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Mitchell Park
Categories: Active Life Playgrounds Active Life Tennis Active Life Parks Dog Parks Playgrounds, Tennis, Dog Parks
600 E Meadow DrPalo Alto, CA 94309
(650) 463-4900
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
34 reviews for Mitchell Park
34 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer L.
Belmont, CA
This 21.4-acre district park offers a lot for people who want to have a picnic or spend the day doing something outdoors. I've been here a few times and still have only seen small portions of this well-loved, huge park.
Features include:
* several play structures and swings
* great lawn
* above ground "gopher holes" play area
* water feature where kids can run around and get soaked
* children's play areas
* miniature freeway system in the tiny tot area
* quarter-mile jogging/walking path
* picnic areas with barbecues
* benches
* seven lighted tennis courts
* two paddle tennis courts
* four handball courts
* horseshoe pits
* multipurpose bowl
* athletic fields
* public art (Arch Cradle, Push, After the Fire)
* fenced dog run
* restrooms
* parking lot
Our dog is on high alert and wants to chase squirrels here. Squirrels are everywhere.
The weather today, October 29, was warm enough for kids to run around and get drenched in the water feature - amazing. Bring swim suits and towels if you have little ones who might want to get wet.Listed in: Park Rundown - Where to take…
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Review from Brandon Y.
San Jose, CA
9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huge park with a ton of field space, and it's a great spot for our temple picnic, which we have every year! With a lot of BBQ grills, tables, and some trees with shade, it fit our large group of about 70 people with ease.
On the other side of the park, there is also a water and playground area, which is pretty neat. For some reason, I really like the stone bears and elephant, as well as the gopher holes in the sand...
And of course, being from Berkeley, I had to test the climb-ability of the trees, which was just right ;) -
Review from Marlyn A.
9/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Who knew there was a dog area at Mitchell Park? I definitely didn't. I used to come out here when I was a little kid back when my mom used to work out in the area. Her company would have their picnics here. It's a great place to have a picnic or at least it used to be. Times have changed since I was a little girl and the park looks completely different. I hadn't noticed it before but the parks off the peninsula have definitely upgraded since the 80s.
So now there's an offleash dog park at Mitchell Park. Apparently, dogs are also allowed near picnic areas and the rest of the grassy fields as long as they're on a leash.
This is a great park, in a great neighborhood of good ol' Palo Alto. Definitely a nice place to take your family. Very quiet park. On Sundays you'll probably see women doing Tai Chi and a group playing soccer.
Recently, I came here on a Sunday for a Meetup with Jackie D's Schnauzer Meetup group. It was a great doggy play area, combined with a sandlot and grass. There are no separate areas of small dogs and big dogs, just one large area. Which is actually nice because my small dog loves to play with the big dogs.
I would definitely come back again with family or just with the pup. Most of the picnic areas with tables don't have any shade, but there are a few large trees in the area to cop a squat and have a picnic on a large blanket. -
Review from Tara D.
Eugene, OR
8/31/2011 3 photos
We are from Oregon, staying in San Jose for a week. I was looking for a nice park to take the kids to and found this one on yelp. It was so clean, big, and prefect. There is a huge sand feature, stone animal sculptures for climbing, a toddler play structure, a big kid play structure, water fountain feature, tons of picnic tables, lots of trees for shade, open green spaces for running around, & a giant parking lot! I couldn't be happier and neither could my girls. It was an excellent way to spend part of the day.
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Review from Jason J.
Milpitas, CA
9/3/2010
I love parks and when I came out here for our Schnauzer Meetup with Jackie D, John D and Marlyn A I was surprised to see such a great park in the heart of old Palo Alto. I loved how there were rolling green knolls and a dog park play area where we can let our little Schnauzer run about and play with her other friends from our Meetup group.
The morning we visited the park we saw a group of women practicing Tai Chi, I love how a great community space like this can bring people together. Comparatively, to other parks in the bay area, this is a great example of how parks in any local neighborhood should be kept. They keep the grounds area clean and from what I hear they've done some renovations over the last few decades. I think that all communities should put this much attention and love to their parks. -
Review from J G.
Palo Alto, CA
Lovely public park in the neighborhood. Fun for my dog for a causal walk! Also a great place for picnic and BBQ!
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Review from Geoff D.
What's not to like about a 21 acre park right here in the middle of Palo Alto?
Pearce Mitchell Park is suburban park heaven with its ball fields, tennis courts, several climbing structures, shaded picnic tables, old growth trees, water feature and many acres of well-heeled green grass. It's all extremely well maintained and makes a terrific destination for kids of all ages.
As a result, it's pretty active with everyone from toddlers to adult soccer leagues to the older gentlemen playing chess... but the sheer size means that I have never seen it too crowded. -
Review from Lisa S.
Bay Area
5/19/2009
DOG PARK REVIEW ONLY:
Mitchell Park's dog run area is not fancy. AT ALL. It's not nice. AT ALL. It's not well thought out. AT ALL. But seriously, when you're a dog owner those things don't matter quite as much as the type of owners and dogs who frequent the park. And in my many multiple visits (typically weekend mornings or weekday evenings) I haven't been overly upset at noticeably irresponsible dog owners. I'm not saying they don't come here - but I haven't encountered any yet. So for now, I still like this park a lot better than the one at Shoreline.
Perhaps it draws a more suburban "Palo Alto" crowd. Perhaps people are a little more educated. Perhaps idiots can't find it on a map? (just as well)... but I'm happy that's so.
The dog park could stand to be improved however. It's just one big open fenced-in square. Half is dirt and half is grass. There's a hose at the far end and a bunch of buckets and water bowls for the dogs. There are a couple of benches that fill up quickly - otherwise there are a whole bunch of random plastic patio type chairs - seems like they must've been donated by owners. There's no poop bag dispenser or trash can; instead there are recycled plastic bags people bring from home (and hang along the fence) and a dumpster. It sort of makes me think like it's a co-op dog park or something. Maybe it is. There's very little shade in the afternoon unless you wait until almost dusk. On a hot day it's HOT for the humans.
Here's a map to help you find the dog-park:
http://www.cityofpaloa...
If it's after school hours you can park at Herbert Hoover Elementary School (in back) and you're a VERY short walk to the dog park. Otherwise you'll have to walk through quite a lot of Mitchell Park itself - not that it's a chore, it's a nice park.
Oh if only I could swap the crowd at Mitchell with the park at Shoreline. But since I can't... I'll keep coming to Mitchell...Listed in: When Dog is your Co-Pilot
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Review from Katharine A.
San Jose, CA
3/20/2007 1 Check-in Here
The water feature at this park is like sprinklers and it is the best place to beat the heat in Palo Alto. Slip your kids into their suits when it is warm outside and let them run through fountains of shooting water on soft, non-slip surfaces. Giggles of delight fill this park in the summer months!
If your kids get bored there are two playgrounds--one with good climbing structures for the older kids and a small toddler sized one complete with a small bridge for climbing and underground cement mazes/gopher holes. Over the years many "you can't be too careful" parents have tried to get these mazes removed citing them unsafe, but they are historic to the park and I remember playing on them when I was young.
There are great expanses of lawn here and many picnic tables. Good park for a day of fun! -
Review from Hugh B.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2007
A wonderful piece of mid-century thinking and design that continues to be a great place for kids, adults, and dogs. I grew up playing daily in Mitchell Park, and some of my earliest memories are of romping in the little children's playground and water play area, which at that time was a wading pool.
The park offers a nice mix of attractions, including a skating rink, lots of tennis courts, multiple playgrounds for kids of different ages, plenty of picnic areas, and a spacious dog run. At 18 acres, it's a good-sized space, and feels larger due to the adjoining middle and elementary schools. There is a path that runs around the perimeter, and following it between the various areas of the park makes for a pleasant stroll or bike ride.
Mitchell Park has undergone an upgrade over the past several years, and just celebrated its 50th birthday. Some original structures that had outlived their day have been replaced with nice alternatives, and the essence of the park remains intact, including the great original 50s light fixtures. It's one of the gems of south Palo Alto, and sure not to disappoint.Listed in: Hometown Palo Alto
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Review from Patricia V.
Mountain View, CA
12/13/2009
Grrr, woof, woof, grr, grr
Mitchell Park Dog Park Review
-1 star for unfriendly locals.
+1 star for animal control officers that patrol this dog park.
Mitchell park has a huge dog park located way in the back of the park passed the tennis courts and over several small hills.
Big open grass & dirt dog run.
Combo big & small dogs share same area.
No benches or places to sit. TYOC (take your own chair).
Courtesy doggie bags not provided TYOCB (take your own crap bag).Listed in: Best Dog Parks
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Review from Kristine D.
Mountain View, CA
2/12/2008 4 photos
There's a lot to be enjoyed in Mitchell Park. A nice-sized dog park, places for frisbee, soccer, baseball, BBQs and picnics, Mitchell Park is one of my family's favorite destinations in the summer time. The park's playground has one of the best waterplay areas for young kids (wear sunscreen, the sun is bright here). The surrounding playground was built with different age groups and abilities in mind. My kids also find the rabbit holes in the sand area very amusing for Hide n' Seek and other imaginative play.
Restrooms are also conveniently available (right next to the playground!) as well as BBQs.Listed in: Get Out and Play!
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Review from Katie C.
Los Altos, CA
9/29/2010
We come here with our 1 Year old Puggle Brody. We really like the ppl and the dogs. Nice that half is grass and half is dirt. Big open space and well mannered dogs.
Dog is a little hard to find if you park off Middlefield. Best parking is on Charleston, through the school.
Didnt give the full 5 stars because the park doesnt supply their own poo-bags, they have shovels and the worst dumpster ever. And lots of owners dont pick up after their dog, at least in the grass. -
Review from Liza P.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2006
Awww! Mitchell Park is next to my elementary AND my middle school!
This park has a roller hockey rink, a library, a youth center [that NO ONE I know has EVER been to], a dog park, a kiddie pool, a playground, and probably about ten lit tennis courts.
I find the park a little uninviting, which I can't really explain, however I am a huge fan of the tennis courts. I've spent many weekday nights here with my dad, blowing off steam on the tennis courts.
The star off for the ambiguous "uninviting" factor. -
Review from Katie S.
Palo Alto, CA
10/29/2009
The tennis courts here are amazing... They've been recently resurfaced, so they're in really good shape. Someone is also considerate enough to keep them really clean, so you're not constantly slipping and sliding all over leaves, weird seed pots, and small sticks. Another fantastic thing about them, is that they have lights! This is my go-to place for after dark tennis fun. However, they do teach a lot of lessons here, so on some days it's hard to get on a court.
Dog Park ONLY:
Not, my favorite dog park. If I could, I would only give it 2 stars. There is NO separation for big dogs and little dogs. Now this would be ok, except some of the big dogs there were really aggressive. Let's just say that my dog got traumatized.
But I will say, that it is a great place if you have a big dog. There is plenty of space for dogs to run around. Grass for running, dirt for pooping. Not too much seating though, so heads up for those who would appreciate a more relaxing dog park experience. If you want to come and throw a ball for your dog, this place would be great for you. -
Review from Gerry T.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Actually a very nice park. Sunday has a lot of soccer games going on. Nice, large, and clean doggie park for your dogs to run around in. I didn't step in any poop! I'd give it 5 stars, but found most of the parks area for grilling was lacking.
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Review from Rachel R.
Santa Clara, CA
2/8/2006
Ten stars for Mitchell Park because they have an awesome water playground. Put the kids in bathing suits and they'll be entertained for hours. Unfortunately, the water doesn't run year round. Other than that, this is a nice big park with plenty of play structure and sand box entertainment. It is big enough that kids can easily wander out of site if not warned not to.
There is also a dog park, tennis courts, reservable picnic areas with BBQs, etc.Listed in: Parks
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Review from Robert S.
2/14/2010
I've been playing pickup disc here on and off here for a couple years now.
The field quality here is usually quite good. The grass is soft and lush. Good to run in, great to lay out in. When it rains, it will get a little sloppy, but it holds up better than a lot of other fields.
The rest of the park is spectacular. Tennis courts, baseball field, basketball courts, jungle gyms, and so on. And clean bathrooms! And parking!
AND TWINS! -
Review from Danielle V.
Mountain View, CA
9/5/2011
Love this park! I have a 19 month old son and he loves the water play area. There is also a little car kids can sit in and sand area. There is a small play area which is ok but for my age kid still kinda big. For older kids there is a bigger play area. The park itself is big and great for picnics which we did! Bathrooms are nice and clean. Park is a really great place!! My only issue is that the water fountain spray area doesn't stay on long. So you have to keep going and pressing the button or teach your kids to do it.
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Review from Eric G.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2007
When I was a kid, this was my favorite park. We had summer classes there, and even at JLS we went jogging through this park. There was a certain mystique to it, with unmaintained play structures and those concrete frogs (what were those for?!)
Even today, Mitchell Park feels like part of some partially-realized vision of the Midtown area. It's a real gem. There's lots of open space for kids to run around, tennis courts, a library, a rec center, and plenty of recreation opportunities for everyone. I like the way it is, and I hope it can stay that way for future generations of youngsters. -
Review from Scott P.
Menlo Park, CA
9/6/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Now this is a park. We especially love the mini water park here where kids can run in fountains of water. The playground is complete with a large sandbox area, swings, slides, and many climbing structures. There are BBQ area for picnicing. Plenty of parking usually, although there is some construction going on right now (9/10) so half the parking lot is inaccessible.
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Review from Matt S.
Charlotte, NC
8/19/2010 70 Check-ins Here
Nice, local park. Good for infants in their own special area. Good for kids in their area. Not bad for grown ups.
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Review from julie j.
Palo Alto, CA
7/2/2011
Fantastic park! Keep the dogs out! Who let the dogs out! Anyway, we saw a great Little League game & fireworks from the stands. The park is well kept and clean. Parking is easy.
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Review from Danielle M.
San Diego, CA
Beautiful park! Not all the picnic areas have shade, so bring sunglasses! Dogs are welcome. Multiple picnic areas. Playgrounds for the kids. The bathrooms don't have mirrors.
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Review from buttercup r.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/17/2006
Tennis courts, library, 2 different play structures, benches and tables with bbqs, sunken cement roller rink, sand, lots of lawn, and a track that goes around it all. Large, lots of trees. Some events held here, like the chili cookoff in July. What's not to like?
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Review from Emily S.
Redwood City, CA
6/16/2009
When I started playing tennis, I appreciated Mitchell Park a lot more. It has a good number of courts, more than most parks seem to have. There's also an entire complex of practice bouncy walls. And even a court to play some sort of sport I can't identify that's like small tennis. Maybe it's squash. My other favorite feature of Mitchell Park is the large concrete circle set into the ground. I was never quite sure what it was for either, but it always seemed to have a lot of potential for sporting goodness.
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Review from Kelly H.
6/21/2008
This is in response to the DOG PARK section.
The first thing I noticed about this park were all the grocery bags laying around the fence of the park. We let our dog run around with the other dogs and as I was walking along on the "grass" I noticed that it wasn't grass. It was some cheap filler plant instead. The next and biggest issue I have is one of the dog owners there. The dog owner had a female staffordshire that was too aggressive with ours and even tried to bite at my bf. The staffordshire's owners did NOTHING as their dog was being aggressive with ours. Some of the people who bring their dogs here don't seem to know when to tell their dog no. All they did was sit in the shade and act as if nothing was happening. Personally if I have a dog that is "on the list" I would be taking a lot better care of it and consider what can happen if the dog did break the skin. Never again will I go to this park or give it any hopes of being good. -
Review from Toni Y.
San Jose, CA
8/4/2007
Great park---clean, safe, and huge, with something for everyone! I am reviewing the toddler area only because, well, this is where we go! If you toddler is a sand king, bring all his tractors, buckets, and shovels---this is the place to be without heading to the beach. For your water babies, there's a great water feature park designed for kids age 2-5. Features that I liked:
-There are different types of sprinklers to keep the kids interested.
-There are several stations, so even on a busy day, your child will have a chance to play with one of the fountains/sprinklers
-The water shoots up about the same height of your little one so it's easy for them to try to "study" the water flow
-the pressure of the spray is gentle enough for your curious little ones (ie. you won't have to worry about the sprinkler taking their eye out when they try to get a closer look where the water is coming from).
-Partially fenced in to help keep your toddler from wandering away easily
-For parents, plenty of benches well outside of the water area so you don't get wet but are close enough for supervision -
Review from Melinda D.
Palo Alto, CA
1/16/2006
There is something for everyone here. From tennis courts and soccer fields to picnic areas and playgrounds, my children love it. There is even a water feature to run through during the summer months. My only complaint is that it is not near downtown and pretty out of the way.
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Review from eric k.
Dublin, CA
7/12/2007
This is a pretty cool park. Not a huge # of tennis courts, but enough to get a couple people playing. It's a park.. and in the middle of PA... so what's not to like?
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Review from Ian s.
Newberry, FL
Updated - 7/23/2008
This summer Improv Jams are being held at Lakewood Park in Sunnyvale. For more information, e-mail ian.stern@lmco.com.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/8/2007
Improv jam sessions at Mitchell Park postponed indefinitely. Free improv classes available Southern… Read more »
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Review from Baidra M.
Los Altos, CA
1/22/2008
What can beat a fun water feature on a hot day??
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Review from M D.
Redwood City, CA
7/13/2009
A great park for kids of all ages! My son is two and loves the sprinkler area and the playground right next to it. There's a cool bridge and some cement rabbit holes/tunnels that he thought was really fun. They do seem a *bit* unsafe though as kids could fall though these holes if they're not paying attention, but it does seem like a fun area if supervised.
There's a huge field for picnics or just running around. Such a great inexpensive way to get the family out for some fun! -
Review from El R.
Palo Alto, CA
12/3/2009
This is a great, big park amidst a suburban paradise. The kiddie playground area has a fun water park area that operates during the warmer months as well as a bathroom with a child-sized toilet. The park is adjacent to the athletic fields of Fairmeadow Elementary and JLS Middle schools, and in the evenings and on weekends you'll see various intramural soccer games taking place there. The Mitchell Park library is on the small side but definitely adequate, and right across from it is the community center. The park is kept clean and you don't have rowdiness or beer cans strewn all over the place like you might elsewhere.
All in all, the setting is quite idyllic: lots of people enjoying themselves in a vast, green outdoor setting. Having great parks like Mitchell Park so close by is one of the great things about living in Palo Alto.
