Save Kit Carson Park is a community advocacy initiative of the Escondido Parks Foundation, focused on protecting Kit Carson Park as public parkland and ensuring transparency, public participation, and responsible stewardship in decisions that affect its future.

The initiative formed in response to a proposal by The Rinks Foundation to develop approximately 14 acres of Kit Carson Park, currently occupied by the adult softball complex, into a three-sheet ice sports facility that would include spectator seating, a restaurant, and training and competition facilities. On June 3, 2026, the Escondido City Council approved a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Rinks Foundation to explore the project's feasibility and negotiate toward a potential long-term lease.

Save Kit Carson Park is not opposed to bringing ice sports to Escondido; its position is that a facility of this scale should not be located within Kit Carson Park. The campaign has focused on the park's history and intended use, land-use and environmental considerations, preservation of existing recreation and open space, transparency in the City's decision-making process, and identifying alternative locations where the proposed facility could be developed without converting existing public parkland.

Where things stand: The MOU does not itself authorize construction or constitute a final lease. The proposal remains in the feasibility and review process, and additional City Council action would be required before a long-term agreement could move forward. Save Kit Carson Park continues to participate in that process through public education, historical and land-use research, community outreach, public records review, engagement with City leadership, and advocacy for consideration of alternative sites.