mommy2cents Lake Wilcox is a neat park in Richmond Hill. There is plenty to do there with your kids in the summer. There is a decent size splash pad and a cool playground. Surrounding the playground is green space with lots of picnic tables for you to use. While we have not visited the park in the winter, I have read that there is also skating.
Pre-Covid times, this was an extremely busy park in the summer as it features a splash pad, playground, park and a boardwalk where you can ride your bike, scooter or just walk in a serene setting. People were also able to BBQ in the park. If you are not there by 11am, then parking would be a bit of a challenge.
Post Covid, to help with crowd control, and similar to other municipalities, the city of Richmond Hill implemented paid parking effective April 2020. If you are a resident of Richmond, Hill, you can park for free with a resident parking pass. While this started off as a covid measure, I am sure this is here to stay, being a new revenue stream for the City of Richmond Hill. Further more, barbecuing is also no longer permitted effective September 2020, while this may not be Covid related, the site does mention that barbecuing has damaged the grass and created certain hazards.
My 2 Cents:
My family really likes this park, the big deterrent for me is the paid parking. Each time we are at the park, if we do everything from end to end (Splash pad, playground, scooter), this could be 3-4 hrs. I simply believe there are other parks out there that are free.
ADDRESS: 112 Olde Bayview Ave, Richmond Hill ON L4E 3C7
PARKING: Depending on which parking lot you are in, the cost could be $4.00/hr or $5.00/hr
NOTE: Make sure you pay for parking if you do not have a parking permit. The ticket could be a hefty $65 as we have seen on other cars. Last summer, because this park is so popular, it appeared that there was a dedicated parking enforcement officer onsite.
