BONSALL — The county has broken ground on the new Bonsall Community Park, a project that will provide the small but growing community with recreational space, sports fields, playgrounds and other amenities.
The county acquired the 63-acre former San Luis Rey Downs golf course off Camino Del Rey in Bonsall approximately 10 years ago.
The site is one of two active recreation parks identified in the San Luis Rey River Park Master Plan, a 20-plus-year county plan that consists of more than 1,700 acres of parks, multi-use trails, staging areas and open space along the San Luis Rey River between Interstate 15 and the Old Bonsall Bridge.
The Bonsall Community Park site was selected because it is located in a more populated area near Bonsall Elementary School, Bonsall Community Center, several housing developments and state Route 76.
The other active park site, a 68-acre development in Fallbrook, is planned off Dulin Road near Interstate 15 and will feature sports fields, trails, a disc golf course, a dog park and picnic areas.
According to county officials, the new parks align with the county’s goal of providing 3 acres of local public parkland for every 1,000 residents. Bonsall Community Park will be the first designated public park in the community.
“It’s been a long time coming,” County Supervisor Jim Desmond said at a Feb. 18 groundbreaking ceremony.
The county awarded a construction contract in December for the park’s first phase, which will develop 24 acres into recreational space. Planned amenities include:
- Sidewalk and intersection improvements to Camino Del Rey
- Two new vehicle access points to the park
- Soccer fields
- Large, shaded playground
- Shaded picnic shelters with picnic tables
- Open lawn areas
- Restroom/park office building
- Dedicated area for two volunteer hosts to live
- Walking paths and benches
- Drought tolerant, low maintenance landscaping and efficient irrigation system
- Bike parking
- Park monument signs and an informational kiosk, and
- Biofiltration basins to provide stormwater management.
The county expects to open the park in summer 2026 and plans to hold a ceremony to mark the occasion. Surrounding trails will remain open during construction unless deemed unsafe for users or workers.
Bonsall Unified School District officials welcomed the park’s development, particularly its sports fields.
“Right now, we don’t have soccer fields close by,” Superintendent Heather Golly said. “We don’t have anything like this in our area.”
The park will also provide outdoor educational opportunities for the district’s largest elementary school.
“The park will be an extension of our schools,” Golly said.
Golly, who has lived in San Marcos for two decades, said she has seen the benefits of community parks firsthand.
“Having that safe, fun place for families, students and community is essential,” she said. “As we move forward, I’m looking forward to our Bonsall Unified families building lasting memories for generations to come. I can’t wait to see our students and neighbors enjoying this space together.”
While the project has drawn broad community support, some equestrian groups have raised concerns that their needs were overlooked.
Riders have criticized the lack of an equestrian staging area, particularly given the park’s proximity to an equestrian trail system. Some have also expressed frustration over feeling excluded from public discussions about the project.
According to the county, the first phase of construction does not include an equestrian staging area, but county staff are working with equestrian groups to explore potential locations in future phases of the San Luis Rey River Park Master Plan.
“I know we haven’t made everybody happy with this park, but we got most people happy, and there’s still work to be done,” Desmond said. “We still have some horse issues and things, and we want to accommodate people, so I know we’ll be working on that.”
