Hhhmmmm where in Bismarck can I find a super big park to run, play, take pictures or do whatever my…read moreheart else desires? Well my fellow yelpers, the answer is Sertoma Park. This park is 98.7 acres of pure fun and nature. There 11 shelters here, each consisting of their own picnic areas, parking lot, playgrounds and restrooms. Some shelters are bigger than others, so the capacity ranges from 25-350 people. With that many shelters and playground, you are pretty much guaranteed your own play area every time you come. Some shelters have special features: Shelter #7 is the closest to the amusement park, Shelter #8 is closest to the zoo and has a eagle mural on the floor nearby, shelter #9 is closest to tennis courts and has a baseball diamond, shelter #10 (my favorite) has a bunch of sand volleyball courts and a horseshoe complex. Some other features of this parks are multiple running trails, fancy art on the floor, lots of Pokestops for Pokemon Go, very close to the Dakota Zoo (see my review for that one if you are interested) and lots of trees to provide shade. This is my favorite park in Bismarck and perfect to go running or play volleyball to destress from graduate school.

I came to Eagles Park for the Universal Playground because of a pediatrics project. This…read moreplayground is hands down, a child's dream come true. Universal Playground: On top of your normal slides and playground sets, there are also zipline bucket seats, multiple people seasaws, roll over tables, sensory wall, many unique types of swings, a big spinning cup and a mini rock climbing wall. The flooring is about 70% rubber and 30% tanbark. My descriptions do not do it justice. Probably better to see for yourself. Pretty much the main feature here. Inside Shelter: Can be reserved in advance. Bathrooms are located in here, so this might be a problem if it is rented by another party. In my opinion, it can comfortably fit about 30-40 people. There are tables and chairs inside for use. Parking: bit limited in the lot, but lots of street parking Outside shelters: There are 3 private outside shelters. 1 super big one and 2 smaller ones. Grass field: Not as big as some other parks, but big enough for a children's playground

Kids love this place! There's so much to do! This is probably the most modern playground in the…read moreMandan area. It is clean, sometimes crowded, but pretty spacious. I wish there was more shaded areas and seats for adults to sit but overall it's great! You could keep kids entertained here for over an hour.

We're visiting from Texas and came by this park and I knew the kids would love it!! There's a huge…read moreempty space we used to fly kites and then they enjoyed playing on all of the fire department themed playground equipment. This is so much different from back home and the kids loved it!!

Driving over the Missouri River on I-94 towards Bismarck, I spotted this park along the riverside…read moreand made the detour to stop. It's not exactly easy to get there but if you're living in Bismarck then that's different. Walking trails (some folks were walking their dogs), art, history and a boat ramp for launching into the River. Yes, Lewis and Clark passed through here and stopped at nearby Fort Mandan as they explored through the Louisiana Territory from St. Louis along the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, eventually reaching the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. If you're in the middle of recreating their journey, then more power to you. If not, and you're also not launching a boat into the river, then you're probably not going to be overly excited about Keelboat Park. [Review 10751 overall, 519 of 2019.]

I honestly think this place was a bit underwhelming. I had read that it was the prettiest overlook…read moreof that river, that makes me sad. I thought it was a glorified parking lot. I was disappointed.

What a gem of a park! We camped for one night (could have easily stayed longer if we'd had more…read moretime) and enjoyed fishing and the historic sites. Ranger Austin was a friendly wealth of information and my 5 yo really enjoyed wearing the buffalo head dress he brought over. Our campsite faced the Missouri, which was sweet. However, all of the campsites are pretty close together. If I were to go back, I'd opt for site 1, which faces the river and has a little more space to it as it is close to a parking lot, but not obtrusively so. Also, the bathrooms were spotless and boasted the nicest campground shower I've ever had.

For a state with an abysmal and brutal record (in fact to the present day) of encounters with…read moreindigenous Americans (oh wait, that's not very distinguishing among other states is it?) this state park does quite an excellent job of presenting a rebuilt indigenous people's village. The cultural and linguistic explanations about the native people's way of seeing and thinking is especially noteworthy. The reconstructed "earthlodges" sit on the site of an actual, large settlement of a northern plains tribe from the 1700s. If you tour this site, you'll learn about the spread of smallpox from the Spanish populations further south, up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, that weakened the entire population even before contact with the european invaders from the east. There are exhibit narratives about a tribal leader traveling to the east to meet with U.S. leaders, however, these narratives omit the brutal part of the european-native confrontation. Notably, the Whitestone massacre from the 1860s, where 300+ women and children at a big harvest camp were brutalized and killed, not too far from this exact site. (A "genocidal" action of the U.S. Army that provides historical precedent for the likes of Boko Haram.) Yes, history is told by the vanquishers, but in this case, a very dedicated woman of indigenous origin has spoken of her heritage through storytelling over many years, and her painstaking, tenacious work has paid off in the quality and insights available at this exhibit. You'll be enriched by insights into the native peoples' worldview. Additionally, I recommend a stop at the visitors center because the media there really brings alive the structures you see in the native village. The military forts at this state park are so predictable...and deceitful (because right to the present, few european americans want to admit and reconcile with the perpetration of atrocities.)

This small park close to Bismarck's "downtown" area features free parking with a picnic area and a…read morewater fountain. It's not very large, but it's a nice spot to stop and enjoy your lunch if the weather's good. The sculptures of children at play are neat and there are benches. Probably better when not buried in snow as it was today. [Review 10750 overall, 518 of 2019.]

Nice park for the playground, a small picnic area, letting your dog run, and a sweeping view.read more

I love this trail area! There are a few different paths to choose from. My favorite path is the one…read morethat runs right along the Missouri River (literally like only a couple feet away). It is well maintained and dog friendly; dog owners are doing a good job of cleaning up after their dogs. It is a super beautiful area. Overall, the trail is a good amount like over two miles (I never go fully to the end due to time, but it is far). Lastly, there's like random educational plaques placed on the trail that teach about the local area (from the waters to the birds to the types of trees). This is a pretty sweet area, one of my favorite places to wander!

Stopped here on a cross country trip to get some exercise and walked a few miles through pretty…read morecottonwood trees with a few views of the river. Traffic noise was constant from the interstate and too much trash along the way. I am afraid this is as good as it gets in this neck of the woods.

This isn't the most exciting trail. It has more of a city vibe rather than a nature vibe. If you…read morelike multiple cars passing you while you're getting your walk on, this is the park trail for you! This is a good place to leash your dog and take them on a walk. Its paved, so that's cool. It's a decent park trail, nothing stellar. I prefer walking the Missouri River Run Trail for a peaceful, nature walk.