Highlands County Park

Beautiful park with an excellent playground and a large picnic area for groups to reserve. Also has a lovely trail that leads to a shallow part of the San Lorenzo River with a wide, squat waterfall. Though, I went shortly after a storm and the water was deeper and moving much faster than normal.

A Shady Place to Play, Swim, Catch Fish and crayfish - Highlands County Park
The feature of this park is not the playground, but the skate park(the left side of the parking lot (high school direction) and the river. The ideal place to play in the water to escape the heat in summer!

Parking lot: one big (next to skate park) and one small (Highlands Park Senior Center), the parking lot of senior center is shaded and cooler in the afternoon.

Bathroom: one big (located between highlands house and highlands senior center), very clean with washing facilities. The small one (located next to the playground, a mobile toilet), can't wash hands, and smells. It is recommended to use the toilet close to the large parking lot

Recommendation: small waterfalls (see Figure 1-4), flat beaches (see Figure 5-6)

Recommended reason/activity
1. There is a natural deep pool along upstream of the small waterfall. The water reaches the adult's waist, which is ideal place for swimming.
2. The water downstream of the small waterfall is shallow, with many large and small stones, and the water is very clear, which is very suitable for children to play.
3. There is an entrance on the left side of the playground (opposite to the small waterfall) to the flat beach, turn left at the first fork, and continue along the middle road when you see the three forks, and you will reach the upstream flat. There is a lot of sediment, and there are a few of small crayfish.

Tips:
1. The trail leading to the river is short, and it is recommended to wear sandals
2.It is almost covered by the shade of trees on the way, so don't worry about exposure to the sun. After 4 pm, the riverside is cooler.
3. We haven't seen a mosquito in the afternoon, you can bring anti-mosquito spray if you are worried.
4. Those who like to play in the water bring a small bucket and a small fishing net. Today, We caught a few small fish here and saw 2 crayfish. All set free when we left
5. There are many people at the small waterfall on weekends
6. It seems to be no fish and no crayfish in the downstream of the small waterfall. Beware of the flat big stones in the water, which are slippery.
There is free parking, roller skating, water play, and a whole day's time~

Great area for kids, play structure, tennis courts, baseball field and a trail to the river. and you can reserve the club house for events as well picknic are by the Park

Clean & beautiful. Just to a very short walk with my pup to enjoy. Huge, gorgeous tree.

I photographed a wedding here and it's the PERFECT spot. Super quiet, easy to get to, and really romantic. Can't wait to shoot another wedding here!

My favorite baseball field ⚾ Sunny and well maintained

Beautiful place to take a short hike and a dip in the cold river on a hot day! Restrooms available. Can find quiet spots along the river when it's really busy :)

Beautiful place with baseball fields, skate park, very fun play structure, tennis courts, river access, senior center, picnic areas... great for birthday parties... we've had many parties for our kids there...
Also event space for weddings and whatnot. Great county park!

Great park, very well kept, great play ground for the kiddos and a river to swim at, plant of bbqs and a tennis court, and if you are lucky pancake breakfasts at the senior center on certain sundays.

Went there to walk my dog. Easy to find parking. The park is clean with a short walk through the back side of the park to the San Lorenzo river. Easy access to the river in several locations. Not crowded at 2pm. Some dogs off leash but owners are considerate. The river water does not look completely clear but my dog played in it with no apparent problems. I would recommend this place for dog walking and dog playing/swimming in a safe river environment.

My husband and I had our wedding here. Contact the Santa Cruz Parks Department for info. It was fantastic! Everything was perfect. I love this place regardless of my wedding, it is beautiful and we'll kept. Play park for kids, tennis courts, gorgeous lawn and the Highlands Mansion is so awesome. There's also baseball and soccer fields.

Great park with a large grass field, field is closed in winter due to rain. Has a skate park near parking lot. Play ground is in lower area, lower area also has tennis courts, a group picnic site and access to the San Lorenzo river. Lower area has a porta-potty. Upper area has flushable toilets near main house. Benches and picnic tables throughout.

Love the open green fields, the awesome playground, the water mister on hot days and especially the river access below. Tennis courts, skate park, lots of parking! Something for the whole family here! You can even rent out the beautiful carriage house for private events. We did!!

Great tennis courts. Access to river and swimming hole that is pretty quiet. It has a great play structure and soccer pitches. Live this park suitable for all ages

Highlands is a great local park in Ben Lomond. Parking is free (which I appreciate) and the whole area is normally well kept. There is a multi sport field with natural grass that is great for short sprints, especially if you're trying to reduce impact on the joints. The skate park is always popular and there is a nice jungle gym-like setup for younger children in the lower area. Would certainly suggest stopping by if you're in the area.

This park has pretty much everything you could want for a fun day at the park. They have massive fields at the top level for soccer, football, running around or playing with your dog, including baseball diamonds. There is a skatepark up top also, a community center, and plenty of parking. The community center used to have a pool back in the day but it is gone now :( filled in...

Once at the bottom level, there is a nice play structure, tennis courts, a large bbq section, trails for hiking down to the river, and a separate section for kids swings. The overall grounds for this park are very large but split on two levels because of the hill, and there are stairs you can walk down or you can walk down the hill. I have been coming to this park since probably 1990, it has had several upgrades since then and is a very safe place to take the family.

Great park, lots of trails into the nearby wood and along the river. Baseball field, tennis court, lots of large grassy meadows. Great Active Senior Center. The have a house and kitchen you can rent with lots of tables and chairs for setting up huge banquets outside or seating 20-30 in the main room. Set up serving line in large room between kitchen and main room. I was married here, the place easily handled nearly a hundred guests, DJ booth, dance floor and lots of fun. Plenty of parking.
They also host the Highlands Games here every year, BIG DEAL Local event. This place really is the heart of the community

A lovely little playground with some climbing structures and swings. There's also a great skate park and tennis courts. Bathrooms available. There's a gorgeous creek too.

This place is a family favorite from the playground to my daughter's wedding to the senior center. It has been a community hub for the 40 yrs I've lived here. A wide range of events and activities to interest everyone.

There is a great playground here. Near it there are several paths which lead through beautiful forest to the river. Fun to explore, and an absolute blast for kids.