Craig Regional Park
Craig Regional Park, which opened in 1974, features undulating hills, a diverse collection of mature trees, open space, a small lake, three year-round creeks, and a rose garden. This one-of-a-kind scenery adds to the overall sense of tranquillity and beauty. Walkways, picnic tables, and park seats are placed around the 124-acre park, offering plenty of shade.
Craig Regional Park offers a variety of recreational possibilities, including open and covered turfgrass and picnic spots. For the entertainment of visitors, bicycle and hiking/walking trails are also available.
Many migratory waterfowl visit a three-acre lake each year. A California Fish and Game License is required to fish for catfish and bluegill. Model radio-controlled sailboats can also be launched.
The park is also a wildlife sanctuary and a renowned bird-watching location.
Six picnic shelters and two group areas with tables and grills provide shade. There are also picnic tables and barbeques located throughout the site.
The park has three softball fields, one baseball field, jogging trails, and a sports complex with basketball, volleyball, and racquetball/handball courts, as well as horseshoe pits. There are no soccer fields available.
There are also three tot lots for children.
On weekends and holidays, shelters and group areas can be reserved.
The park was named after Edward “Ted” Craig, who grew up in Olinda, California, until his family moved to Brea in 1912. With only an eighth career, he worked as an oil tool machinist. His lack of a higher education did not prevent him from achieving success later in life.
Craig was elected to the Brea City Council in 1928 to replace his father, who had recently retired. He was elected to the State Assembly the same year. Craig was elected Speaker of the Assembly in 1935 and served as Mayor of Brea during his tenure, as the Assembly was a part-time institution in the 1930s particularly during the Great Depression. Ted Craig, a staple at the State Capitol for 50 years, was still referred to as “Mr. Speaker” by legislators and employees when he lobbied the assembly in the late 1970s. Ted married Peggy, with whom he has two kids, Tom and Ted. He was passionate about civic issues and a supporter of the Boy Scouts. He established the Brea Fire Department and the Brea Park System while Mayor of Brea. During WWII, he worked as an Aero Squadron mechanic and then as Commander of the Brea Post American Legion. He was also a member of the Orange County Fair Board. Baseball was his favorite activity, and he was responsible in bringing Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson to Brea. He died in 1979 at the age of 82 and is interred at Loma Vista Cemetery in Fullerton.
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