Families waiting for the new playground at Flood Park in Menlo Park will have to wait a little longer, and this time the reason is the sun. San Mateo County Parks says the playground's metal slides got too hot to use safely during the summer.
A slide that hit 130 degrees
In a notice posted on its website, the county parks department said it held off on opening the renovated playground "for the safety of children" after the metal slides reached high temperatures in the hot months. County Parks spokesperson Jeneane Crawford told The Almanac the slide topped 130 degrees during peak hours, though she said the temperature depends heavily on the angle of the sun and the slide can be safe on some otherwise hot days.
The department says it has been monitoring the equipment's temperature and is looking at ways to shade parts of the playground from direct sunlight. With cooler fall weather and a lower sun, the county now expects to open the playground before November.
Second delay this year
This is not the first setback. In June, the county said the playground, originally expected to open in the spring, would be pushed to later in 2026 while it made changes called for by safety reviews. The Almanac reported that the county Board of Supervisors approved a $4.1 million construction contract in May 2025, and that building it was first expected to take about nine months.
When it does open, the county says the playground will include a climbing tower, zip lines, slides, spinners and swings, plus a separate area for children ages 2 to 5. The county describes it as an inclusive design shaped by input from kids and adults.
Part of a larger makeover
The playground is the second phase of a long-running overhaul of the 21-acre county park at 215 Bay Road, which dates to 1937. The first phase opened in 2025 with new basketball, sand volleyball, tennis and pickleball courts, a bike pump track and updated picnic areas. The future baseball diamond and large multi-use field remain closed for construction.