A Beautiful Return to a Place Full of Nature and History…read more Both my wife and I had visited this spot before when we lived in the area, so with a little time to spare before lunch nearby, we decided to revisit it with her son and daughter-in-law. Nestled on a forested butte just east of the University of Oregon in Eugene, this area is absolutely stunning. The rhododendron garden is especially beautiful, offering a peaceful and scenic escape that feels tucked away from the city. Beyond its natural beauty, the area is steeped in history. One of the most notable connections is to Steve Prefontaine--a legendary runner and seven-time NCAA champion for Oregon. He trained in and around Hendricks Park and tragically passed away in a car accident on a winding road just below the park. His legacy lives on not only in the running world but also in the early success of Nike, where he became the brand's first sponsored athlete and helped elevate it to global prominence. Whether you're a nature lover, a history buff, or just looking for a quiet place to explore, this area is well worth a visit.

Hendricks Park is one of those places that I knew was around town, but never visited until after I…read moremoved away and came back to visit. I grew up in the Cal Young area or Santa Clara, so I wasn't very often in this part of town and though Eugene isn't a huge city, you can easily not hit other areas of town. Hendricks Park is the oldest park in the city. It's mostly known as a rhododendron garden, but it has native plants as well. There are trails throughout for you to explore the place. It's really peaceful and beautiful when the weather is nice, and you'll forget you're in the city.

Every trip, we try to go on a few hikes and this year one we chose was Skinner's Butte in Eugene…read more It's easy to get to with plenty of free parking in the parks surrounding it. There are easy walking paths and multiple trails going up and down different sides. It was a cloudy day, but pleasant for walking. At the top are different lookout points with benches, picnic tables, etc., perfect for great views as you explore the area. The most fun part was the natural climbing wall on the one side. It has its own dedicated lot as well. Portions are closed, but most have permanent fixture points for climbing rope. Definitely a fun free activity if you're into climbing. This is a great free and active activity on your next trip here.

Great experience I visited this place its like a adventure jungle and we can go with partner family…read moreand friends

There was no way we were coming to Tracktown and not going for a run. Of course, in my dreams it…read morewould have been in Hayward Field but I'm not a track star (that's my son). I'm a distance runner so outdoor on a gorgeous trail suits me perfectly! I knew I wanted to hit Pre's Trail and now I wish we'd gone more than once. This was such a lovely loop, I could have easily done it 3-4x. The longest distance is 4 miles. If you're a marathoner one loop isn't going to cut it for a majority of your needs but it's really nice out here. The trees were all changing colors, we spotted some gorgeous birds and I LOVE birds. It made my entire morning and I'm glad I got to experience it with my bestie. I've been cycling 300+ miles a week lately and it really felt good to get out of the saddle and move my legs in a different way. It's almost marathon training time for me, so getting out on Pre's Trail helped jump start my transition into incorporating my running back into my daily routine. If I lived nearby I'd be here daily for walks and runs. Beautiful park.

First time visiting Alton Baker Park. I went this morning and it was empty with few people here…read more Lots of parking and picnic areas. The ponds are so cute! I love the structure of the bridge and the galaxy themed park. Very clean and walkable. Dog friendly with a large field. Dog park at the end by the native plant nursery by the duck stadium.

Beautiful rose garden. Found out that it's a memorial. We went in the night 8pm (still daylight)…read moreBeautiful.... Be careful as there was a man following me. My husband noticed. I was videoing and taking pics. Husband was a little ahead. It cut our trip short. Beautiful garden for sure. Just be mindful of the sketchy people that could be lurking.

Yes, just go. Summer and Spring and Fall, they all have their beautiful flowers. Right now the…read moreroses have peaked but are still pretty. Some super interesting other flowers are out like a artichoke thistle. Cool! Plenty of parking and shade and it was perfect for my elderly mom to take a short walk/stroll

Skinner (not Skinner's) Butte Park is the the location of the homestead of Eugene's founder, named…read moreEugene Skinner, and is one of the city's oldest parks. It's a large park right on the banks of the Willamette River and offers a variety of activities. There's the playground, RiverView Discovery Village, which is fairly large and has some pretty cool. It has various structures for kids to play on and around, representing storefronts, a stagecoach, and so on. There's the typical slides and swings and stuff that you'll find at a playground as well. They also have a "splash pad", which is a circular pipe sticking out of the ground about 10 feet, but it does spray so I guess it's something. The park fronts the river, and although the playground is not immediately on the bank of the river it's close enough that you'll want to keep a close watch on your children (every year there are tragedies along the Willamette). There is no fencing or anything around the playground, which seems like a no-brainer in this location but I guess not, and that's why I give the three-star rating instead of four. It's just a really nerve-wracking park especially for parents of small children. There could be more picnic tables around the playground... there's at least three, but that may be it. There's lots of green space for folks to spread out on the grass as well, which several people were doing whilst we were here celebrating my daughter's birthday. There was a drum circle that showed up about 20 minutes before we left as well and that was kinda cool. Part of the general park area are the Columns, remnants of a basalt quarry that existed for a few decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a pretty popular spot for rock climbing. It's a short distance from the playground area. I went with a class as a middle schooler and was not too keen on climbing myself. Then there's the titular Butte, which one can hike to the top or drive. I've never hiked up myself, but the drive is sometimes closed to traffic when fires are a concern. There are biking trails, a community garden, and the Campbell Senior Center is on the eastern edge of the park as well. There are bathrooms here, and although I didn't go into them my sister and friend did and apparently they're kinda weird--no doors on the stalls. I suppose that must be some sort of safety measure? It's fairly odd, regardless. There's a fairly decent sized parking lot to the east of the playground as well, and parking along the southern end of the park (at the base of the Butte).

It's always a nice time at Skinner's Butte Park no matter what time of year it is. A little colder…read moreon the path by the river, but still a breath of fresh air!

I drive by on W. 1st all the time and would have never known this park was located just a few…read moreblocks away, had it not been for a recent afternoon where I was carting my daughter around with me everywhere on errands and felt like she needed to get some wiggles out! So, I searched for a nearby park and found Sladden. This is a great park with newer playground equipment, a big open field, what looked like a basketball court (?) in the far corner, lots of bench and table seating, and restrooms. Big trees provide some nice shade as well. Will definitely be coming back!

Sladden is terrific, one of the best parks in town.  Few know of it…read more ​ It rests on four acres in the heart of the Rose Garden district just north of Whiteaker and is shaded by a majestic grove of old Douglas firs.  It's restful, covered and offers this:​ ​ -picnic table seating for about fifty​ -a children's playground​ -a tennis court​ -a basketball court​ -frisbee golf course​​ -restrooms with fountain​ -plenty of room to stretch out​ ​ It's half a block fom Maurie Jacobs Park/the Willamette River and a long block fom Eugene's Owen Rose Garden.​ ​ Terrific place for a summer potluck for just you and a few friends or an entire family reunion.​

This is such a cute little park! I love that it's nestled into a quiet neighborhood…read more My husband and I love to take walks from our house to this park. It's not terribly far, but it's fun to get out and just enjoy the neighborhood. Neighbor's are always friendly, waving at us as we walk by, even saying hi. The park itself is pretty tiny, nothing really exciting about it. But if you're looking for a small park that's quiet, it's perfect. We've taken picnic items and just relaxed in the grass and shade to have a nice lunch. We've gone to Subway nearby and picked up sandwiches that we stop to eat in the park. Every once in a while it's fun to indulge our inner 5-year old selves by going down the slide or hanging from the monkey bars. It's an evening destination for us when it's cool for a great walk. I've been coming here for years, and will definitely return. I love that it's close enough to my house to walk to, get some good exercise, and just enjoy a relaxing outing.

Playground is up to date and maintained. Any stand irresponsible dog owners who allow they dogs to…read morepoop in a child's playground and then not even pick it up...this is a gated playground so the pet owner had to let the dog inside instead of letting it out in the open space. So parents and children beware.

Good local neighborhood park. Two separate play structures (2-5 yr and 5+) Swings, Sandbox, Benches…read moreand a few picnic tables. The only downsides are there are no restrooms and the swings are a bit too low to the ground. My 5 year olds feet kept dragging on the ground as she was swinging. Overall, nice clean park we'll visit again.

Eugene has great parks but this is definitely a classic…read more For those in the basketball community this used to be the best park to catch a pickup game any day of the week in the summer. It rivaled the Bean courts and Underbridge as the place to play in town outside. Those who play here simply call it U.P. All the highschool and college players would come down here to play on the modest court that was small enough to run 4 on 4 fullcourt. Halfcourt shots were well within range of some of the guys who filled it up regularly. The wait could be long and would stretch as deep as six games on a good afternoon. But half the fun was hanging out with all the other ballers and watch the sunbathers out in the grass. Sadly, the old wood backboard is gone, replaced sometime in the early 2000's by a ridiculous single stantion, double rimmed metal behemoth. The games aren't as good anymore but you can still catch a game here if you're lucky. Usually just some out of town UO kids or nostalgic South cats. Good luck, and keep running those games.

University Park is a great neighborhood place to take your kids, dogs or even just yourself for…read moresome time outside. They have a playground for kids, basket ball court, large grass area with picnic tables, bathrooms and a baseball field. I always see many different types and ages of people enjoying outdoor activities here and it's located close to Sundance in case you need to grab a snack. There are trees to sit under on hot days and plenty of grass to lay out on. The bathrooms always surprise me that they don't have doors on the stalls! That's definitely something I've had to get used to living in Eugene because I've noticed this as multiple parks. This park is accessible by bus and has a bus stop very close to it. People do a good job of keeping this Park clean and I hope it stays that way. I'm pretty sure some events go on here during the summer but not positive which ones.

This is my favorite place to go roller skating during the day! I especially love going in the…read morespringtime to see the baby ducks. There's also a playground here if you have kiddos, and it's a great place to take dogs for a walk. Everyone is always pretty respectful when it comes to sharing the path too. I do have to agree this is not the safest place to be after the sun sets.

This park is one of the few easily- accessible places to take kids safely wading in the Willamette…read more Many other spots are narrow enough that a few seconds of a kid chasing a beach ball without paying much attention (as kids tend to do) will take them from the shore into deadly fast waters, but here you get a good 20-40 feet of usable wading water depending on the time of year. Like other riverfront parks in the area it has big grassy areas to lay about on, pull-up bars, a path, and bridges to cross the river with.