The problem with long summer vacations is that there are so few activities out there that don't cost a lot of money to pursue. Even skateboard parks, which should really be viewed as belonging to all residents of a certain city, often times charge exorbitant entry fees. And in trying economic times like these it is oftentimes healthy activities for young people that get cut out by parents looking to keep food on the table.

That is why it is so important that skate clothing maker Etnies still doesn't charge an entry fee to its Lake Forest, CA skateboard park. Etnies Skate Park is located at the corner of Lake Forest Road and the 261 Toll Road. Entry is free every day and is open from 11 am until 9 pm. All day Wednesday and Sunday mornings are set aside only for BMX riders so be aware of those particular restrictions if you only like skateboarding. BMX riding and skating on one park is absolutely impossible and only causes gnarly injuries and the occasional fistfight as riders battle for space.

Not that Etnies Skate Park is lacking in space or special features. Etnies Skate Park features a section that apes the appearance of a regular street corner, has a combination bowl and even a swimming pool with textured tiling. There is over 40,000 square feet of skateboarding space and while weekends are always rather busy, the Etnies Skate Park is pretty open even on weekdays during the summer.

The street corner section (also called The Plaza) of Etnies Park also boasts some very unique attributes like a never ending twelve step rail and a couple of elevated manhole covers so expert skaters can pull off some snaps. The Plaza also features a perilous circular rail that leads down to a lower flat rail leading to the main course. There are fun boxes, picnic benches, flat boxes and ledges all set to challenge any skateboarding fanatic. The course is also laid out in a linear manner so once you finish on one end it is very easy to get back on the course for another go.

Many communities build skateparks in order to satisfy their residents' desire to skate. Most of the parks that are built are either built in existing community parks or they are built on virgin sites. In Virginia Beach, Virginia there is an amazing skatepark that was actually built using compressed clean soil and refuse. Yes, it was built on a landfill. The park complex is called Mount Trashmore and it is a great example of how communities can turn lemons into lemonade.

Mount Trashmore - The Park
Mount Trashmore is a multi-purpose park. It includes two amazing mountains that were made out of compressed trash and clean soil. This park also contains two lakes that are stocked with fish, and yes you can fish in these lakes. It also includes playgrounds, picnic areas and one of the best skateparks in the state.

Mount Trashmore Skatepark
The Mount Trashmore Skatepark can be found at 310 Edwin Drive in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is primarily a street course skatepark with obstacles, stairs and rails. However, it also has a great seven foot bowl and a 13.5 foot by 40 foot vert ramp, which makes it competition size.

Skating at Mount Trashmore Skatepark is free. You can start skating here at 7:30 in the morning and you can skate until the park closes in the evening. In order to skate here you will need to sign in, get a skatepark wrist band and wear a helmet. Since this park is outdoors and made from wood and composite materials, it is important that you dress appropriately. You will want to wear clothing that protects your skin from sunburn and from abrasions and you will also want to wear padding.

The rules for skating at this park are similar to those found at other skateparks. You need to wear a helmet, you need to skate responsibly and you need to be respectful of other skaters and of the skatepark. If you break these simple rules you will be asked to leave.

Have a great time skating at Mount Trashmore and enjoy the scenery as you catch air!

Alabama is a great state to be in if you love to skateboard. The weather here is perfect for skating year round. This means that unlike skate parks in the north, skate parks in Alabama are generally open year round. If you are in or near the town of Decatur, Alabama, you will want to bring your board and skating gear to the High Wheels Skate Park. This park offers some of the best ramp skateboarding in the state.

High Wheels Skate Park - the Basics
High Wheels Skate Park can be found at 2052 Terry Way Parkway in Decatur, Alabama. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. While it is not a free skate park, you can skate or bike at this park all day long for only $5, which is not a bad price. Bikes, roller skates, inline skates and skateboards are all welcomed here.

In order to use this park, you will need to follow a few basic rules. First of all, you will need to sign a liability waiver. This waiver basically states that you are responsible for your own safety while using the park. Next, you will be required to wear the appropriate padding for your sport. This means elbow and knee pads. Finally, if you will be riding your bike in the park, you will be required to wear a helmet with a chin strap.

High Wheels Skate Park - Features
High Wheels Skate Park is known for its extra wide ramps and skating surfaces. One of the best features at this park is their 6-foot-tall half pipe. This half pipe is elevated to seven feet, has 7.5-foot roll-ins and is 40 feet wide. This park also offers a 4-foot-tall spine ramp that is twenty feet wide. If you like street courses then this park has one of those as well, however, it is located on gravel and basically intended for bikes. Other skating and biking features found at the High Wheels Skate Park include a mini ramp and various skating obstacles. While this is not the most elaborate skate park in the world, it has a lot of good features that you will enjoy.

Las Vegas, also referred to as Sin City, is a great city to live in or visit if you are a skateboarder. This city is filled with great skate parks. One skate park that you can use for free while in town is the West Flamingo Skate Park. This park, which is located on the corner of West Flamingo and Jones, is a concrete skate park with a lot to offer the street course aficionado.

West Flamingo Skate Park - The Basics
While the West Flamingo Skate Park doesn't have a bowl park, it does have a great street course. A street course skate park offers skating features that reflect urban obstacles and surfaces. You will find curbs, stairs, rails, planters, benches, boxes and other obstacles. The skills that you can practice in this type of park including balance tricks, weaving, jumping and skidding.

Skating a Street Course
Each type of skate park has its own hazards and advantages. If you are new to street courses then there are a few precautions that you can take to make sure your day at the West Flamingo Skate Park is a good one. First, you will want to stretch out your lower body including your ankles, calf muscles, quads, knees and hips. Street courses require you to do a lot of squatting and twisting, so you will also want to warm up your mid-section with side stretches, lunge stretches and a little walking. When you warm up your muscles prior to entering the park they will be more flexible and less likely to get pulled or torn. This strategy will also help you skate better.

Skateboarding in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is known for many things, including its heat. Generally, you will want to avoid skateboarding during mid-day. This is when the sun is at its most brutal. When skating in Las Vegas, you will want to wear clothing that is breathable, wicks moisture away from your body and provides your skin with adequate coverage to prevent sun burn. You will also want to wear a heat and sun block with an SPF of at least 30.

While Chicago is a hot bed for cultural and urban attractions, sometimes you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Champagne, Illinois is a charming city south of the Windy City. Here you will find a great little skate park called Spalding Skate Park. This park is a public skate park and free to use.

Spalding Skate Park - the Basics
Spalding Skate Park is a concrete skate park that offers about 18,000 square feet of skating terrain. It can be found at 900 Harris in Champagne, Illinois, and is open to both skateboarders and in-line skaters. Here you will find both vert park features and street course features. In the vert park, you will find three great bowls with easy bowl-to-bowl transitions and several quarter pipes. The street course offers a snake run, rails, stairs and obstacles.

Spalding Skate Park is open all week long from dawn until dusk. It is a part of a larger park called Spalding Park. This park offers open, grassy areas, ball parks and other recreational attractions.

Staying Safe in Spalding Skate Park
Skating is a lot of fun and is a good way to stay in shape, however, it can be hard on your body. To keep yourself from getting injured, you need to wear the proper clothing and the proper safety gear. During the hot months of the year, you will want to wear clothing that is breathable and that will wick moisture away from your skin. During the colder months of the year, you will want to dress in layers and wear the proper outerwear. Regardless of the time of the year, you will want to wear a well fitted helmet, elbow pads and knee pads. You will also want to wear a pair of skating shoes that will give you good traction on your board.

In addition to dressing properly for skateboarding, you will also want to take steps to stay safe on your board. First make sure the skating zone is free of hazards like broken glass and trash. Clear these things away before you start rolling. Next, check out who else is using the park. Get a feel for how they are skating and their skill level before you try to share the skating space. For example, if you notice a skater is wobbly on their board, you will want to keep a larger gap between you and them while skating as they obviously are a newbie and most likely will have troubles keeping their board under control.

While it took a little longer to build this skate park than anticipated, the Ed Austin Skate Park of Jacksonville, Florida, finally opened its skating complex in May of 2008. At a cost of $425,000, this 7,500-square-foot skate park is a welcomed addition to the 141-acre Ed Austin Regional Park.

Ed Austin Skate Park - Unique and Organic
What makes the Ed Austin Skate Park a unique place to skate is that, unlike many skate parks, it was designed to provide skate features that had a natural architectural feel. This means that the features like benches, rails, ledges and planters that are positioned within the skating complex look like real benches, rails, ledges and planters that you would normally find in urban settings.

In addition to a great, realistic street course, the Ed Austin Skate Park also offers vert features. One of the highlights of the vert complex is the wide brick quarter pipe. This park also has concrete bowls of various depths and shapes and a modest selection of ramps and flow elements.

Staying Safe at Ed Austin Skate Park
Just like skateboarding at any skate park in the world, you are responsible for your own safety at the Ed Austin Skate Park. This means that you need to wear the appropriate clothing for the weather and for skating, that you wear a well fitted helmet with a chin strap and elbow and knee pads. You will also want to be aware of your surroundings while in the skating complex. Just because you know how to navigate your skateboard through a maze of people and obstacles without a scratch or how to stop on a dime, doesn't mean that others using the park have the same skills.

Finally, be respectful of the skate park and its features. At a cost of nearly a half million dollars, this community-operated skate park was an expensive investment made for skaters. Don't tag the concrete or wood structures, pick up after yourself and try to keep this park in as good of condition as possible so that it will serve skaters for decades to come and encourage local communities like Jacksonville to continue to invest in skate parks.

New York is a state this has just about everything you could ever want from urban attractions to wildlife adventures. If you are a skater and touring the Catskill Region of New York then stop by the infamous Skate Time 209 for a great time. This skating site not only offers a 10,000-square foot skate park, but it offers a retro roller rink, an arcade and a snack bar. If you are ready for a skating caper, pull on your hoodie and head to Skate Time 209.

Skate Time 209 - the Basics
You can find Skate Time 209 at 5164 Route 209, Mettacahonts Road in Accord, New York. This is in the Catskill Region of New York. It is a little off the beaten trail but well worth the effort to get there. The fee for using the skate park will be about $9 for a single session or about $20 for a day pass.

The schedule for Skate Time 209 is broken up by season. The winter schedule will generally offer two sessions, an afternoon session, which runs from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., and an evening session, which runs from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The summer season will generally offer three sessions. It is a good idea to call ahead to see if a session is open to the public or if it has been rented for a party, which is particularly important during the summer season.

In order to skate at Skate Time 209 you will be required to wear a helmet. You can rent helmets at the rental counter. Also this is a BYOB (bring your own board) skate park. However, if you want to use the roller rink, you can rent roller skates (the old fashion kind) at the rental counter.

Skate Time 209 - Features
Skate Time 209 has both vert features and street course features. Its top attractions include a half pipe with a berm and drops of six feet and eight feet. The street course features include things like rails, lots of great boxes, stairs and hubbas.

Virginia is a great state to be in if you enjoy skateboarding. Throughout the state you will find skate parks that offer the usual fair of ramps, bowls and boxes. However, if you are looking for a unique skating experience on a Sunday night, make your way to Fairfax, Virginia for two hours of skateboarding fun.

Skate Night - Fairfax, Virginia
Skate Night is a unique skate park found at 4601 West Ox Road in Fairfax, Virginia. It is only open two hours a week, on Sundays from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 a.m. This skate park offers a quaint collection of obstacles and skateboarding features such as a quarter pipe, a grind box, a manual box, a launch ramp, a handrail and various other types of obstacles. This skate park also offers a grind box, which has a rising height that goes from knee height down to about curb height. While not the best skate park in the country, it does offer you a place to skate in Fairfax.

Skateboard Safety at Skate Night
Like most skateboarding parks in the United States, Skate Night is a skate-at-your-own-risk park. This means that your safety is in your own hands. To make sure you stay safe, you need to wear a helmet with a chin strap, elbow pads and knee pads. You will also want to wear a decent pair of skateboarding shoes so that you have proper grip on your board.

While skating at Skate Night, you should make sure that you stay in control of your board. Lots of people use this park at the same time, and you never know what or who is going to cross your path. Finally, wear clothes that will keep you dry and warm or dry and cool, depending on the time of the year. Dressing in layers is a good idea, as you can strip off layers as your body temperature rises, or you can add layers as your body temperature drops. If you will be trying rail tricks at this park, you may also want to wear a cup for protection in case you end up straddling the rail or your board.

If you enjoy riding on ramps then Rampriders in St. Louis is a skate park you have to go to. Located at 2324 Salena, this skate park offers a great selection of ramps. This park is open seven days a week, has a short list of rules to follow and is generally a fun place to go to find weeknight or weekend entertainment for the whole family.

Rampriders - Rules
Rampriders is open to skateboarders, inline skaters and bikers. Most of the sessions are open to all of these athletes, however, there are special sessions scheduled on Sundays for mini-man bikes as well. In order to skate or bike at Rampriders, you will first need to complete and submit a liability waiver. If you are under 18, you will need your parent or guardian to fill out and sign this form for you.

Like other skate parks, Rampriders also requires that you wear a helmet at all times while using the park. If you don't have a helmet or if you forget to bring one, you can rent a helmet from the Pro Shop. Helmet rentals are $5 per session.

The final rule is that you have to be respectful while using the park's facilities. This means no fighting, no drinking, no eating, no stealing and no tagging. It also means that you have to do what the staff at Rampriders tells you to do. If you break the rules, you will be asked to leave.

Rampriders - Hours of Operation
Rampriders is open seven days a week. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the park is open from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. On Fridays, it is open from 5 p.m. until midnight, on Saturday the park is open from 11 a.m. until midnight, and on Sunday the park is open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. On Sunday the day is broken up into two sessions. The first session is scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon. This session is generally designated for young skaters between the ages of 8 and 10. The second session is from noon until 8 p.m. and it is open to all skaters and bikers.

If you are ready for a great time, step into your favorite pair of skating shoes and head for St. Louis!

There are several skate parks in the state of Alabama, however, one of the coolest is the Veterans Skate Park found in Alabaster, Alabama. This skate park is well maintained and safe. The best part about it is that it is just for skateboarders, so you don't have to navigate your way through bikes, scooters and in-line skaters, who have different skating patterns and priorities than skateboarders do.

Veterans Skate Park - The Basics
Veterans Skate Park is found at 7305 Highway 119 in Alabaster, Alabama. In order to use this park, you will first need to complete and file a liability waiver with the park's department. If you are 19 years of age or older, you can sign the waiver yourself. If you are under 19, you will need a parent or guardian to sign it for you. Another requirement to skate at this park is the use of a helmet while skating. The helmet must fit your head properly, be worn at all times and also have a chinstrap.

Veterans Skate Park - Features
Veterans Skate Park has both bowl features and street course features. The bowls are set up without lead in and look a lot like swimming pool bowls. The street course features are grouped together and include a set of concrete stairs, rails and ramps.

Veterans Skate Park - Hours and Fees
The Veterans Skate Park is a city-run park that charges a minimal fee of $1 per day for weekdays and $2 per day for weekends. The park is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from four until eight in the evening, Saturday from noon until eight and Sunday from one until eight. The park is closed on Wednesdays and on city holidays.

Dressing for Skating at the Veterans Skate Park
To get the most from your experience at the Veterans Skate Park, there are steps that you can take. First you need to dress for skating in an outdoor, concrete skate park. This means wearing good skating shoes that have a grippy sole, elbow and knee pads and a shirt to protect your skin from the sun and from road rash if you fall. You can wear shorts or long pants, depending on the weather and your preferences. Finally, you are required to protect your head and its contents with a helmet that has a chin strap.

One of the best parts about living in the South is that you have relatively good skateboarding weather all year long. As a result, there are numerous skate parks that you can use in the South. A great family skate park found in Louisiana is the Bayou Wheels Skate Park. Here you will find a skating atmosphere that is kid-friendly and family friendly.

Bayou Wheels Skate Park - The Basics
The Bayou Wheels Skate Park can be found at 300 Parkview Drive in New Iberia, Louisiana. It is open during the summer months, seven days a week from noon until seven at night, as long as the weather permits. From mid-August to October 1, the park is only open on the weekends from noon until six at night. Then, from October 2 until April the park is only open on weekends from noon until five at night. However, during the school year, the park does open up for school holidays, so you will have other opportunities to use the park.

The admission fee to use the Bayou Wheels Skate Park is about $1. Skateboarders, in-line skaters and scooters are all allowed to use the park. While this park is fairly liberal when it comes to who can use the park, you will be required to wear a helmet and padding if you are fifteen years old or younger, and you will be required to wear at least a helmet if you are sixteen years old or older.

Bayou Wheels Skate Park - The Features
For a small skate park, the Bayou Wheels Skate Park has a great selection of features to work with. It has the basics like rails, a pyramid, pipes and flat ramps. However, they also have a great eight-foot half pipe and multiple quarter pipes to trick out on.

If you are looking for something fun to do in Louisiana with your kids or with your friends, pull on a rash guard, grab your board and head to the Bayou Wheels Skate Park. The park is set up for spectators also, so if you don't skate or if you need a break, you can watch others skate from picnic tables and bleachers set up in an observation area.

One of the coolest skate parks in the world is the Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park found in the Grand Cayman Islands. This skate park is considered to be the largest concrete skate park in the world. It also offers one of the largest, standing artificial waves in the world. So, if you are into surfing, skateboarding or both, this is a great park to visit.

The Black Pearl Skate Park
The Black Pearl Skate Park offers skaters about 52,000 square feet of skating terrain to work over. There are three different courses that you can ride on: a beginners' course, an intermediate level course and an advanced skaters' course. Each of these courses offers a selection of bowls, transition zones, flow terrain and street terrain. This park also offers quarter pipes and half pipes. If you want to skate in this park, you are required to wear a helmet and the appropriate padding. If you are on vacation or if you don't have the appropriate equipment or padding, you can rent it at the onsite skate shop.

This park is open Monday through Saturday from nine in the morning until dusk and on Sunday from ten in the morning until dusk. The entry fee is CI $16 for the day, CI $50 for the week or CI $100 for the month. In U.S. dollars, this is about $24 for the day, $75 for the week or $150 for the month.

The Black Pearl Surf Park
The Black Pearl Surf Park is a record breaker in its own right. It has a machine that is capable of producing a standing wave of up to eleven feet tall. It also has the ability to move 150,000 gallons of water in a minute, and it produces a surfing zone that covers about 1,280 square feet. This park provides both surfing instructions and equipment, so you don't have to pack a surfboard with you on the plane or in your car. This is a great place to go to learn the basics of surfing or to just have a bit of fun on a hot day. Parents will love this park too, because there is a restaurant onsite where they can enjoy a nice meal and relax while their kids play at the surf park or skate park.

There are dozens of cool skate parks in the United States. One of the coolest is the Rotary Club Skate Park in Lunda Community Park, found at 1400 Tyler St., Black River Falls, Wisconsin, 54615. This hybrid skate park was completed in July 2006 and offers about 9,500 square feet of skating terrain.

Rotary Club Skate Park - Basic Features
The Rotary Club Skate Park is a very unique skate park. It utilizes a hybrid technique which pairs ramp equipment, normally used above ground, with concrete block retaining walls. This combination has several advantages including no seams, no gaps and no guard rails. This is great if you are just learning how to ride a ramp or trick off a ramp, because you don't have to worry about tripping over gaps and other design imperfections.

In addition to a hybrid ramp design, the Rotary Club Skate Park offers several great skateboarding features. Some of the features that you can find here include a half bowl, ramps and a multi-tiered plaza. The advantage of skating here is that you can find skating features to fit your skill level if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced skater. The only real drawback of this skate park is that it doesn't offer skate-box formations. This is a real drag that many skateboarders hope will eventually be fixed.

Rotary Club Skate Park - Having Fun at the Skate Park
In order to have a great time at the Rotary Club Skate Park, you need to come prepared to have a good time. To start with, you need the proper skater clothing to (1) look cook and (2) protect your skin from road rash. Next, you need to bring the proper safety gear. This means bringing a properly fitted helmet, elbow and knee pads and a pair of shoes that have enough grip on the soles to keep you from skidding off your board. The final accessory you need to bring to the skate park is a good attitude. If you come to the park in a funky mood, you are not only going to prevent yourself from having a great time, but you are going to increase your chances of bringing other skaters down with you.

Skate parks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Public skate parks tend to be free and offer a few features that you can practice on. However, if you are a hardcore skateboarder looking for something a bit edgier than your local concrete skater pond, then visit Skatopia. This private skate park was referred to as "88 Acres of Anarchy" by Rolling Stone Magazine, and after visiting this mega-skate park it is easy to see where the nickname came from.

Skatetopia - The Basics
Skatopia is located at 34961 Hutton Road in Rutland, Ohio. It first opened its doors back in 1995 and was the brainchild of Brewce Martin, who still owns and operates this wild skate park. The park itself sits on about 88 acres of land. It includes both indoor and outdoor skateboarding features like an outdoor bowl made from concrete, a couple of indoor bowls and an interesting pipe-ramp complex comprised from a vert ramp and a full pipe.

Skatopia - The Extras
In addition to being a cool place to skateboard, Skatopia is also the home to the Museum of Skateboard History. This museum has a huge display of vintage skateboards that contains about 12,000 specimens. If you are interested in the evolution of skateboard design, take time to stop by this museum.

Skatopia - Events
The final attraction of Skatopia isn't a physical feature. It is the events that are hosted at Skatopia. This skate park is a great place to host your own events like birthday parties, graduation celebrations and even your band's gigs. This destination also offers you a great selection of planned events like the Backwoods Blowout.

Dressing for a Trip to Skatopia
Skatopia offers both indoor and outdoor skating, because of this you need to make sure you dress in layers so you don't freeze when you are outside or roast while skating indoors. Also remember to bring the proper safety equipment with you, such as padding and a helmet. Finally, bring your board with you. Working with a board you are familiar with will help you to navigate the various features of this park safely.

If you are ready for an awesome and unique skateboarding adventure, grab your skateboarding shoes and head to Rutland.

If you want to get away from the super crowded skate parks of Phoenix, Arizona, or if you find yourself in or near Gilbert, Arizona, then make plans to check out Freestone Skate Park. This is a free skate park that is open to everyone, including inline skaters, skateboarders and bikers. This diversity can be both an asset and a liability. Overall, this is a great park with something for every type of skater. Locals love this park and say it is one of the best skate areas in this part of Arizona.

Freestone Skate Park - The Basics
Freestone Skate Park can be found at the intersection of Juniper and Lindsay in Gilbert, Arizona, 85234. It is an outdoor concrete skate park that was designed by SITE Design Group and opened on March 17, 2001. This skate park offers over 22,000 square feet of skating terrain including a vert part, a trannie park and street course. One of the best design features of this skate park is that it is lighted so you can skate there safely until the park closes at 9 p.m. in the winter and 10 p.m. in the summer.

Freestone Skate Park - Skate Park Features
The Freestone Skate Park has a little bit of something for everyone. There are a couple of awesome bowls to trick out on, a trannie course and a street course. The street course is modest, but it offers rails, a pyramid, ledges, metal coping and a few other obstacles. It is recommended that you wear full padding and a helmet, but since this is an unsupervised park this recommendation is not enforced.

Enjoying the Freestone Skate Park
In order to fully enjoy the Freestone Skate Park, you need to go there with the intent of having a good time. This is a popular park with skaters and bikers of all ages, so be prepared to dodge traffic on the courses. You will find young skaters and older skaters here, as well as advanced skaters and beginners. Have patience and keep your board and your body under control for your safety and the safety of others at the park. Finally, don't forget to wear the right clothing for the weather and for your sport.