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

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

Keene Creek Park

Keene Creek park has a playground, skate park, walking paths, basketball courts, and a large dog park all situated underneath Interstate 35 in West Duluth.
The dog park has a large fenced-in grassy area with a portion that is dirt, and a small enclosed area for dogs under 20 lbs.  There are no children under 9 allowed in the dog enclosure and the playground is a good distance away.
The creek is very shallow and rocky and kids really love standing at the edge, throwing rocks in.

There are picnic tables, benches and a grill, but no bathrooms that we saw.  There is also no fencing around anything but the dog parks and the skate park.

The playground is a sand surface with:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Monkey bars
• Digger
• Ladders/stairs
• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Bridge

Duluth Parks page

Dog park page

Franklin Tot Lot

Franklin Tot Lot is a little playground right next to the Coast Guard station and across Minnesota Ave from a swimming beach and parking lot.  The park is fenced along Minnesota Ave and has one dead end street and one street going straight to the Coast Guard on the other sides of the triangle shaped park.

The playground is a sand surface and has:

• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Ladders/stairs
• Rubber mat bridge
• Speaking tubes
• Monkey bars
• Pull-up bar
• Steering wheel
• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings

Duluth Parks page

Lafayette Park

Lafayette Park is on Minnesota Point, about 2 miles down the road after you cross the aerial lift bridge.  It has a community center, beach access, baseball field, community garden, tennis courts, and playground.  The entire square is fenced, which is good because there is a good amount of traffic on Minnesota Ave during the summer and it is right on it.  The only thing that would be better is if the entrance had a gate too.

The playground is a sand surface with a structure featuring:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• Steering wheels
• Ball maze
• Tic-tac-toe spinners
• Pull-up bar
• Track glider
• Stairs/ladders
• Bridge
• 1 double slide and 1 slide
• Fireman pole
• Digger
• Speaking tube

There is also a little plastic toddler structure off to the side in the shade of some tall trees.

Duluth Parks page

Park Point

Park Point is a beautiful park out on Minnesota Point.  You have to cross the aerial lift bridge and then drive about 4 miles down the point to get to the park, but on a hot day when you want a cold beach, it's worth it.  The beach is three miles long and the water is cold.  Be careful to watch for poison ivy along the trails to the beach and hot sand on the way down to the water.  There is a lifeguard on duty in the summer and a beach house along with volleyball, walking trails and other fun stuff.
But now for the playground!  Park Point has one of the most unique playgrounds in Duluth.  There is the regular playground structure like you will see in other locations (Chester Park), featuring a sand surface and:

• Track glider
• 2 double slides
• Spinning wheel monkey bars
• Ladders/stairs
• Rock climbing holds
• Pull-up bar
• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings

The more interesting part of the playground is a replica of a great lakes freighter made out of wood.  It's really just for kids to run around and pretend that they're on a laker, but they sure love it.  There are also two giant tires at the end, filled with sand a la a sandbox.

Duluth Parks page

Wheeler Field

Wheeler Athletic Complex is a huge area of baseball fields, tennis courts, a skate park, and a field house with bathrooms.
The playground is near the fields, so it would probably be great to have little siblings to play at while a game is going on for the big sibling.  It is also right next to the parking lot and has picnic tables nearby.  The playground has a sand surface, and as my 5 year old told me, "this is the Y park."  They're beginning to identify the identical play structures.  :)
This one has:

• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Corkscrew
• Speaking tubes
• Ladders/stairs
• Rock climbing holds
• Monkey bars
• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• Digger

Duluth Parks page

Irving Park

Irving Park is a nicely fenced park in a rather quiet area (at least when we were there).  Interstate 35 is nearby, so there is noise from that, but it is nothing like some of the parks on main streets in town.

It has a large field area for soccer, football, and basketball courts.  There are a lot of trees bordering the park and shady areas to rest.
There are a couple of benches around the playground area, which is a sand surface.  The play structure has:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Speaking tubes
• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Digger
• Stairs/ladders
• Arm pedaling crank
• Monkey bars
• Fireman pole
• Corkscrew
• Tic-tac-toe spinners

Duluth Parks page

Lilliput Park

Lilliput is really just a small neighborhood park in a grassy lot.  It is located right next to Essentia Health so there is zero parking to be found.  There is a lot right next to the playground but it is for Essentia employee parking only.  We had to walk a good block to get to the park and there wasn't much to hold the kids' attention.

There are mature trees, 4 benches, and 2 picnic tables in the grassy area.  There is also some sort of garden to the uphill side of the lot.

The playground is a sand surface with:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Ladders and stairs
• Monkey bars
• Steering wheel

Duluth Parks page

Grant Park

Grant park is a playground that we had visited right after moving to Duluth, but had completely forgotten about.  It is a really nice playground right next to Meyers-Wilkins Elementary school and has a community resource center on site.  There are soccer fields, basketball courts, and a community garden.  I did have to watch the two year old near the garden boxes since he thought it looked enticing but after that, they playground captured his attention.  The park is fenced on two sides and there is only one road nearby.  It might be a concern on school days since it appears to be the school entrance, but it was very low traffic when we visited. There are picnic tables, benches, and shade trees.  It is in full sun and we got pretty hot before 10 a.m.  I assume there are bathrooms inside the community center but there was a group using the center when we were there and I didn't want to intrude.
The playground is sand surface with some rubber mat beneath the main steps.  Some features are:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Bouncing circle to stand on
• Rock structure (no holds)
• Rock wall with holds
• 3 slides
• Speaking tubes
• Corkscrew
• Monkey bars
• Plastic ladder nets
• Ladders and stairs
• Pull up bar
• Spinning wheel to hang from
• Fireman pole
• Steering wheel

Update August 2017: the roller slide has been removed and replaced with a wavy plastic slide.  The covered corkscrew slide has been removed and replaced with a rock wall with holds.  My boys were very sad to see the roller slide gone but it's still a quiet and large park that is very pleasant to visit.

Duluth Parks page

Washington Square

Washington Square is a nice grassy area filled with trees plus a playground area, surrounded by housing.  It is right off Superior St, but the playground is on the opposite end of the square.
The playground has a sand surface and benches and picnic tables.  Some features of the playground are:

• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings
• Digger
• Tic-tac-toe
• Gears
• 3 Steering wheels
• Monkey bars
• Fireman pole
• Ladders and stairs
• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Bridge
• Pull up bar
• Speaking tubes

Duluth Parks page

Portman Park

This square is made up of a community center, hockey rinks, basketball courts, and baseball diamond in addition to the playground.  There is a hill to roll down and mature trees throughout.  There was no potty that we could see, but there may be one in the community center when it is open.
There are two areas of the playground.

A small area has a rocky/sandy surface and is closer to the road, featuring:

• 2 baby swings
• See-saw
• 2 bouncy riders

The larger area is a sand surface with:

• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Monkey bars
• Rock climbing wall
• Bridge
• Ladders and stairs
• Stepping stones
• 2 swings
• Pull up bar

Duluth Parks page