Felicita Park is an excellent place for a morning or afternoon adventure with kids. Located just north of San Diego in Escondido, California, the park is filled with trails to explore. The park was once a Kumeyaay Indian Village and is surrounded by climbing rocks, oak trees, a creek, and a waterfall. In addition, San Diego County has enriched the park with playgrounds and picnic areas to enhance your visit.
Table of Contents
FELICITA COUNTY PARK INFORMATION
Felicita County Park is located in Escondido, California. The park is open 9:30 am – sunset. There is a $3 charge to park. Although there is a credit card option, it is not always reliable. I recommend bringing $3 cash for the parking machine. If you bring a $5 bill, your change comes in Andrew Jackson or Susan B. Anthony $1 coins which our son enjoyed! He thought he had found gold!
FELICITA PARK FACILITIES
In addition to the 2.5 miles of trails to explore, Felicita County Park has two large playgrounds for children to enjoy. Seven large picnic sites can be reserved in advance for up to 100-300 people depending on the site. This is a beautiful location for a family event or company picnic. Check this link for more information on the individual picnic sites. There is also a wedding and reception venue. Alcoholic beverages under 20% alcohol are allowed on site. In addition to the large reservable picnic areas, many individual picnic tables and areas are scattered throughout the park.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY PARKS KIDS IN PARKS PROGRAM
Not only is Felicita County Park a great place for hiking with kids in San Diego County, but they also participate in the Kids in Parks program. If you follow my blog, then you know I love anything Junior Ranger for the kids! This excellent program provides nature-based scavenger hunts during hikes, bicycle rides, and frisbee golf games for kids.
Before your visit, sign your child up to track your Felicita County Park adventure online. Then, when you arrive at the park, look for the display sign and brochures near picnic area 7. Grab a pamphlet, and let your child lead the way. The brochures keep your child engaged through the hike. Our son loved the “Felicita Scavenger Hunt” and “The Need for Trees.”
After your adventure, have your child “track” their adventure online. As your child submits hikes and experiences, Kids in Parks will mail them prizes for their progress! Our son was thrilled to receive a large package that was filled with prizes from recent hiking adventures! Check out this post for more details on the Kids in Parks program, available in six other San Diego county parks.
FELICITA COUNTY PARK TRAILS
Felicita County Park offers easy trails that loop through the park and along Felicita Creek. We enjoyed looping up by the playground and wedding venue before heading down along the creek towards the waterfall. Our son loved climbing on boulders, exploring around the creek, checking out the large oak trees, and using his Kids in Parks TRACK trail guide to tell us about Felicita County Park.
As we followed the creek towards the waterfall, my son and husband opted for a more adventurous way to cross the road.
The dirt path is wide and reasonably flat. Although we carried the baby in the Ergo, a stroller (like our BOB Stroller) would do great on this path. As we approached the waterfall, we found a place to have a small picnic and kombucha before looping back on the other side of the creek.
After our picnic, we crossed the creek and headed back up the creek towards the picnic areas and parking. There is a small museum about the cultural history of the area and the Kumeyaay Native Americans that once lived on the land. The park brochure explains this history in more detail. Our son loved seeing the metates, or rocks that the Kumeyaay used to grind acorns. He remembered seeing this same style of Native American “kitchen” in Sequoia National Park!
Felicita County Park is a great place to explore with kids. You can pack a picnic (or happy hour) to extend your visit or enjoy a morning hike and lunch nearby. My pick would be lunch or dinner in the gardens at nearby Stone World Bistro & Gardens – another excellent place for kids to explore AND a delicious adult beverage selection for you! Cheers!
