X PARK SKATE PARK

La Quinta, CA

Now one of the largest skate parks in California, X Park offers three skating bowls, a street course with rails, ledges, and stairs, and the only concrete pump track in the Coachella Valley. Designed by Spohn Ranch Skateparks with inclusivity in mind, the concrete pump track is a smooth surface that skateboards, scooters, bikes, and even wheelchairs can ride on. HDG was responsible for X Park’s passive hardscape layout, drought-tolerant planting design, and implementation of sustainable irrigation techniques.

The park’s perimeter fencing utilizes vertical steel rebar to promote park security, while also allowing pedestrians to view the action occurring inside the park from the sidewalk. The street-facing planting design is mainly comprised of low-maintenance rubble and crushed rock, with accent plants like sisal and ocotillo interspersed throughout to add variation. A stabilized decomposed granite pathway directs visitors toward the park’s main entrance and skate pro shop.

Inside the park, tipu trees provide respite from the sun while artificial turf provides a softening element against the park concrete. "The Deckyard" is an interactive hardscape display where riders can place their broken skateboards, simultaneously paying tribute to the late John Meadows, a La Quinta High School graduate who had a love for skating. X Park’s pump track wraps around two decomposed granite retention basins to effectively collect surface runoff and manage storm water.