Huntington Beach Central Park West — Attraction in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach Central Park is a mixed bag, honestly. My wife and I came here one morning, as I'd always heard about this place, but I'd never been before.

We wanted to eat breakfast at the Park Bench Cafe, a small eatery at the edge of Central Park, which features outdoor dining with a relaxed vibe to it. They are only open for breakfast & lunch. The lot in front of this food place was full, so we parked on a residential street across Goldenwest from this parking lot. There's a pedestrian signal light here with a crosswalk, but I was still nervous crossing this wide busy street. It didn't help that there was a mini memorial decorating this signal pole that we pushed, where someone had obviously died really close to.

Once at the cafe, we only had to wait 5 minutes for a table to eat at. We showed up early that Saturday morning, around 9a.m. My wife & I really enjoyed our breakfasts here. Their omelettes and fried potatoes with onions and bell peppers were delicious and our server was friendly, as well. It was a great start to our park jaunt.

We then began walking through Huntington's Central Park on a trail. Nice scenery was everywhere, and we saw lots of mature trees, tons of birds, and a lake surrounded by reeds, before passing the Huntington Central Park Library.

My wife & I saw well over 300 Canadian Geese on a monster-sized lawn munching away on the bright green grass. We also spotted a Red-Shouldered Hawk, way up high in a tree.

In several semi-isolated places in the park, we came around turns in the footpath and noticed homeless people. Two men started eyeballing us in one of these instances, making us uncomfortable, so we headed away from this area. In another park location, we saw 2 tents, set up side by side. I've always been leery of transients, since a large percentage of homeless are mentally ill, and you can never be sure what they'll do.

This fairly large homeless presence in the park put a damper on our visit here. We cut short our walk and left Huntington Beach...

This sprawling park has something for everyone. It is hard to know where the park starts and ends, but the main part of the park is by the large lake and Kathy May's Lakeview Cafe.

From the parking there, you have access to the cafe, the huge kids' playground and several places to stroll or hike depending on your chosen activity level.

The kids' park has some really advanced climbing apparatus and a zip line. If you go there, you must go and stand in the rubberized ground around the play area. It feels like you're walking on a pillow top mattress.

The plants and trees are quite amazing and the park is generally immaculate. In March, there are a few dead plants and things in need of some TLC, but other than that natural situation, there is no graffiti, no litter, no dig water, etc. Very very clean, tidy and safe.

The plants that were flowering were covered in bees, which was very pleasant to see.

While there we saw various wildlife, including one of a few local bald eagles. There are lizards of some description, but they are very shy. I didn't experience any pests.

While there (on a Sunday) there were various church gatherings, birthday parties, yoga, etc. Within a square mile there were probably 300+ people there.

Lots of babies in buggies, kids on bikes and picnic.

A lovely oasis of quiet away from all of the main roads. It is very easy to forget you are in the middle...

An excellent park! I come here with my dog every 1-2 weeks (I live in south OC, but it’s worth the drive). There are a few parking areas with a significant amount of spots, so you never have to worry about whether a space will be open or not.

I first found out about this park last month because of the cherry blossom tree area, and I can’t stop coming back for some fresh air and pretty views.

This park is quite large and is very dog friendly! There are a few restrooms and lot of trash cans sprinkled throughout the area. On a nice day, bring a blanket or a towel and some snacks, then have a picnic under a tree while you watch for squirrels + geese.

Even though sakura season is coming to an end here, I’ll keep coming back throughout the year because of how peaceful it is. If you have time to stop by and see the cherry blossom trees it’s worth the visit! There aren’t many sakura trees here in Orange County so it’s a real treat to see...