Closter Park is a 7-acre park located in Salinas, California. In this blog, we’ll talk about the 2 playgrounds, 4 basketball courts, 2 baseball fields, a gazebo, and so much more. Follow along!
The video above from Martin Caporali shows the playground in the park! Joe Sampson Park has a couple of massive playgrounds if this isn't big enough!
The first thing that we will cover is the parking. Since there are no parking lots, you will need to park along one of the streets. In total, there are dozens of spaces along Beech Street, Dewey Street, and Towt Street. People may not drive slowly; keep your kids close!
The two baseball fields are on the western side of Closter Park. One field has an outfield fence 200 feet away from home plate and an electronic scoreboard. The dugouts have benches but no shade cover; some trees will provide shade. Each team has 10 rows of bleachers for parents and some shade for them depending on the time of day.
As for the other ballfield (which can be used for both baseball and softball), there is no outfield fence. No electronic scoreboard is in the outfield. The dugouts have benches, but there are no shade covers or shade from trees - this goes for both players and fans. Luckily, there should be plenty of bleachers for parents. Bringing chairs isn’t necessary, but sunscreen will be! The restrooms are right here, which are usually in decent shape.
In between these two fields is plenty of green space to play games like football, soccer, volleyball, and most other sports and activities. The grass is in good enough shape.
If you want to play Horseshoe, there are 4 pits to throw them next to Beech Street.
The center of the park has a little elevated gazebo. To access this, there is a ramp; it’s a nice little spot to relax in. There are also benches all around this area. Unfortunately, there are no benches or picnic tables in the gazebo itself. This structure, known as La Plaza Rotario, was built all the way back in 2012. Small concerts, festivals, or events will take place here.
The Closter Park basketball courts are arguably the most popular feature of the park. There are 4 in total, 2 of which are a little bit smaller than the others. Although they don’t have lights for nighttime recreation, they do have all of the painted lines (midcourt, free-throw, three-point, and out-of-bound lines). They also have lots of bleachers, so games or tournaments will be played here. Last but not least, the fences will stop any balls from rolling into the street and hitting cars.
There is a fountain next to the playground with some benches around it. There is also a rock that says “‘Deserve your dream. Merezca su sueño.’ - Octavio Paz.” There is a tree that is the Tree of Life. Planted on February 8, 2008, it represents a time for grieving and healing against violence.
0.66 miles of sidewalks go through and around Salinas Park. It will take you by every feature, including some large trees!
The building next to the playground is the Salinas Boxing Club. It is not a part of the park, but many people are curious about what it’s for.
In 2022, there was a grant of $6,845,563 to improve Closter Park (basically a renovation). They are going to build a fitness loop with exercise stations, lights, batting cages, a larger playground that sounds much better than the original, a skate plaza, a picnic zone, an amphitheater, a farmers market space, barbecues, and better landscaping. The Tree of Life will receive lighting, too. This project will likely be done by the time you visit the park!
Closter Park gets increasingly busier throughout the day; the mornings are the best time to go, and the busiest time is around 6 PM. Saturday and Sunday (Sunday much more) are very busy, while Monday through Friday are mostly empty.
Mikey Carr says, “Park has a bad reputation, but is actually a fun place for everyone. Park, basketball, little league baseball, and music.” Dogs are allowed here!
Closter Park Playground
The surface of the playground is made out of wood chips and mulch, so make sure to wear some good shoes to prevent splinters and cuts! There are some benches and trash cans around the play area, too. A couple of trees provide shade for the smaller playground.
The larger Closter Park Playground has a swirly slide, regular slides, a bridge, monkey bars, a swirly fireman pole, ladders, and stairs. There are also 2 traditional swings and 2 bucket swings for smaller kids.
The smaller playground has slides, a tunnel, games, a ladder, and more.
I’m expecting the new, larger playground to keep your children busy for hours!
Address: 401 Towt St, Salinas, CA 93905
Hours: 5 AM - 8 PM daily
Coordinates: 36.681992, -121.614067
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