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Cornelis Bol Park
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
17 reviews for Cornelis Bol Park
This is one of my favorite parks in Palo Alto - it totally trumps our neighborhood park, Henry Seale Park, which quite frankly, ain't too bad itself.
Bol Park combines both great play structures and lots of great open space to explore. I love that there is a huge grassy area where the kiddies can run off their excess energy, a bubbling creek next to the grass, swings in the shade, an awesome play structure with a super high slide, and a walking path that leads you to the two famed donkeys. My only beef is that I don't live within walking distance!
People thought this was:
- Useful (7)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (6)
The fam was out and about in Palo Alto, and we were looking for an easy bike trail for the kids. We found this cool park, along with it's two donkey mascots: Perry and Niner.. Very nice play structure and lots of shady trees (small creek as well) to relax and kick back while the kids have fun. I definitely recommend this unique little park.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Would never have known about it until the PA Weekly wrote the article about Perry and Niner. The resident donkeys are darling. The park is quite linear and makes for a great walk. Play area for little kids. Just a lovely oasis not very far off the beaten path of El Camino.
Note: Perry and Niner need contributions to pay for their food and care. The Palo Alto Donkey Project is accepting contributions through ACTERRA, 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303. The check must be made out to "ACTERRA-Palo Alto Donkey Fund."
I encourage you to go meet the donkeys and then make a contribution. You'll feel really good!
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
"Meh" is the best adjective I can come up with to describe this park. The field is very nice, but the play structures are all out in the sun so they get kind of warm, and there's just not that much to them. The donkeys are cool (in fact, Perry, the small one, was the model for "Donkey" from Shrek), but if you don't catch them when they're grazing, then they're off in a barbed-wire fenced-in yard about 1/4 mile up the bike path. Not a great place to let my young daughter roam... she would probably walk right into the barbs.
I'd much rather visit Cuesta Park in Mtn View, and then go see the animals at Deer Hollow Farm in Rancho San Antonio.
I could almost give this park 5 stars, but I am a pretty tough grader and tend to be stingy with my 5's.
So - we really like Bol Park, and that's driven by the fact that our toddler loves to visit what he calls "Donkey Park".
It's a little out of the way, but that limits the traffic, which is a good thing if you have small children running around.
The donkeys (Perry and Niner) tend to be a showcase, and on Sundays they are brought to the main park to graze on the grass and visit with park visitors. If you go at a different time, just walk on down the paved road/trail that runs parallel to the large grassy area behind the playground equipment, and you'll find the donkey pasture about 1/8 mile away.
I didn't see anyone write about Perry and Niner. Perry is the miniature donkey on which the animated Shrek Donkey was based in the popular movies by Dreamworks (true story). You can definitely see the resemblance, and it's fun to visit our resident animal star. Allegedly the animators used the coloring from Niner, but that story is unconfirmed.
There are also goats and chickens that can be seen, and there is a ton of space to run around on the grass to play soccer or throw a frisbee around, etc.
A great park, especially for taking your young children.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
The park itself is one of the best parks I know. And who wouldn't love the donkeys and other animals you can see next to the park.
Only four stars because there are no restrooms and for visiting the park with toddlers, this is a problem.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
I do enjoy it when the famous neighborhood donkeys are walked around this area and allowed to graze on the grass in this park. You can always tell which kids have grown up with these magnificent creatures because they treat them as if they are another park fixture while those new to park and playground are transfixed on them. It's a great scene and one so rare in this area.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/23/2008
This park was a happy accidental discovery. I found it while wheeling my way down the bike path… Read more »
First time to Bol Park, and the Only reason for me to go there on Tues 8/7/07 was to see Vienna Teng for FREE! She's from Saratoga, graduate of Stanford, worked at Cisco as an engineer, but then decided to pursue her music career. Man, she's so cool! I have all 3 of her CDs. It was part of City of Palo Alto's Twilight Concert Series:
http://www.cityofpaloa...
So after work drove to Bol Park. It's pretty easy to find. Between Barron & Matadero on El Camino Real.
They have a children's playground and supposedly some animals (didn't see them, though I think I saw some cages but not sure off to the side). There were some portable toilets near the street.
There was an opening act: Austin Willacy, who lives in SF, born in DC, and grew up in Cleveland OH. He did a 30 minute show, 6 songs. He was pretty good. His website: http://www.austinwilla.../
Vienna Teng came on at 6:30-8pm and did 18 songs. Love her stories that she tells before her singing her original songs. If I wasn't so cheap I'd see her in concert at Mountain Winery or other places she goes to. Great show! Catch her if you ever see her name anywhere. Her website: http://viennateng.com/
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (3)
Ah, Bol Park!
I love the two donkeys, the endless stream of dog-walkers and joggers, the dude walking his dozen or so goats... I miss getting drunk in high school and rolling down the grassy hills, and smoking cigarettes behind the bushes during PE class.
I think it's not really a memorable park on its own merit, but growing up near it makes me sort of sentimental.
I still walk my doggy here when I am back in Palo Alto!
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Bol park is by far the best park to be located next to a highschool which still practices an open campus policy.
I have been enjoying this park since the late 80's when I used to have sumemr school at gunn. My first memories of the park include catching craw daddies in the crick as well as feeding mickey the mule.
As I grew older the memories shift to cutting class to smoke in 'sherwood forest.' And when the path was over run with stoners and drunks, bol park was always a good alternative.
This park gets five stars because it is still cool. I mean seriously, when was the last time you needed a place to smoke at night, but everywhere you go is too well lit? when was the last time you felt like taking a walk under the stars with your friends jim and jose?
I love this place for what has been for me and what it will be for the next generation of stoners and druggies.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
When I was young, I loved visiting the creek that ran through this park. It's only ankle-deep and you can walk through it if you have galoshes.
Of course there's the donkeys to visit. We used to feed them, but I don't think that's encouraged anymore.
This park is part of a bike path that goes all the way from Los Altos to Stanford. It's not marked on the maps but you can scout it out if you know the area well.
The strangest thing about this park is the "flood control" tunnel built in the early 90's. The county spend millions on this giant square tunnel, but as far as I know it's never diverted any flood waters. As the students at Gunn will tell you, the tunnel is dark and filled with spiders, and it connects Bol Park to the parking lot of Fry's Electronics.
Cute donkeys! Great bike path which connects Palo Alto to Los Altos Road.
Bring the dog and a picnic basket.
Bol Park. Let's see: two donkeys (mickey being one I believe passed away), a creek, my first real kiss, track practices (it's about 2 miles if you run the whole thing around), first time sneaking out we went here to find raccoons, an old wooden trunk for a slide, next to Gunn High School, lot's of shady oaks, fresh cut grass beside sandy gravel and wild grasses, bike rides, Christmas and easter family walks, tennis matches, soccer practices, babysitting. Unlike the over groomed parks of typical suburbia this place is rough around the edges and all the better because of it. Every neighborhood deserves such a park.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Bol is a nice long park with a play structure the kids love. There is a bike path.
This is the park I grew up playing in. The play structure was much cooler when it was wood and you would get splinters up your ass but unfortunately they tore it down to put up a "safe," plastic play structure. Regardless of the plastic structure, this park is just a wonderful place to run, play frisbee, soccer, baseball, basically any sport you can think of. Gunn high school piggy back's the park with tennis courts, a track, soccer field, baseball and softball fields. Come enjoy the best weather in the world and get some excercise while you're at it. It's beautiful...
So far, my favorite park in the S. Bay. Unlike the overly manicured parks of Menlo Park and Atherton (such as Holbrook-Palmer), Bol Park seems like a park for the people: lots of green grass, giant shade trees, picnic areas, and a trail that is perfect for a walk with a stroller. It isn't crazy busy on the weekend, so it's easy to have a nice quiet picnic. It's a bit of a drive from Menlo Park, but so far it's the most down to earth piece of earth in the S. Bay that I've found . . .
