- Small park with a great play structure.
- Great for gatherings and birthday parties.
- Wood chips throughout.
- Not fenced in, so it’s not a great choice if you have a runner.
- Bathrooms are only open during center hours.
- It has a mini car track
- Park is closed to the public daily between 10:30 to 11 am daily for use by Pacific Grove’s Community Preschool.
One of my favorite parks in the city of Pacific Grove is the Pacific Grove Community Center Playground, otherwise known as Caterpillar Park.
Caterpillar Park is small and quaint, but has a great play structure. It is varied with different size slides and monkey bars. There are two small side by side slides (great for going down with your child), and another taller circular slide. In addition to the play structure there are four swings, two for babies and two regular size. The shining star of the park is the giant caterpillar that children can climb, crawl, and sit on. It makes for a very cute photo op of your child sitting on a giant Caterpillar!
The setting for this park also works well for gatherings and birthday parties. There is a large grass area with a picnic bench that is shaded by large oak trees, as well as other benches surrounding the park. The oak trees also make for some great climbing! The main area of the playground is wood chips which may not be accessible for some, but is less messy than sand. One negative of the overall setting is that the park is not fenced in. This can be an issue, as it is close to the street and there is nothing to safely keep children in the bounds of the park.
Another unique feature of this park is the mini car track. We usually bring a few toy cars or trucks with us (and some extras for friends), and the kids love to race around and go up and down the hills. There is also a picnic bench right by the car track so parents can take a break and watch some mini car races.
The recreation center does have bathrooms, but they are only open during the center hours. We went on a Sunday morning and the bathrooms were locked.
Overall, this is a great place to bring kids ages 0-10. It is quieter and less busy than some of the more popular parks in the area and I love that it has a mix of features so that a range of kids can find something they can enjoy.
Alia Hochgesang grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and is raising her family in Pacific Grove. She loves being outdoors, trying new restaurants, and going to the beach.
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