A large group attended the re-opening of the skate park, but attendance has decreased in recent years. (File photo)
Residents and City of Menifee Community Services staff gathered Wednesday for a community input meeting regarding the Audie Murphy Ranch Skate Park, with discussion centered on current fees, rules, and possible changes to how the park operates.
“We’re really looking at what the community wants to see at the skate park moving forward,” Community Services supervisor Michael Reinhart said.
The skate park opened in 2014. Originally, there were no entrance fees and limited supervision. At the end of 2016, city officials closed the park for about three months because of concerns from Audie Murphy Ranch residents about the presence of drugs, alcohol and rowdy skaters whom they say raced cars and left trash in local streets. Most of the complaints seemed to concern not local children or teens, but young adults who traveled to Menifee from outside the area to use the park. It was closed again briefly about a year later.
In October 2018, the park was re-opened with a fee-based admission system. The daily fee to use the skate park is $3 for residents and $10 for non-residents. There is also an annual option of $10 for residents and $100 for non-residents. The higher non-resident rate was designed to deter activity from non-resident young adults who had been traveling from other cities to use the park and allegedly cause problems.
As a result, overall attendance has decreased in recent years. Staff members reported that the park averaged about nine users per day in 2022 and 2023, then fell to about three users per day in 2024 and 2025.
Community Services Manager Gabbi Cao said attendance at the skate park increases during special events, such as Go Skate Day, which drew 75 participants at the last event. Cao also highlighted new programming in the works, including a planned park ranger station that will allow for more programs at the park. A sports staff substation is also planned, providing a remote office for the city’s sports staff and Healthy Menifee staff.
“By no means is this an abandonment of the park,” Cao said. “This is really how we can take the resources that we have and enhance all the available programs that the entire park has to offer the community.”
The skate park’s current hours of operation are 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends, with extended hours during school breaks.
City Staff noted that Menifee is now the only staffed skate park in Southwest Riverside County. Neighboring cities operate free, unstaffed skate parks open from morning to late evening. Several attendees at the meeting pushed for longer hours and an open, unstaffed model similar to other cities.
One resident said the park should be open “to either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every single day,” adding, “Just like with the other skate parks.”
Others questioned why skate park users pay fees when users of other park amenities do not.
“The tennis courts and basketball courts don’t pay any fees. So, why should we have to?” one attendee asked.
Residents said fees and restrictions have hurt turnout and have limited events.
“Another reason why it’s good for the skate park to be just free for everybody is because our skate park used to have tons of events and even bring people from out of town,” one attendee said. “We used to have professionals from different states, and you name it. We have professionals from Brazil that live in Lake Elsinore. So that cuts down a lot of the fun activities, for kids to see pros and even for us to communicate with them.”
The park’s safety rules were another point of frustration. One attendee said, “Back in 2014, it was a skate park. We didn’t have to wear any elbow pads, knee pads or helmets.”
City staff said protective gear is required at skate parks under state law, and staff at the park must enforce the rules. They explained that unstaffed parks still have to post the requirement but don’t necessarily have staff on site to enforce it, which is why other parks often operate as “use at your own risk.”
Skaters also criticized recent changes to obstacles and layout, saying some features disrupt skating paths and create safety issues.
“There’s some obstacles that are right in the landing of the stairs,” one attendee said, warning that a poorly placed rail could cause serious injuries.
“It was one of the best skate parks around here, hands down,” another resident said. “Now, it’s the worst. Just like, locked up.”
City staff encouraged residents to share written feedback and vote on whether the skate park should continue as it is or switch to a different operating structure. Staff said information from the meeting and an online voting option will be posted for residents who could not attend. Community feedback will be shared with the City Council as the City considers next steps for the skate park.
