Ten important skateboard spots in Ontario, California
1. Guasti Regional Park
Located within Guasti Regional Park, this skatepark is one of the hidden gems of Ontario, blending urban skate culture with a scenic natural backdrop. The park features concrete ramps, rails, and bowls catering to skateboarders of different skill levels. Beginners can enjoy mellow banks and quarter pipes, while more experienced skaters will appreciate the deep bowl sections that allow for advanced trick development.
The park’s tranquil environment, with trees and open spaces surrounding the skate area, offers a relaxed vibe, perfect for an afternoon skate session. The park also provides amenities like picnic areas and restrooms, making it a convenient spot for both long and short skateboarding sessions.
2. De Anza Park
De Anza Park is a local favorite for skateboarders due to its central location in Ontario and its well-maintained skate facilities. The skate area includes a variety of ledges, rails, and stairs, which are perfect for street-style skaters. The park's smooth concrete surface makes it ideal for technical tricks, manuals, and flip tricks.
In addition to its skateboarding amenities, De Anza Park provides plenty of open space, basketball courts, and picnic areas, making it a versatile spot for a group outing. Skaters who want a change of pace can take a break in the shade or grab a quick snack from the local vendors around the park.
3. Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Skatepark
Located just north of Ontario International Airport, Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Skatepark offers an excellent mix of terrain for skateboarders. With ramps, bowls, and grindable surfaces, it caters to both beginners and experts. The park's design emphasizes flow, allowing skaters to move from one obstacle to another seamlessly, which is great for those looking to work on transitions.
One unique feature of this skatepark is its deep bowl, ideal for vert skaters who want to carve and drop in from steep heights. Additionally, the park’s proximity to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park means that skaters have access to additional amenities like picnic areas, fishing lakes, and restrooms.
4. John Galvin Park
John Galvin Park is a well-rounded recreational space in Ontario that includes a well-designed skate plaza, providing ample opportunities for skateboarders to practice street-style skating. The skate area features flat rails, stair sets, hubbas, and manual pads, making it an ideal location for skaters to focus on technical tricks.
The surrounding park offers plenty of open space and is home to basketball courts, baseball fields, and picnic areas, so skaters can enjoy a balanced day of activities. The community feel of John Galvin Park attracts locals and visitors alike, making it a hub for socializing and skating.
5. Centennial Skatepark
Centennial Skatepark is one of the most popular skateboarding spots in the area due to its advanced and diverse terrain. It has a combination of street and transition elements, with handrails, stairs, pyramids, and a large vert bowl. The park is designed with a concrete surface, ensuring smooth rides and enabling skaters to pull off tricks with ease.
The bowl at Centennial Skatepark is particularly popular for vert skaters, and the park frequently hosts competitions and local skate events. Skaters of all levels flock to Centennial to test their skills, making it a great place for both casual sessions and serious practice.
6. Ontario Skatepark
The Ontario Skatepark on South Milliken Avenue is a highly popular destination for skateboarders seeking a clean and well-maintained space. This skatepark features an expansive street section with rails, ledges, and hubbas, as well as transition elements like quarter pipes and banks. The park has a funbox with rails and gaps, providing skaters with a variety of trick opportunities.
One of the standout features of this park is its flow—skaters can easily move between the various obstacles without interruption, making it an excellent spot for practicing lines and combining tricks. Additionally, the park’s location near Ontario’s major shopping areas makes it an ideal place for a quick skate session followed by lunch or shopping.
7. Inland Empire Skate Plaza
The Inland Empire Skate Plaza, though technically located a few miles outside Ontario, is a must-visit for any skateboarder in the region. This large, concrete plaza was designed specifically for street skating, with features like stair sets, handrails, hubbas, and ledges inspired by famous street spots.
The layout encourages creativity and progression, making it a great place for skaters to push their boundaries. The plaza often hosts skateboarding events, including demos and competitions, drawing in skaters from all over Southern California. Its proximity to Ontario makes it a convenient and essential spot for anyone serious about street skating.
8. Chaffey College
While not an official skatepark, Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga (just a short drive from Ontario) is well-known in the skateboarding community for its excellent street spots. The campus features a variety of skateable architecture, including ledges, manual pads, and stairs, making it a prime location for street skaters looking for new terrain to explore.
Skating on a college campus can come with some risks, such as being asked to leave by security, but for many, the smooth concrete and architectural features make the trip worth it. The ledges at Chaffey College are particularly sought after for their grindability, and skaters can often be found filming video parts here.
9. Civic Center
Located near Ontario’s Civic Center, this street spot is popular among local skateboarders for its accessible rails, ledges, and manual pads. The area around the Civic Center provides a mix of public art, open plazas, and low-traffic streets, making it a hotspot for street skaters.
The spot is particularly favored by those looking for more urban terrain, offering a different vibe than traditional skateparks. While not as sprawling as some of the other locations, its centralized location and the variety of ledges and railings available make it a go-to for many skaters in the area.
10. Southridge Park
Though Southridge Park is located a short drive from Ontario in the neighboring city of Fontana, it’s a favorite among Ontario skateboarders. The park features a large, well-designed skate plaza with plenty of obstacles for skaters to practice on, including stair sets, rails, boxes, and quarter pipes.
The layout of Southridge Skatepark makes it easy to navigate, with wide-open spaces between obstacles allowing for free-flowing lines. Skaters of all skill levels can find something to enjoy here, whether they’re looking to work on street tricks or practice transitions in the park's bowl section.
Skateboarding is tribal and most locals are welcoming, but if you're new to a spot, or just passing through, have respect for the locals. Listen. Be smart. Have fun.
A human being
Art can change the world – and everybody is an artist. Those who scribble stickmen. Those who paint chapel ceilings. Those who tattoo biceps. Those who are careful with pigment on canvas. Those who create fantasy characters. Those who paint pet portraits. Those who yarn bomb. Those who write poems on crappy old cardboard.
My art lives on the bottom of skateboard decks. It's designed for you to destroy. For you, the rider, my art may come second to the deck’s ability to perform – and that’s awesome. To me, art comes first. Always.
It’s how I think. It’s who I am. It’s what I am.
A machine
This article has been created with the help of artificial intelligence platforms ChatGPT and Bard. If there are inaccuracies or there are opportunities for improvement, please let me know.
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