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

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