Codornices Park, Berkeley

Codornices Park is beloved for its concrete slide that makes a tight curve down the hillside. It's a recipe for injury but guaranteed to stir up excitement. Squares of cardboard lay on the ground below it so you can just grab one and have a go! Make sure your health insurance covers you for reckless behavior though! I could hardly stand to watch the skulls that were saved just in time, as I stood below the slide with my daughter, but she loved the stream of happy kids sliding, running up the hill, and sliding again.

The playground beside the concrete slide sits in a bowl surrounded by forest. People bring their dogs and a blanket and sit on the lawn watching the action. The play structure is wild too, with high slides and high ladders!
A fenced toddler playground with baby swings, on grungy sand, offers the fun of a San Francisco cable car that kids can pretend to drive.
There is also a basketball court and restrooms.
Across the lawn, a tunnel leads under the road to Berkeley Rose Garden. Here your kids can run among the many terraced levels of the garden and sample the scents of the roses. A little stream trickles at the bottom. Walk to the top of the garden to find a lookout with a wonderful view of the bay.
After all the fun, head over to Gourmet Ghetto on Shattuck Avenue to revive yourselves with some delicious organic food. Solano Avenue, further north, is also a great place to eat and has a nice open feel to it. The delis and bakeries there will make your mouth water.

Directions

Cordonices Park is located at 1201 Euclid Ave, Berkeley CA 94701. There is parking along the road.
From Hearst Ave (the street that borders UC Berkeley in the north) head north on Euclid Avenue past some nice coffee shops, into the hills. Park along the road once you see the sign for Berkeley Rose Garden and the lookout on your left. Codornices Park will be on your right.

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