Our favorites of 2016

The most asked question about this project is, "so what are your top five parks?"  This question has slightly different answers depending on who you ask.  The big boys (ages 7 and 5) and I went through our pictures to refresh our memories and we actually agree on most of our favorites with a couple exceptions.  The boys are more drawn to unique parks with lots of fun opportunities to climb.  My list is similar but I also consider ease of containing toddler and older kids all in one visible area.  With that in mind, here are our favorites, or as I told the boys, "the parks that every kid in Duluth should visit."

Boys' Favorites:

• Central Hillside
• They liked this park for its "spiderweb" with all of its different materials, and the "turny thing," a circle at an angle that spins when you walk on it.
• Grant
• They enjoyed the rock to climb and the roller slide the most.
• Blackmer
• The favorites here were the monkey bars and bridge, and the path down to the river.
• Hartley
• The river wins hands down at this playground.  All three boys love it.
• Lincoln
• The natural features of this park win the boys over.  They love the big climbing rock, the creek, and all the bridges over it.
• Morgan
• The big kid park is their favorite at this location.  Specifically, the slides and the rock wall.
• Park Point
• They love the ore boat and giant sandbox tires here.
• Playfront
• The ropes for climbing and the xwave are very popular here.

Mama Favorites:

My list only differs from the boys' slightly.  And I like the parks for different reasons.  Central Hillside and Lincoln don't make my list, and I'm adding Washington Square to mine.  On their list I do like,

Grant: I like how open the park is and not nearby any busy roads.  It is near a school, a community center, and residential area, and one side is filled with fields.  None of the structures here scare me too much and I can see all of the park at once.

Blackmer:  I like the shade here!  Many of Duluth's parks are in full sun, which is great for spring and fall, but in the heat of summer, some shade is great.  Again, there are only houses on one side and the rest of the park is fields and trees.  The river is far enough down the path that I don't worry about a kid escaping before I can catch them.  I wasn't happy about broken glass on the path, but it wasn't enough to make me dislike the park.

Hartley: Once again, I love that this area is enclosed.  I can sit down in one spot and see the kids wherever they choose to play.  I love the river feature and that I can let them play in flowing water without worrying that a current is going to sweep them away.  It is also a nicely shaded area (or it was before the storm; it has been closed since so I don't know the damage),

Morgan: I like this park for its wide range of age appeal.  The typical playground was a hit with the 2 year old and the 5 and 7 year olds adored the area with monkey bars, rock walls, and other big kid features.

Playfront: I like this park for its central location, the pavilion right in the middle, walking paths, and once again, appeal to a wide age range.  2 loves the ship, 5 & 7 love all the climbing structures.

I'm adding Washington Square to the list.  It's at a nice location in Lakeside and we almost always run into a friend there.  The sand is clean, the park is clean, there's a big field to run in, and I can see all of the park from a bench.

Piedmont Heights Park

Piedmont Heights is more hockey area than playground, and the parking is a bit confusing.  We followed directions that took us on 23rd street, but that ended at the warming building and was still a decent walk to the playground.  There does appear to be a gravel lot on the other side of the park, at the end of Pineview Ave.  There is also a baseball field on the far end of the park, and there is a porta-potty next to the playground.

The playground is a sand surface, fairly overrun with grass.  The play structures are:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• Tilting ladder that kids can climb up and wobble on
• Ladders/stairs
• Bridge
• Monkey bars made of hard plastic ropes
• Steering wheel
• Fireman pole
• Slide

Duluth Parks page

Munger Park

Munger is a neighborhood playground in the East Hillside.  It is located next to a church and is tucked into a hill so it's nearly hidden from the road.  There are no swings, just a play structure and a small field, but it should be easy to keep a soccer ball within the confines of the park thanks to the land, buildings, and fencing.

The surface of the playground is sand and the structure has:

• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Ladders/stairs
• Monkey bars
• Steering wheel

Duluth Parks page

Harrison Park

Harrison Park is a nice square in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.  The street facing the playground is busy and there is a bus stop right in front, but there is also a fence to prevent kids from running into traffic.  The fence has three openings including one right at the front, which would really be much better if it had a gate of some sort.  There is a community center, picnic tables, benches, basketball court, tennis courts, and a rubber-surface baseball field called Miracle Field.  I did not notice nets on the tennis courts, but I may have just missed them.  There is also a porta-potty, but I was told there was a wasp inside.  haha

The playground has a rubber chip surface and two distinct areas.  The first has:

• 2 diggers
• Speaking tube
• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Ladders/stairs
• Slide
• Steering wheel
• Gears

The second area (bigger kids) has:

• Monkey bars
• Ladders/stairs
• Fireman pole
• Bridge
• Steering wheel
• Covered slide
• Double slide
• Rock climbing holds
• Ball maze

Duluth Parks page

Merritt Park

Merritt Park is a neighborhood square with community center, hockey rink, baseball field, basketball court, and playground.  I believe this is technically in the Denfeld neighborhood and the surrounding streets are busier than some parks.
The playground is a sand surface with a rubber mat surface leading up to the accessible swing.
Other features include:

• 1 baby swing
• 2 swings
• 1 accessible swing
• 1 double slide and 1 slide
• Speaking tubes
• Ladders/stairs
• Monkey bars
• Rubber flap bridge
• Pull-up bar
• Track glider
• Balance beam

Duluth Parks page

Norton Park

Norton Park is tucked in on a dead end street in the Norton Park neighborhood of West Duluth.  There is a community center and baseball field, basketball court, picnic table, and large trees to one side.

The playground has a coarse sand surface (almost like gravel is mixed in) and:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• 2 bouncy riders
• See-saw
• Ladders (NO stairs, but my two year old could make it up one of the ladders)
• Monkey bars
• Double slide
• Swirly slide
• Tunnel
• Corkscrew
• Fireman pole

Duluth Parks page

Morningside Park

Morningside Park, also known as Rose Park/Rose Field is another park that barely qualifies as a playground.  It is a soccer field very popular with the local soccer club, and there is also a worn down basketball court, and this small swing structure.  The playground is a sand surface with:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings

Duluth Parks page

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach/Kitchi Gammi park is a favorite swimming spot at the far east end of Duluth.  It really isn't much of a playground (it is fantastic for walking, swimming, pokemon go stops ;), etc. but it does also have a little tiny park.  Don't go expecting a playground to entertain the kids; the rocks and water do that.  

There are:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Pavilion
• Porta potties

Duluth Parks page

Morgan Park

Morgan Park might be a favorite for bigger kiddos, but there is also a typical playground set for younger children too.

The park itself is a large area that features a community center, hockey rinks, basketball courts, disc golf, and volleyball court.  There are gazebos and benches along the playground areas.

The smaller playground has a sand surface and:

• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Corkscrew
• Digger
• Tic-tac-toe
• Speaking tube
• Stairs and ladders
• "Serving area" (my kids always pretend these are ice cream shops)
• Ball maze
• 3 baby swings
• 1 accessible swing

The other area is directly across the street from the Morgan Park Middle School and has structures designed for about that age.

The surface is wood chips and some of the items I can describe (haha!) are:

• Rock wall
• Monkey bars
• Climbing hold wall
• Stepping stones
• Track glider
• 4 swings
• All sorts of slide-like surfaces and climbing/spinning/hanging items

Duluth Parks page

Blackmer Park

Blackmer Park is pleasantly shaded by large trees, right off the St Louis River in Morgan Park.  There is a softball field nearby and a path that leads to train tracks and the river.  On the day we visited, there was a lot of broken glass at the beginning of the path but as you moved toward the river, there was none.

The playground is a sand surface and has:

• Monkey bars
• Pull-up bar
• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Speaking tube
• Digger
• Rubber flap bridge
• Tic-tac-toe
• Ball maze
• Steering wheel
• Balance beam
• Track glider
• 2 swings
• 2 very low baby swings

Duluth Parks page

Riverside Park

Riverside park is nestled into a neighborhood in far west Duluth and has a playground next to a very large field and some sort of community center building.  All doors were locked.  The park has a baseball field, basketball hoop in the parking lot, and it appears to connect to some local trails.  There is no shade near the playground so on a summer day, it gets hot.

The playground has a sand surface and features: 

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• Speaking tubes
• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Monkey bars
• Chain/foot climbing holds wall
• Bridge
• Steering wheel
• Fireman pole
• Stairs/ladders
• Ball maze

Duluth Parks page

Fairmont Park

Fairmont Park is located right outside the Lake Superior Zoo, but it is a public park with no admission charge.  There are walking paths and a little grove of trees, and you can hear a river bubbling by.  There is a bathroom building and picnic tables.

The surface is a bit unkempt, mixing sand, grass, and weeds.  When we visited, the grass you had to cross to get from the parking lot to the playground was water logged and it was hard to not get muddy.

Fairmont has:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• 3 steering wheels
• Pull-up bar
• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Fireman pole
• Bridge
• Speaking tube
• Ladders and stairs
• Monkey bars
• Tic-tac-toe
• Ball maze
• Digger

Duluth Parks page

Washington Center Playground

Washington Center is a Community Center in downtown Duluth.  The grounds have a nice view, a community garden, parking lot, and playground.  There is fencing on two sides facing the streets.  There are benches and a picnic table.

The surface is wood chips.  This park did have some trash on the ground, despite nearby garbage cans.

Features include:

• 1 slide
• Monkey bars
• Spinning screw
• Corkscrew
• Pull-up bar
• Twisted ladder
• Stairs

Duluth Parks page