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 2 Outreach Summary
Round 2 community outreach for the San Carlos Parks Master Plan occurred in March and April 2025. Through a series of meetings, pop-up events, and surveys, we heard from over 1,800 community members about recreation priorities now and in the future. Community feedback revealed strong public interest in expanding recreational opportunities while preserving open space and enhancing existing park infrastructure. Residents consistently prioritized adding an aquatic facility and a community center and improving sports courts, trails, and playgrounds. Themes of inclusivity, flexibility, and multigenerational use were echoed across feedback, with strong support for shaded seating, fitness areas, arts and performance spaces, and teen activities. Youth voices aligned with adult preferences, as community members of all ages emphasized aquatics, sports fields, and creative indoor spaces. While support for new amenities was robust, some participants raised concerns about space limitations, costs, and impacts on neighborhood character and parking. Ongoing community interest in tennis and pickleball highlighted the need for dedicated spaces to minimize conflict. Other frequently mentioned topics included expanding off-leash dog areas, balancing turf options, and fostering social connections through events and gathering spaces.
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.
