys (who I imagine are regulars) who play horseshoes almost every day, couples and singles being lazy on a blanket, kids running around and the like. I don't see much in any naughty or bad behavior, so that's nice for a community park. The Sacramento park department is out fairly often doing ground work and the sprinklers do their job every-so-often. There's also a large play area for children, a community pool and tennis courts. The large pond in the middle is pleasant and seems to be well-kept. In short, I usually blow by it but it's nice to have a nice, green space to slow down my pace and allow me to take a moment to relax.

Southside Park is spacious and a good place to go jogging and exercising. During the day time, I can see folks playing a game of horseshoes. Recently, there has been redevelopment projects with new picnic tables having been built back in December 2011. With that being said there are problems. I have been going here for fifteen years and it's not safe to hang out at Southside Park during late nights. I also find it rather annoying to see people walking their dogs without a leash. Today as I was doing my exercises I spotted a chihuahua running around the park freely with no leash and no owner supervision. Despite those problems, it's still a good place to exercise, have a bar-b-que, and just have fun. Southside Park reopened their pool this Summer and the basketball courts are as busy as ever.

BEST. PLAYGROUND. EVER. Seriously, this place is so much fun I can't believe it's not illegal. Literally. I mean, some of the playground equipment I've never encountered elsewhere. It moves fast in swirling, joyous movements that I'm sure have caused a concussion or two. I can't believe these are allowed to exist - I love it. My favorite is [for lack of a better description] the nausea-inducing butt bowl. It's like a big bowl you sit in and it spins out of control, using centrifugal force and off-kilter momentum to keep you spinning faster and longer than is probably healthy. Amazing. There's also this big, flat ring that rotates at a 30 degree angle or so in both directions. Its wide enough for you to try to run on it and slippery enough for you to get hurt. They have kiddie climbing walls and other dizzying contraptions that you'd have to see to believe. I discovered this place late at night after bar hopping and never forgot it (except for where it was located). I lamented my inability to relocate this gem of a playground until my good friend moved into a house across the street! Best day ever!

The playground is nice, but when we came here on Sunday I saw several people were smoking in the park which was annoying. Definitely will not come back again...

What a cool park! I've been coming here for all my life! Concerts there are really cool! The playground now is awesome! They have some very cool stuff for the kiddos to play on- heck I have to admit I like them too! In the summer they have water features and a pool! The tennis courts are a bonus, but my favorite thing to do is to fish! Ain't no telling what your gonna catch, but it's always a fun day with the kids! There so much grass and cool spots to lay , exercise, do yoga and /or picnic! They have massive BBQ pits with lots of space for large parties. Oh yeah- the stage is wide open so be ready for an adhoc show at any time because this park has its characters, which is why it's one of my faves in Sac!

We come here on the weekends to walk our furbabies. We also come here before or after visiting the farmer's market on Sundays to take a morning walk before or after coffee. It can get crowded on the weekends (like every park in Sac), but mornings are a great time to get your jogging or dog walking time in.

Beautiful part I've been to quite a few events every time I went it was nice park was clean nice atmosphere I've been going for at least 10 years different occasions parks always clean quiet love it Beautiful day in the world

Huge and well-maintained. I walk around here during lunch time and, minus the freeway noise, it's relatively quiet and peaceful. There's tons of parking around the area and a few spots for EV charging. When I don't want to deal with the walking crowds around the Capitol (which is pretty much all the time), I go here instead!

You can tell when Sacramento city has designated one of its perks to be part of the slum one of many City slums so designated. The sidewalks have not been a just and weeds 6 feet tall run a rampant through the park particularly around the Waterway what is supposed to be the jewell of the park

With pull-up bars and a bodyweight dip station, this park has everything I need to complete my Sunday morning prison workout. It probably has everything you need to entertain your kids for an hour or two as well, so that's good. Yes, it has its fair share of socially challenged "characters", but they usually won't bother you. It's right next to the Sunday Farmers Market, and also right next to the lady selling bacon wrapped hot dogs on Sundays outside the Guadalupe church. So there you have it; pull-ups, hot dogs, crack heads and local produce.

Right off the bat, a star deduction for obvious reasons. A gawd damn space ship with lcd lights and aliens that you can't ride? What kind of cruel bastards made something so amazing and put it out of reach - permanently?? Right off the bat, four stars for obvious reasons. A gawd damn space ship with lcd lights and aliens!! Heck yeah! I want to come here at night and lie underneath it ... completely sober of course. And the playground either makes me wish to be a kid again or have a kid -- I can't figure out which one. Spinning sideways chairs, the merry go round thing and lounge swings? Why can't they make a playground for adults!? (Actually they do, but it's in the middle of the desert. Not kidding -- giant fuzzy merry go round, giant titter-totter (no that's not a typo) and clothing optional roller skating rink. And that's just one millionth of what goes on in the desert.) Back to Southside: parents watch out. I saw more than one creeeepy dude just kind of hanging out here leering. My friend and I got into a debate about how parks are for everyone -- not just kids ... but I never ignore that feeling in my gut that can detect the bad news bears.

Probably one of the most famous parks in Sacramento after Mckinley. It has a beautiful lake that actually used to extend all the way to x street, lots of picnic space, a stage (with a mural by the Royal Chicano Air Force) as well as a beautiful playground. The playground in particular is a favorite of Southside Park community residents and others the like; a stylized space ship is the "main attraction" and is basically a center peice of the park. Through out the year the park plays host to a variety of events such as: International Women's Day, Earth Day, Cesar Chavez day, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, a Slavic Festival, Food truck Fest, Bicycle Day and much more! Definitely a family oriented park with something for anyone in the family.

This park is tight. Bring your kids, your dogs, your picnic, your running shoes, heck bring some games because you'll want to stay at the park all day. There's usually some kind of event going on at Southside Park on the weekends. If you find yourself sitting at home on a Saturday, pop on over and there's a good chance that you'll find something to occupy your time. Traffic is a little busy by the park on Sundays, with the church across the street and the farmers market around the corner.

Runners Rejoice...sort of. I mean, this park has enough of what you need to get fit. Running around this park, I've one con...jumping over puddles can really burn some extra calories, but gets pretty annoying after the 3rd go around. But here are the Pros...it's quiet at this park. Even with the kids playground, which is always buzzing with sniffling kids playing knights and princess, brings me back! And there isn't a lot of runners at any one point of the day, so you're not going to bump into too many people when you go on an after work run. One more plus that's HUGE for the summer. Yes, it gets hot outside, and that's why I have a gym membership at the YMCA -- but if you want to be outside, don't worry about the heat so much when you come to this park. It's shaded on 3 sides, awesome! Tennis fans...these courts are usually open! Not like McKinley, which may have remodeled courts, but doesn't have tennis classes that ruin your fun! Enjoy nice courts that do the trick! There's also tons of green space to play frisbee, kick around a soccer ball and kick back! Sure, enjoy the occasional hobo, but just pretend your iPod's on real loud and go right past. No harm, no foul - right?

saturday and sunday mornings are crazy here, but in a good way. Lot's of kids and parents playing and the park itself has a lot of options for those busy little ones. I do wish it were a bit cleaner, but it's a park after all and some people just don't respect that. The two areas, big kids and little kids are filled with fun stuff to do and there's a duck pond not too far off if you want to sit and watch them for a bit. End the morning with a doughnut and coffee at Insight up the street and you've got yourself a really nice weekend.

We are from out of town, just looking for a place to let the kids burn some energy. This park was so cool! We have 3 kids between the ages 3 and 9; they all loved it. The park was clean, and the people there were friendly. We will definitely come back when we are in town.

Great Park!! Love it! Love it! Love it! Just perfect for my toddler and preschooler. My toddler loves the swings and my preschooler loves the toddler structure. They both love the pond with the ducks and the piers. I love the soft cushion ground, the dozens of trees (even though I'm allergic), and the different activity areas such as the toddler and standard size playgrounds, the basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic areas, work out areas along the trail around the pond and the stage in the cultural center area. There is something to do for everyone of all ages. Just an all around family reunion perfect park!!!