Tongva Park - Santa Monica (CA)

3 /5 Nutri Steph: Tongva Park in Santa Monica is a beautifully designed urban oasis that offers a variety of amenities for visitors of all ages. The park is divided into four main sections: Observation Hill, Discovery Hill, Garden Hill, and Gathering Hill.  One of the park’s standout features is the Observation Hill, which provides stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the iconic Santa Monica Pier. The playground at Discovery Hill is a hit among children, featuring modern climbing structures and slides that keep them engaged. Garden Hill showcases a diverse array of native and drought-tolerant plants, reflecting California’s coastal ecology. Gathering Hill offers open spaces perfect for picnics and community events.    The park’s design incorporates curving pathways that wind through sculpted landscapes of hills and ravines, creating a sense of exploration and tranquility. Water features and art installations add to the park’s aesthetic appeal, making it a pleasant place to relax and unwind.  While the park is generally well-maintained, some times there is the presence of homeless individuals in the area. However, many feel safe during daytime visits and appreciate the park’s cleanliness and amenities. Overall, Tongva Park offers a serene escape in the heart of Santa Monica, blending natural beauty with thoughtful design. Whether you’re looking for a place to relax, play, or enjoy scenic views, this park is worth a visit.

3 /5 Nemanja Zdravkovic: As a local Los Angeles wedding photographer, I highly recommend Tongva Park for wedding couple portraits or any photo session. The park offers so many beautiful spots, and with an experienced photographer, you can really take advantage of the variety of settings it provides. There are stunning terraces, areas with beautiful flowers, and exotic plants that make for unique and vibrant backdrops. The design of the park itself gives you a lot of options for different looks, whether you want something lush and green or more modern with clean lines. The only downside to shooting at Tongva Park (That is the reason bc I am leaving 3 stars) is that, like many public spaces in the area, there are sometimes homeless people around. While it’s not always a problem, it’s something to be aware of during your session. That being said, the park is still a beautiful and inspiring place for photos, and overall, it’s a great spot to capture some beautifull moments.

5 /5 Anna V Garibay: The most beautiful urban park I have seen in Los Angeles. It’s not that big and it’s not that small. As I entered the park I noticed brightly colored structures that looked like sculptures. It wasn’t until I could make out that certain parts of the structures resembled things you’d see in a playground that I found out that indeed these structures were part of a playground. So, I think it’s incredibly cool that a playground could ever look like art. There are climbing gyms, rock climbing thingies, slides and more. The park has many paved paths and the vegetation and trees are harmonious with these paths. The park isn’t flat which makes it very interesting. There’s an amphitheater area. There are restrooms. I got a kick out of the fact that the gender silhouettes of the men’s and women’s sides aren’t the usual stick figure ones but rather more realistic silhouettes with interesting poses. I mean, you wonder why they made them so loose and free. They’re pretty random. Kind of weird. lol. There’s actually a park security attendant stationed by the restrooms. That there’s a security person on the grounds will give you an idea that the overall safety in the park can be dubious. There are also a few of these security personnel throughout the park. It’s a sad reminder that our society has gotten to the point where manifestations of socioeconomic injustices are present in a place designed for children and recreation. I didn’t see any children of course but it was a drizzly day. The park is named after the indigenous people that inhabited our immediate region. On one hand it’s good they are recognized, but you have to wonder what they feel about it and if they were consulted. This park definitely is a place to reflect on past, present and ongoing reminders that things of beauty cannot cover up the dark side of humanity. However, parks are places where nature is allowed to resist the concrete world around it and its defiance pays tribute to the cultures that preceded us which were better caretakers of the world around us. There are meters around the park.

4 /5 Uliana Erofeeva: Its a nice and beautiful park, the playground is good for kids, though the sprinklers didnt work. I dont know if they are broken or it was just too cold that day. There used to be streams going along the pathways, they didnt work as well. There were a lot of homeless people in the park.

5 /5 Marcus Oberlander: This is a great park located on Ocean Avenue really close to the Santa Monica Pier. My wife and I walked near this park other times, but this was my first time walking into it. It is great for families because they have slides and splash areas, and there are some great architectural features. I found it very tranquil, and I especially liked the platforms with views of the beach and the pier. It is worth spending time there.