Almendra Park is located in the Valencia area. It is just one of more than 30 parks in Santa Clarita.  It offers a small playground and a large grassy expanse. While this park is not one my family regularly visits, I have brought patients here as a physical therapist. When assessing a location as a physical therapist, I look for different things in parks than a parent typically would. I look at the playground through an eye prioritizing development. When I came here aimed to write a review of Almendra Park, I looked closely at the park as a whole, as well as each component of the park.

I applied both the lenses of pediatric physical therapist and mother of 3 together to create this unique review of Almendra Park.  With over 30 local parks to choose from, what makes Almendra Park worth it?  Is Almendra Park the right fit for your family. Whether you are new to the area, new to parenting, or just looking to mix up playtime, this review of Almendra Park can provide you insight.

While Almendra Park offers a variety of terrain types, a decent amount of shade, and a large grassy area, parents will find it lacking in a few things.  These include a shortage of seating for parents, a short play structure, and lastly, a lack of restrooms.  Almendra Park is recommended for children under 5 years old. Continue reading the detailed review of Almendra Park for more insights and details.

The Basics

Almendra Park is one of the 8 original parks in Santa Clarita when it was incorporated and was built in 1983. It is located in the Valencia area. For those who live behind Granary Square, Almendra Park is centrally located within walking distance for many. Almendra Park offers an expansive green space and lots of trees. Additionally, a walking path — what the locals call a Paseo— runs along the back side of the park. There is not a parking lot, so street parking is your only option.

Amenities

Almendra Park offers a full basketball court for those who want to shoot hoops. There is also a cement picnic table and a bench located near the  playground.

Location

23420 Alta Madera Drive Santa Clarita, CA 91355

The Good Stuff

On the positive side, Almendra Park offers an expansive green space with lots of trees. If you are looking for a park in Santa Clarita for toddlers, this is a great place.  New walkers can test their skills on multiple terrains. Almendra Park offers wood chips, sand, grass, sidewalk, and pour-in-place rubber (the colorful rubber flooring). With an abundance of trees, there are even a few tree roots they can tackle. The play area has both standard swings for children, as well as bucket swings for infants.

The Drawbacks

Non-locals should be aware that there are no bathrooms located at this park. The playground area is more geared towards younger children.  Older children (8 years old/3rd grade) will find the play structure a bit on the small side.  While there is an eagle’s nest present, children around 48 inches will find it a bit small as they will be able to easily reach the top. Additionally, there is also a lack of seating and tables.

The Play Structure

In and near the sand area are 3 dinosaurs for climbing. They are fairly easy to get on and off of for tall children, but offer a little challenge for small children and new climbers.

The play structure has 3 slides: 1 bumpy, 1 double, and 1 spiral. They are all on the short side, again more geared to younger children. There are 2 short climbing ladders: a corkscrew ladder, and an arch. There is a very short tunnel underneath for crawling through. The best feature is the stairs.  There are 2 ways to climb up. The first is a higher step to work on climbing. The second is a regular flight of stairs with a hand hold. A small arched bridge connects the ladders to the slide area.

Insights for Parents

Almendra Park is geared towards young children—mostly preschool age and younger. However, there is a basketball court and an abundance of grassy area that older children can use. There is a loop of sidewalk around the edge of the park tied to the paseos.  The walking loop is 0.3 miles according to mypacer.com

A Physical Therapy Perspective

Almendra Park isn’t the best for older children—the ladders and slides are too short. However, it is an awesome place to bring new walkers and toddlers learning to climb. The sidewalk loop around the park is great for building walking endurance. The climbing step is great, but the stairs turn makes it challenging to work on alternating feet. The park offers every type of terrain to challenge those just learning to walk, including on and off small curbs. Additionally, the slides are short enough that parents can easily assist from the side. The eagle’s nest offers a good challenge for little climbers.

While the options at Almendra Park are limited, if you can’t get to another park or live nearby, it can still provide some fun and exercise.

Parks Nearby in the Valencia, CA Area

Read our review of Valencia Glen Park. (0.5 miles away)

Read our review of Summit Park. (1.1 miles away)

Read our review of Valencia Meadows Park. (1.1 miles away)

Old Orchard Park (2.3 miles)

Circle J Ranch (2.5 miles)

Valencia Heritage Park (3 miles)

Bridgeport Park (3.3 miles)

West Creek Park (5.7 miles)

Resources

See the City’s website for their listing of amenities and location.