Right in the heart of downtown Rochester, and with free parking to boot! They do a really nice job…read morehere - the park is always clean and kept up. There are multiple playgrounds, restrooms, tennis courts, a concert stage, pavilion, pond + paint creek running through, and connection to the paint creek trail in the back. The paint creek trail is especially popular and good for bikers. There are picnic tables and benches galore, many of which are situated overlooking the creek. They allow dogs on leashes, and mine loves swimming after the ducks here. I have not been to any events here recently, but I've heard they have Thursday night concerts in the summer and a big apples & arts festival in the fall. This park is definitely a community staple.

This is probably one of my absolute favorite parks! It's so large and winding, there are so many…read morepathways and things you can do here, and best of all, you can access it to and from downtown Rochester! I first started going to this park back when Pokemon Go came out all those years ago. I had no idea what this park was all about until that first day I was playing Pokemon Go and just kept following the path on the game's map and then suddenly I looked up and realized I had walked through all of the park and into downtown...all a stone's throw away from my apartment! That started my long-term love affair with this park. I have so many fond memories in here catching Pokemon, but also coming back here with friends and with my dog for walks, playing on the play structures, glancing at the tennis courts and wondering if I should play a bit, hammocking because there are so many great hammocking trees scattered throughout the park, shopping through ARTS & APPLES, ones of the greatest festivals in metro Detroit, and so much more. This park has something for everyone and is also very accessible right off of Paint Creek Trail as well. Parking around here can be interesting, but now that I no longer live at the apartments directly across the street from this park, I find that parking at the Rochester Hills Public Library in downtown Rochester is my favorite option. There is a path that leads all the way behind the library, along the creek, to Paint Creek Trail, with an offshoot to the Rochester Municipal Park, all just a 5 minute walk from the library! This is truly a wonderful park, for fun with your friends, family, and furry ones, in all four Michigan seasons, and I'll never stop enjoying it! :)

Used to play softball here on an intramural team; park is still in great shape! We took a quick…read more walk this past weekend when it was chilly, and loved tucking in out of the wind, under this giant pine tree. What a beautiful tree! Definitely look forward to having a family gathering here this summer!

Our Real Estate Investors Group has met here a couple of times since the shutdown happened. We can…read moreget together outside and be safer than in an enclosed meeting room. As other reviewers have noted, Boulan Park offers a number of amenities such as tennis courts, baseball diamonds, volleyball, running tracks, along with facilities for gatherings like our group. There is plenty of parking for whatever you plan to do here. We were set up at one of the gazebos with pizza, subs, water, and soft drinks. Attendance was a bit light with 30-40 people but it was easy to spread out. We were busy and arrived late and the subs were gone but there still was enough pepperoni pizza left so we didn't leave hungry! Our group consists of real estate investors so naturally the discussions were focused on buying and selling properties. The facilities that we used was a nice covered gazebo on a concrete floor big enough to spread out with 15-20 picnic tables. Restrooms are located a short walk away but I didn't use them and can't comment on them. Even the weather was pleasant with a light breeze and sunshine, not sure if the park provided that for us. Overall a great and popular city park!

Bloomer Park is an excellent place for hiking and mountain biking. It's has technical mountain bike…read moretrails as well as moderate and casual. These levels are the same for hiking, so you can get a great workout regardless of experience level. There are multiple wood staircases of varying lengths, so it's great for stair climbing exercise. I've been coming here on/off for several years and have never had a bad experience. I've gone to other state parks where I've gotten swarmed by a lot of bugs, but for whatever reason, not at Bloomer. It's also great that it's located next to downtown Rochester, so food and drink after a casual stroll is accessible. I highly recommend Bloomer Park for hiking and biking activities.

My family and I went to Bloomer Park for their recent, Fossils and Riverside Campfire event (cost…read morewas $10 per person). We had a great time. It was our first visit to this city park, and I was happy to see it was nicely maintained. We only stayed and hiked through a small section of the park, but it was very clean, bathrooms were available, there was a playground for kids, small grills in sections, bike repair areas could be found, and the trails had been recently upkept. The paths we followed were simple and good for families, although I would not recommend dragging a wagon or anything like that with you. There were easy to hike sections, as well as smaller, more off-road trails perfect for those that enjoy mountain biking. There was plenty of wildlife around to view, wooden bridges for crossing streams and marshy areas, and beautiful areas to relax near the Clinton River. It was honestly a great outing, and we'll definitely be back.

Great place for kids to play and perfect nature trail for a September walk . Myself and my three…read moreboys really enjoyed the park . It was clean well kept and many people enjoyed the day with us

What a nice park with ample parking in a paved lot, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a children's…read moreplayground, covered picnic pavilion, restrooms, a concession stand when the games are being played and a couple of beverage machines as well as a one mile paved trail. I liked looking at the sculptures at the front of the park. They add a nice touch as you're walking along. They're for sale too if anyone's interested in purchasing these cool looking works of art. A must visit whether you're a family looking for children's activities or wanting an area to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch or someone who wants to enjoy a walk on the trail. The park is well kept and clean which gets a high mark from me because I enjoy not only walking along nicely landscaped trails, but taking in the surrounding scenery. There weren't any games in play when we were walking, so it was a quiet and serene walk. But there's plenty to do and see for all ages including being a spectator in the stands for baseball games or sitting on chairs and watching soccer games. This I'm sure will become one of our favorite places to walk and enjoy for years to come. I won't take away any stars, but I will say, that I wish people would pick up their pet's waste along the trails, as we almost stepped in a couple of them. They supply the bags if you forget to bring your own, but please don't let your pets do this on the trail and leave it for others to step in. Also, this is the second park where the soccer teams or spectators are leaving their empty bottles and or trash behind on the grass instead of picking up after themselves when the games are over. So as a gentle reminder, whether you're a player, parent or coach--- keep our parks picked up and clean for everyone to enjoy. It only takes a minute to do your share.

I thoroughly enjoyed my wanderings at River Bends Park, lots of options for your activities while…read morevisiting. I was on a limited time crunch today, so I stuck mostly to the main, paved trails (happily many sections of this path still ran through the woods); but there are hiking and/or biking trails branching off in many directions all throughout the property. Make sure to watch the trail signs, as some are for bikers only. River Bends is also a dog friendly park, note that they must remain on a maximum of a 6ft leash at all times. While I visited today with only my pupperoni, River Bends park is great for kids of all ages. There are a multitude of play areas for children, great to help wear out their energy. There is also a disc golf course that winds throughout the park, supplying players with beautiful nature views. You could also enjoy a BBQ on one of their charcoal grills, relax at a picnic table, or pavilions if you have a large group; nature watch on a nearby bench, our even try out a game of horseshoe. The park appeared well maintained, for the most part; although a few signs could use some repair. They have restroom facilities, and port-a-pottys available for use (although I did not enter them to speak of their cleanliness). You can find trash receptacles around every bend, so there's no excuse for lazy littering, and there is a main sign available showing you all of the trails and their difficulties. You can find this sign posted off to the side of the parking lot; which itself, had plenty of available spots. Definitely a favorite park to stop and enjoy, highly recommend.

When the weather gets nicer out river bends is the place to go for a good walk. There are trails…read moreand spots for good pictures too. The main trail leads you to this tunnel w graffiti. It's another cool spot for pictures and i go often. On top of the tunnel there are train tracks, I'm not sure where they lead to though.

Still a ways to go with this park. Pretty scenery, the fountains are nice. But having been closed…read morefor so long I expected more. Lots of dirt and unfinished paths. Not really anything specific to do except walk, so don't come looking for a playground, disc golf, boating, or anything like that.

I went here on a whim and happened to go on the day they had the Apple Festival. A super cute…read morepark with several playgrounds for kids of all ages. I had a great time walking through it, and it seems ideal for jogging or bike riding. Wished it was closer to where I lived, but would be happy to go back someday.

Normandy Oaks Park is nature sanctuary inside the urban Royal Oak…read more Inside the park, there is wide paved path loop (around 1 mile) great for walking, running, biking, and skating. Along the path were plenty of wildflowers, which made for the perfect nature walk. However, I prefer to walk in the evenings since there aren't many shaded areas along the path. Lots of green infrastructure is embedded into this park like bioswales, an underground drainage system, and a retention pond to help manage stormwater. These naturally attract lots of wildlife. During my walks, I've seen turtles, frogs, ducks, and deer. To top it all off, Normandy Oaks Park has plenty of areas for play like a fenced in splash pad, soccer fields, and climbing play structure. The splash pad is open from 9 am - 9 pm Memorial Day to Labor Day. A bonus for parents: There are plenty of picnic tables and pavilion with a drinking fountain and restrooms near by. I can't wait to come back soon!

Disappointed in Normandy Oaks. I thought we were getting a 40 acre park but we got 20 acres of park…read moreand 20 acres of vacant field. The turf around the picnic shelter & splash pad is OK, the soccer fields started out good but are now disaster due to lack of maintenance. The rest of the mowed grass areas are very poor. The rest of the park they basically just stopped mowing the golf course. I was expecting a large elaborate playlot but didn't get one. One of the smallest playlots in the city. At the bottom of the sled hill is a tree which in good sledding conditions would be close enough for kids to hit. It should be removed.

This park is the best park to walk at in the area!!! There many trail for bikes and just for…read morewalking. There beautiful ponds and lakes to look at as you walk or fish at. There also amazing playgrounds. I wouldn't recommend the beach.

Beautiful park with lots of trail options and scenic views. They have a paved loop which is great…read morewith a stroller, and more rigorous unpaved trails that go around the lake. Tons of parking, and several different play structures. Can't wait to explore more of this park!