A park system 150 years in the making, Modesto’s has something for everyone
It’s almost like Sanders Neighborhood Park has been waiting for 2020, which is the 150th anniversary of the city of Modesto’s founding, and for this month, in which the theme of the sesquicentennial observation is parks and outdoors.
Imprinted on a concrete wall at the playground of the Litt Road park are historic dates, including the years of Modesto’s incorporation and the 2007 opening of the park. Nearby, stamped on a walkway, is “Modesto 1870.”
Sanders is a beautiful park, and one of the city’s most popular, said Laurie Smith, director of the Parks, Recreation & Neighborhoods Department. It has two playgrounds with rubberized surfaces — “squishy” so it’s safe when kids fall down, a Modesto mom said in a five-star Yelp review of the park.
There’s a basketball court, splash pad and a large arbor pavilion with benches for picnicking. Sanders is beautifully designed down to details like the metal, leaf-shaped skateboard deterrents attached to the low walls.
One recent morning, as most kids in the neighborhood were at adjacent Mary Ann Sanders Elementary School, the park was used by two elderly women on a walk, who sat on a bench to talk, a mom pushing her baby in a stroller, a dad and his young, skateboarding boy, and a group from a program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that was shooting hoops.
Modesto has more than 76 public parks, according to its website. They range from little McClatchy Square downtown, with its picture-perfect rose garden, to 500-plus-acre Tuolumne River Regional Park, which is along seven miles of the Tuolumne River and is operated by Modesto, Ceres and Stanislaus County.
Combined, all those parks include seven splash areas, a wading pool, 44 tennis courts, eight lighted ball fields, 18 large-group picnic sites, and more than 15 miles of bike and walking paths, according to the city.
The city also has three golf courses — Dryden, Creekside and Muni — though the latter will be closing later this year. And among its other outdoor recreation facilities is Mary E. Grogan Community Park, aka the soccer complex next to Enochs High off Sylvan Avenue.
Through its Parks Partners Program, in which residents raise funds and provide volunteer labor and the city provides organization and management, park features have been added and replaced. Among its projects have been installation of a disc golf course at La Loma Park and the construction of the Centennial Junction and Lions Junction recreation spots along the Virginia Corridor.
In no particular order, here are 10 of Modestans’ favorite outdoor spaces to play, exercise or just relax, plus something to look forward to — and help with.
1. Standiford Park: It’s not near Standiford Avenue — nowhere near it — and unless you live in the neighborhood of this Tokay Avenue site, you might know it simply as the park with Cinderella’s coach. It has playgrounds and picnic areas, and if you’re a little league or soccer parent, your kids may have practiced or played here.
2. Graceada Park, at Needham and Park streets, has it all: plenty of lawn, a big picnic pavilion, tennis courts and a newly renovated playground. “It’s a great place to take a lunch break or host a birthday party,” Smith said in an email to The Bee. It has the city’s only public wading pool and it may be best known for the Mancini Bowl amphitheater, home to the hugely popular MoBand summer concerts series and lots of other music events.
3. Enslen Park, adjacent to Graceada’s north end, is the oldest park in Modesto. Its amenities include the reservable Boy Scout Clubhouse and a ball field that is home to Modesto’s Junior Giants youth baseball league, which serves about 1,000 kids, Smith said. The Enslen Plaza and Playground Project, which began late last summer, is adding a concrete plaza and a small playground to the park and eventually will bring clubhouse improvements, bocce ball courts, the return of horseshoe pits and more.
4. Just north of Enslen, on Morris Avenue, is the much smaller Elk Park. It’s a big draw for dog owners, though, because it has the city’s only public dog park. The Modesto Dog Park, or Modo for short, has two fenced areas, one for large breeds, the other for small ones.
5. Charles M. Sharp Park, on Torrid Avenue southwest of Woodland Avenue and North Carpenter Road, has a baseball/softball field, a full basketball court, a volleyball court, picnic areas, new playground equipment and “a nice path for morning walkers,” Smith said.
6. Tuolumne River Regional Park has recreational activities for everyone, Smith said, including great hiking and biking paths, picnic areas, the American Legion Hall, Gateway Park and soon a boat launch near the Dryden Golf Course. “This is definitely a recreation destination,” she said.
7. Freedom Park, located on Sharon Avenue next to Freedom Elementary, has a basketball court, picnic shelters and tables, and grassy areas for soccer, football and general play. Like Sanders Park, its play equipment sits on a soft surface. Also like Sanders, there’s a nice attention to detail, with the “star” theme of the playground carrying over to the metal grating around tree trunks.
8. The 4.2-mile (and eventually longer) Virginia Corridor trail follows the old Tidewater Southern Rail line from Needham to Bangs Avenue. It is landscaped and has several amenities along the way, including picnic areas, shade structures and barbecues. Near its south end, Lions Junction has a playground and water play area.
9. Davis Community Park is at Rumble Road and College Avenue, adjacent to Davis High. It has grassy, gentle slopes, three rentable picnic areas, lighted baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, horseshoe pits and playgrounds. None of the city parks provide electrical outlets, but here and in many of the popular outdoor party places, visitors are likely to see generator-powered bounce houses from spring through fall.
10. McKinney Colony Park, on Snyder Avenue next to Mary Lou Dieterich Park, has picnic areas, a soccer field, a full basketball court and a playground praised by one Yelp review as an “American Ninja Warrior” type of setup, fun for parents and kids alike.
A major project in the works that park and playground lovers are looking forward to is the Awesome Spot inclusive playground to be built at Beyer Community Park. The $2.5 million facility will allow disabled and fully able children to play side by side.
Typical of an inclusive playground are wheelchair-accessible surfaces (no sand or drop-offs) and equipment pieces, like a merry-go-round that can be rolled onto. The overarching theme of the nearly 2-acre Awesome Spot is nature, which will be reflected in three play areas: Swamp Cruise, Rain Forest Excursion and Savanna Safari.
To learn more about inclusive playground effort, and to donate or get involved, visit www.theawesomespotplayground.com or www.facebook.com/TheAwesomeSpotPlayground.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
