Location: Rancho Santa Margarita: inside Canada Vista Park, 24238 Antonio Parkway
Hours: 7 a.m. to dusk
Cost: Free
For ages: Most kids skating here are around 9 to 19, but all ages like to watch!
This nearly-15,000-square-foot park is open-air, open-use (unsupervised), and rather remote — tucked away into the desert hills off Antonio Parkway with only a baseball field to share the space.
Despite its remoteness, it still gets pretty crowded from time to time, but the crowds come in waves, and there are as many “quiet times” as busy times most weekends. In the summer, things get a little more hectic.
The highlight of the skate challenges is a complete pool — 9 feet deep in its deepest end — that the kids literally climb into and ride the sides.
There’s also a concrete bowl, rails, steps, ledges, pyramid, hips, ramps, and bench. A gated circular viewing area sits right in the center, complete with park benches, and makes a fun place to watch the great skaters.
Moms and dads also can be found in lawn chairs in a tiny grassy area near the parking lot.
The park attracts both beginning skaters as well as more advanced, and the age range is about 9 to 19. There’s a certain code here among the boys that the clearly advanced skaters get the right-of-way. Only skateboards are permitted here, according to the city.
Helmets, elbow pads (with plastic caps) and knee pads (with plastic caps) are also required by the city.
Restrooms are across a baseball field but are often locked to the public unless baseball games are going on.
Where to park: Enter off Antonio Parkway through the Canada Vista gates. There’s plenty of parking .
What to bring: Skateboards or in-line skates, helmet and pads, picnic, lawn chairs, water (but be warned that restrooms may be locked)
Best time to go: If you have a beginner skater, you might want to go when the older kids are in school.
For more information: City of RSM
Have you taken your kids to RSM Skatepark? Do you have any fun tips to share?
I have been to the R.S.M. skate park! It’s loads of fun. The bigger and more advanced kids do mostly get the right-of-way, but sometimes they let you go first because you’re smaller! The R.S.M. skate park is a great place to make friends! I made friends with a 16 year old! He taught me how to ride the bowl and who makes the best skateboard for it! – Nate, 10
I’ve taken my daughter there several times, I find that hardly any of the kids follow the rules of helmet, pads. I also have noticed on occation a lot of swearing by older kids.
The dog park behind it is nice, but one day I saw 5-6 adults with their dogs off their leashes in the baseball area where it says no dogs allowed, I have photos of them too. Nice to know some adults don’t follow the rules, bad example for kids.