Parkside Aquatic Park: Urban Beach in San Mateo, CA

I caught a glimpse of Parkside Aquatic Park a few months back when strolling along the opposite side of the Marina Lagoon. The sandy beach with children happily playing in the water surprised me as I wouldn’t expect such a park in the middle of San Mateo!

Recently, I was in the area and decided to go take a closer look at the park. It is located in a residential area and hidden behind homes. Since it was a weekday there were few children around but adults on lunch breaks were there taking in the view.

The park was alive with shore and sea bird activity. Birds dominated the water, sand and dock. A few sand-castle remains, evidence of human activity, held strong but the sand was firmly imprinted with bird tracks.

During the weekends of May to September, California Canoe & Kayak rents out small boats and stand up paddleboards at the park. I am putting this on my list of activities to do next year. The lagoon would be a great place to try out different water sports.
Parkside Aquatic Park is a beautiful place to take in the scenery, swim when it’s warm and play in the sand!
Location: 1595 Seal St, San Mateo, CA 94403