This is one of Bloomington's better parks. It has a ton of space and have everything that you would…read morewant in a park. It is very spacious park spanning almost 35 acres and dates back to 1957. The park has tons of parking available spread between 3 lots. There is also parking available near the pool. The playground features 2 parks. The first park is for 5 to 12 year olds and feature a medium sized jungle gym with bridges, tunnels and slides. There is also a sand digger and a bank of traditional/toddler swings. You will find benches and other spots for caregivers to sit. The equipment is a bit dated, but still in fair shape. There is great news though, the playground is scheduled to be reimagined next year. You will find a fair shelter just off of that playground with picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. The other playground area is for smaller kids and is fenced in to keep the little ones from running off. There is a cement dinosaur bench that caregivers and sit, along with a bunch of traditional benches. There is also some picnic tables under a canopy. The equipment in this area include a bank of traditional/toddler swings, and another medium jungle gym with tunnels, bridges, canopies and slides. Just like the older kid playground area, this equipment is a bit "seasoned", but still serviceable. The park is home to a nice paved 1/4 mile walking trail, Streamside Trail, that is wheelchair-accessible trail and bisects the park along the south side of Bryan Park Creek. Along the trail, you will find an outdoor fitness area with a bunch a very nice equipment such as a balance beam, chest press, incline sit up board, monkey bars, and dip bars. It is very nice and looks relatively new. I really liked the park's 2 full basketball courts . It was very nice and in great shape. The tennis courts are pretty good too. Other park amenities include a restroom facility, two multi-use fields with backstops, a horseshoe pit, and a ton of green space. You will not find a shortage of green space here, including the multi-use fields. It is suitable for pretty much any field activity including football, playing catch, soccer, a picnic or flying a kite. Along the Park's grounds is another shelter with picnic shelters with tables under it and a grill outside of it and some benches. If that was not enough, the park is co-located with an aquatic center. Being that i visited the park in November though, the Center was closed for the season. The park is well maintained and you can easily spend at least a half of a day or more here. I highly recommend checking out the park. It may be a bit outdated, but upgrades are on the way and the city is investing a lot of money into this park.

This is a great neighborhood park for the kids. There are several playgrounds available.read more

This nine acre park on the west side of downtown has a lot of nice features as well as a great hill…read morefor sledding. There is very little level ground in the park, but the layout is well planned. Near the east parking lot, the playground has been placed close by. For those who face physical challenges, there is a bridge built from the hillside to the upper levels of the playground's equipment. To the west of the playground are a pair of shelters with grills and picnic tables. At the top of the hill along 9th Street is a restroom facility painted with a mural of famous television animated characters. A workout area for adults is located next to the restrooms. There is a lot of shade and green space, with one large flat area just above (south) of the parking lot. Review #882

For only having two acres, this park packs a lot of amenities into a small space. Not only does it…read morehave its own parking lot (a nice benefit to have when the park is downtown!), but there is plenty of mature trees providing shade to the playgrounds (2) and shelter. There is a permanent restroom building on the north end and a basketball court along the west side. What separates this park from many is the two-tiered levels of the park. Along Howe Street, the playgrounds, while street level, are raised above the green space to the south along 2nd St. The park's different levels is due to the site originally being a limestone mine which was converted. Fortunately, there is a large sloping ramp on the east side of the park which aids access to the lower level for those who may have trouble with hills. The ramp is located near the shelter on the east side. I like that there is an information plaque that tells the origin of the park and why is was named. Review #876

Nice park! There's a huge field, a big playground, and a smaller playground. There's also a little…read moregazebo area and a shelter that can be rented. This park does not seem to be as well known as others in Bloomington so it's usually not as busy. However, I have seen it crowded for various practices after school hours.

A nice little park to play pickleball or hit the playground. The small picnic area isn't spotless,…read morebut it was clean enough. The restrooms right by the playground were closed on Sunday when we were there, but there are other restrooms by the courts that are open. A heads up that gps signals were wonky for me when I was trying to navigate the trails.

As one of the larger parks in Bloomington, this 48-acre park on the south west side has a lot to…read moreoffer. For activities, there are tennis and pickle ball courts and a playground with shade tents nearby. For those into hiking, there is a paved trail and a trail that leads into the wooded area. The park also has a nice sized parking lot, restrooms, and a shelter with picnic tables. Review #875

Nice great park to take nice strolls around. A park, pavilion and large field to play on. Trail is…read morenice and paved.

This 41-acre park is maintained as well as it is functional. During my visit, the flowering trees…read moremade it beautiful as well! The park lies in a neighborhood on the south side of Bloomington. There is plenty of parking with a nice playground located nearby. There is a shelter with picnic tables and a grill on a hill over looking a prairie and woodland. To the east is a paved hiking trail that loops around the park, including an area set up for football. The park is also connected to the Jackson Creek Trail which connects to Sherwood Oaks Park to the west. Review #872

I don't live too far from here, and I love that this is so close. In a perfect world, it would be a…read morelittle easier to get to by bike or scooter. When you have to cross Leonard Springs and Bloomfield road, you have to be careful. So even though we live close, I drive there. One playground was updated recently, and has been very popular. It's very fun, especially for the younger crowd. There is a nearby walking path that loops around the small valley. It's great for kids who want to ride their bike or some other vehicle around. The larger and also fairly new play area in the rear near the dog park is also a winner. It's next to the water park, which is a bit of fun in the summer! As of now, there is currently a very large project that has been going or a while and has made parking here more difficult. I don't know what it' supposed to be, but progress is slow. There is also a dog park and a basketball court nearby. Lots of places to walk, and sometimes few places to park if soccer is happening. There are a lot of fields, and it seems to be THE place to play. The bathrooms have been well maintained, and shelters are available to rent. There is also a building that can be rented out for parties and gatherings. This is great, especially if it involves kids and you don't know how the weather will be. I'm glad we have this park!

Have to walk all the way across the whole park because only one bathroom is unlocked. Very long…read morewalk when your game is over by the elementary school and a child has to use the restroom.

So glad the city of Bloomington decided to redo this marshland in 2003. They have renewed what was…read moreoriginally 29% of Indiana before the settlers came in the 1800s. This is important because wetlands help with pollution control, ease erosion, and storm runoff. It also provides a beautiful urban park view from local businesses like Heartwork brewing, and home 2 suites hotel. Quick 15 minute walk around the park with your dog would be ideal, which includes doggy bags and a water fountain for you and your furry friend.

This is a nice park. It dates back to 1929 and was originally named the Jacob & Loretta Miller…read moreHomestead. The land that the park sits on was purchased by the city for $1. The location could be better though. It is sandwiched between a highly trafficked main road and with cars zooming by. It has a small parking lot with a 3-hour limit and a very nice state-of-the-art stormwater retention facility that serves as a beautiful lake with a small water fall. Talk about taking lemons and making lemonade. There is a pier that goes out over the lake to give you a better view and it has benches for you to sit. There are also some benches and bike racks in the parking lot area and on the opposite side. I was very impressed by the .6 mile paved walking/jogging track that goes around the park's perimeter. You will find the Red, Blond, Black, and Olive sculpture on the end of the park opposite the parking lot. The sculpture is in a little plaza area that has bike racks, benches and a lake overlook. On one side of the park you will find another plaza area with a bridge, lake overlook and a bunch of benches. Here is where you will find the park's limestone sign near the street. On the other side of the park, opposite the limestone sign and across the bridge, you will find the Axis sculpture that sits right off the water. The park is home to numerous local plants and has information placards around explaining the sculptures the water retention lake, and the plants. As I mentioned, this park is a good park, but because it is smack dab in the middle of a high traffic area, it is not very peaceful. That is the main knock I have about this park. The park also does not have restroom facilities, or playground equipment, but it is not that type of park. The park has received numerous awards through the years including the the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's Community Enhancement Award in 2004, and the Indiana Urban Forest Council's Outstanding Project Award in 2005. This is not a bad place to past time and the closet you will get to nature in downtown Bloomington. I would say that it is worth a visit.

It was a perfect day for hiking around the paved trail of this park on the NW side of Bloomington!…read more After pulling into the large paved parking lot, I noticed the playground and shelter to the west, the community gardens to the east, and a basketball court to the north. Between the shelter and the court, a wide paved trail (very little change in elevation, so excellent for physically challenged visitors!) takes a short loop around the pond in the park. I would estimate the walk is roughly the distance of what you would find at a high school track. But what you see, particularly in the autumn, is a wide range of color as the woods slope away from the trail. There is also a POI on the east end of the trail called "Hack's Arch" which is made of stone and has its own plaque telling why it is there. Though it is a little out of the way from downtown Bloomington, it is easy to find (despite the small detour for road repair.) Simply take 17th Street west (it becomes Vernal) over the interstate and watch for the park on the north side of the road. Well kept and though some of the large trees were recently removed for safety reasons, brand new trees are being planted to bring more shade to the area with less risk of falling branches. Review #3288