Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park

I hardly speak a word of Spanish, but if I had to translate, I would guess that Rancho Penasquitos means “half of a skatepark” because that’s just what this joint brings to the table. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating, but RPQ is kind of a one-way street to a dead end when it comes to the flow of the park. The stuff that is in there, however, is as fun as any other credible skatepark in southern California.

When we rolled out to the park to push around, the regulars filled us in. Half of the park used to be wooden features, and half of it concrete. We never discerned why the material hodge podge came to be, but the story goes that the wooden half just got beat up and warped over time, leading to its removal.

Standing the test of time, as usual, are the concrete portions of the park. Banks, ledges, a miniramp with a spine, stair sets, down rails and flat bars all crowd to one side, so usually when you hit something, you end up riding out into the barren parts of the park.

This set up does leave ample room for flatground lines though, and the place is nicely divided between the pro section and the everybody section. The park is free, helmets are “required”, and the kids on scooters flee like convicts whenever a skateboard comes around. The RPQ park can be found at 10111 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego CA and is open from dusk til dawn.