San Carlos Parks Master Plan
Let’s enhance parks, enliven open spaces, and celebrate recreation in our community!
The San Carlos Parks Master Plan will guide the planning and implementation of parks, open space, and recreational facilities for the next 20 years. It will create a long-term vision for meeting community needs through the prioritization of improvements and the development of actionable implementation strategies.
Located within the San Francisco Peninsula, the City of San Carlos encompasses a 5.4 square mile portion of central San Mateo County. The City is bordered by Redwood City to the south, the City of Belmont to the north, open space preserves to the west, Redwood Shores and the San Francisco Bay to the east. Serving a population of 30,490 people, the City offers a small-town feel within the greater Bay Area region and provides a multitude of amenities, facilities, and opportunities for residents and visitors, including a robust parks and recreation system.
The City’s Parks & Recreation Department manages 17 parks including three community parks, four neighborhood parks, five mini parks, two open space parks, and two dog parks, as well as a youth center, an adult community center, athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, basketball courts, cornhole areas, an outdoor stage, and a diverse range of programs for all ages. San Carlos’ park and recreation facilities are greatly beloved and highly used by community members.
Be a part of the process and share your ideas with us!
Your input is key to helping the City understand how its parks, open space, and recreational facilities are serving the San Carlos community and identify ways to improve for the future. A series of virtual and in-person community activities will be held in 2024 and 2025 to collect input and keep the public informed.
Round 1 Outreach Summary
Round 1 of community outreach for the San Carlos Parks Master Plan occurred in August and September 2024. We heard from over 1,100 community members during a variety of virtual and in-person engagement activities, including pop-up events, a webinar, and an online survey. Participants in these activities provided feedback about San Carlos parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities along with many informative ideas for how recreation in San Carlos can evolve over the next 20 years. Public input showed that San Carlos is an active, outdoor-oriented, and highly social community that greatly appreciates its local parks and recreation amenities. Outreach participants want San Carlos to focus on increasing recreational opportunities for all ages and preserving the natural beauty of the City’s parks and open spaces. For the Parks Master Plan, the community prioritized renovating and improving existing parks and open spaces as well as adding new indoor or outdoor recreation facilities. A community pool or aquatic center that can host swim classes, recreational swim, and social activities was the most desired new amenity, according to outreach responses. Participants also supported amenities and programs, including playgrounds, seating, sports/fitness, and events, that enhance safety, social connections, and health and well-being for the community. In Round 1 outreach feedback, the community identified a need for more shade, sports fields and courts (including pickleball and basketball), dog-friendly spaces, trees, and trail improvements.
Stay tuned for Round 2 outreach events coming Spring 2025.
