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Idlewild is an historic Reno park. I recently visited on Father's Day. My son skated and the family sat by and played in the river. Other families picnicked and bbq'd. A softball game was going on. The ice cream truck cruised through. Though older, the grounds are well maintained The trees, roses, and lawn are beautiful. I love going for a walk through the park on a Sunday morning - any time of year. The only thing that ever disappoints me is the behavior of some of the people who visit the park. I just spent a few minutes reading about the history of Idlewild. The park is about 100 years old. The first big celebration held there was the Transcontinental Highway Exposition in 1927. It celebrated two new major highways- 50 and 40. The California Building was built for the Exposition. I also learned that Idlewild used have a zoo and a fish hatchery, and the pool was initially re-routed river water and a few changing rooms. You can read more about the park's history here- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f9a737eed3094fc08a0705b627ea90c9
There's so many cool things to do here throughout the year. Such a well kept up park. Love the sensory garden so my toddler can run around and explore safely and we can picnic. And the splash pad is super nice during the hot summer. I love the food truck events and the farmers market
I saw a wood duck here the other day! Granted, I didn't know anything about wood ducks, but my friend got very excited about it, so I was happy I was there to see one in real life. This is an excellent outdoor space to enjoy the trees, the ponds, the ducks, and the trails. It's so peaceful to walk along the Truckee River, too; the sound of water is quite relaxing. There are 49 acres total at this community park, which also features a swimming pool, playgrounds, a skate park, picnic tables, bbq area, volleyball courts, baseball fields, and public restrooms. I was here early enough to witness the sunrise, too--gorgeous. This is a great space in Reno!
We spent a lot longer in this park then I intended. There is actually so much to do. I just planned on stopping here to see the Indian head carving and take my dog out for a walk but when we arrived in the morning, it was just so peaceful and lovely. We walked by the water and looked at the geese, took a stroll through the sensory garden, saw the Indian head and then spent some time in the Rose garden. There was also a children's playground, restrooms that were being cleaned and I think I even saw some tennis courts. What a great community resource and a lovely park to spend some time in.
Planned to walk along the river from Idlewild Park to downtown. That pathway is all fenced off and clearly they are busy making it even better. Went to the far side of the Park where the walkway path along the river is and equally enjoyed that walk. Nice wide pathway, homes on your left and the beauty of the river on your right. Do watch your step though as I saw several large deep holes in the path, no doubt caused by the tree roots. Know they will be filled soon but do take care.
Great park for kids! I was amazed how much fun activities they had for kids! The train is a great activity for only $3. Highly recommend!
Wonderful park in Reno.Lots of sections to the park like the picnic area or the duck pond I recommend
This park is so relaxing. I sat on the benches and just relaxed by the water. You can hear birds all around you; it's beautiful. I posted the tree that was right next to me. It was amazing just sitting under it. It doesn't matter if it's sunny or not because you can simply go under a tree. I recommend this for anyone, whether they are families or just if you want to go hang out or have a picnic with your significant other. Park is simply amazing. If you like birds and nature, this is a place to go. There were tons of birds and squirrels all around me running around. It was really awesome.
Reno's premier park, Idlewild Park was acquired in 1921 and was ready for the Transcontinental Highway Exposition held here in June 1927. Since then, it's expanded with a swimming pool, zoo, amusement park, picnic shelters, walkways and the arboretum. It's continued with other major expansions including a street food rodeo, sensory garden and baseball diamonds. I spent a good amount of time here walking on the paved paths, appreciating the lush greens and watching people playing softball. It's a beautiful park. There is a lot of shaded parking and there is no overnight parking permitted. Look out for the many speed bumps and kids running across the roadways. [Review 17725 overall - 67 in Nevada - 1246 of 2022.]
Review based on bike friendliness. 2 Stars for lack of bike friendliness. 4 Stars for the rest of the park 3 Star average. Quality/Quantity - VERY short bike path, also shared with pedestrians. Atmosphere - There is a park train also, but I did not see it. Plenty of parking. Very kid and dog friendly. Regular restrooms and outhouses depending on which parking lot you chose. They have the following amenities: Barbecue Baseball/Softball Basketball Court Exercise Court Horseshoe Court Pathway Picnic Shelter Playground Rentable Shelter Tables/Benches Tennis Court Skate Park Volleyball Water Play Toys, Pool Year-round Restrooms Rentable shelters, check website and call for pricing: Rose Garden - Capacity:100 Snowflake - Capacity: 200 Terrace - Capacity: 200 Service - See above. Price - Free, except for the pool and rentable shelters. Owner Comment - Thank you City of Reno for this park. I might come back for some of the other activities.
A year later and we're giving the "Green Monster" another shot with a kiddo who's slightly older. This time the playground was less crowded, allowing the kiddos to test healthy boundaries with this somewhat formidable playground. I was happy my son was willing to push himself a bit and try to explore the advanced tower, but as soon as he had to leave the tunnel, he got very scared. Frankly, he's totally justified too. Kids under 5 are still learning to control their gross motor movements and the large gap between the platform and tunnel is very daunting. See one tower is rated for everyone while the other is 5+. Despite that rating, there's no separation between them, and countless younger kids find their way over to the more advanced structure and freeze. All it would take is some older kids coming through to push one of the younger kids into a dangerous spot, or worse, a kiddo who is confident and just makes a mistake leading to a traumatic experience and possible injury. My son being a year older meant he could enjoy this place a bit more, but my parental instincts still set off alarms. I watched kids as young as 2 moving around the structure, and I'd hate for them to get caught in the wrong place.
A good place for hanging out and some exercise. Idlewild Park is west of Midtown Reno. Located along the Truckee River. Fun activities. There's often some food trucks. It has some interesting areas. Probably the best part is walking along the Truckee River. The path also goes past a garden with flowers and other cool looking plants, as these also have good smells. It has a playground for children and some workout equipment for adults. There's a few baseball and softball fields. It's kind of annoying to get to from downtown. Try going across the Booth Street bridge to get here. It's surrounded by mostly a residential area. There's not a whole lot going on around here so it's quiet. Best thing is walking or running along the river and getting a good look at it. It's a pretty big park. There's also lots of facilities for a lot of local sports teams.
Nice historic park in Reno. I don't think it's really a tourist spot, more like a local hangout. We stopped by bc the wife wanted to picnic at a park for a Sunday lunch, and this place fit the bill. Good thing it was only a mildly warm weekend, as Idlewild is in the middle of the city, so not exactly "in the woods." However, there are lots of trees here so they provided some shade for our time here. Parking was easy, plenty of spaces along the main road of the park, and some dedicated spots in several areas too. We discovered that one of the main attractions here is a pond, so we picnicked while we sat on the side of the pond and watched ducks do their waddle thing and just like the ones at William Land Park, these ducks were also are very comfortable with humans and they came by and tried to ask for food and watched us eat. The pond is about the same size as the Land Park one, for those who know Sactown, but it's a bit bigger, I think. It's also a man-made pond, but with fish in it and wildlife around. Besides the pond, there's a rose garden just across the main road leading into the park, and a sensory garden, as well as a play structure for kids and a little train runs through the park that you can buy tickets and ride on (best for little ones). The park is pretty well-maintained and look to be in good condition overall. Landscaping is kept up with lots of trees, flora, plants, and fields throughout. All in all, a nice park in Reno, a little oasis in the middle of the biggest little city in Nevada. read more
4 stars initially but deducted one because the playground consisted primarily of older kids who made it hard for the younger visitors to play freely. The older kids took over a lot of the play structure and were playing waay too aggressively for the littler ones. Idlewild Park is massive in size and seems to have multiple area that are reservable for whatever event you are planning to have. I noticed a skate park, the play structure we specifically stopped by for, a miniature train, and lots of paths for you to get your steps in. Bonus points for that food truck blaring Christmas melodies to let other's know they were closely. I can legit jam out to Christmas beats all year round!! I especially loved the large open grassy area where we were able to introduce the kids to a game of RED ROVER, RED ROVER. Do be advised there is plenty of duck/geese poop covering the entire park. You will also come across massive mounds of dog excrement regardless of the park providing poop bags throughout the park. read more
Idlewild is an historic Reno park. I recently visited on Father's Day. My son skated and the family sat by and played in the river. Other families picnicked and bbq'd. A softball game was going on. The ice cream truck cruised through. Though older, the grounds are well maintained The trees, roses, and lawn are beautiful. I love going for a walk through the park on a Sunday morning - any time of year. The only thing that ever disappoints me is the behavior of some of the people who visit the park. I just spent a few minutes reading about the history of Idlewild. The park is about 100 years old. The first big celebration held there was the Transcontinental Highway Exposition in 1927. It celebrated two new major highways- 50 and 40. The California Building was built for the Exposition. I also learned that Idlewild used have a zoo and a fish hatchery, and the pool was initially re-routed river water and a few changing rooms. You can read more about the park's history here- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f9a737eed3094fc08a0705b627ea90c9 read more
2 months ago
There's so many cool things to do here throughout the year. Such a well kept up park. Love the sensory garden so my toddler can run around and explore safely and we can picnic. And the splash pad is super nice during the hot summer. I love the food truck events and the farmers market read more
I saw a wood duck here the other day! Granted, I didn't know anything about wood ducks, but my friend got very excited about it, so I was happy I was there to see one in real life. This is an excellent outdoor space to enjoy the trees, the ponds, the ducks, and the trails. It's so peaceful to walk along the Truckee River, too; the sound of water is quite relaxing. There are 49 acres total at this community park, which also features a swimming pool, playgrounds, a skate park, picnic tables, bbq area, volleyball courts, baseball fields, and public restrooms. I was here early enough to witness the sunrise, too--gorgeous. This is a great space in Reno! read more
We spent a lot longer in this park then I intended. There is actually so much to do. I just planned on stopping here to see the Indian head carving and take my dog out for a walk but when we arrived in the morning, it was just so peaceful and lovely. We walked by the water and looked at the geese, took a stroll through the sensory garden, saw the Indian head and then spent some time in the Rose garden. There was also a children's playground, restrooms that were being cleaned and I think I even saw some tennis courts. What a great community resource and a lovely park to spend some time in. read more
7 months ago
Planned to walk along the river from Idlewild Park to downtown. That pathway is all fenced off and clearly they are busy making it even better. Went to the far side of the Park where the walkway path along the river is and equally enjoyed that walk. Nice wide pathway, homes on your left and the beauty of the river on your right. Do watch your step though as I saw several large deep holes in the path, no doubt caused by the tree roots. Know they will be filled soon but do take care. read more
7 months ago
Wonderful park in Reno.Lots of sections to the park like the picnic area or the duck pond I recommend read more
22 days ago
1 month ago
This park is so relaxing. I sat on the benches and just relaxed by the water. You can hear birds all around you; it's beautiful. I posted the tree that was right next to me. It was amazing just sitting under it. It doesn't matter if it's sunny or not because you can simply go under a tree. I recommend this for anyone, whether they are families or just if you want to go hang out or have a picnic with your significant other. Park is simply amazing. If you like birds and nature, this is a place to go. There were tons of birds and squirrels all around me running around. It was really awesome. read more
Reno's premier park, Idlewild Park was acquired in 1921 and was ready for the Transcontinental Highway Exposition held here in June 1927. Since then, it's expanded with a swimming pool, zoo, amusement park, picnic shelters, walkways and the arboretum. It's continued with other major expansions including a street food rodeo, sensory garden and baseball diamonds. I spent a good amount of time here walking on the paved paths, appreciating the lush greens and watching people playing softball. It's a beautiful park. There is a lot of shaded parking and there is no overnight parking permitted. Look out for the many speed bumps and kids running across the roadways. [Review 17725 overall - 67 in Nevada - 1246 of 2022.] read more
1 year ago
Review based on bike friendliness. 2 Stars for lack of bike friendliness. 4 Stars for the rest of the park 3 Star average. Quality/Quantity - VERY short bike path, also shared with pedestrians. Atmosphere - There is a park train also, but I did not see it. Plenty of parking. Very kid and dog friendly. Regular restrooms and outhouses depending on which parking lot you chose. They have the following amenities: Barbecue Baseball/Softball Basketball Court Exercise Court Horseshoe Court Pathway Picnic Shelter Playground Rentable Shelter Tables/Benches Tennis Court Skate Park Volleyball Water Play Toys, Pool Year-round Restrooms Rentable shelters, check website and call for pricing: Rose Garden - Capacity:100 Snowflake - Capacity: 200 Terrace - Capacity: 200 Service - See above. Price - Free, except for the pool and rentable shelters. Owner Comment - Thank you City of Reno for this park. I might come back for some of the other activities. read more
5 years ago
A year later and we're giving the "Green Monster" another shot with a kiddo who's slightly older. This time the playground was less crowded, allowing the kiddos to test healthy boundaries with this somewhat formidable playground. I was happy my son was willing to push himself a bit and try to explore the advanced tower, but as soon as he had to leave the tunnel, he got very scared. Frankly, he's totally justified too. Kids under 5 are still learning to control their gross motor movements and the large gap between the platform and tunnel is very daunting. See one tower is rated for everyone while the other is 5+. Despite that rating, there's no separation between them, and countless younger kids find their way over to the more advanced structure and freeze. All it would take is some older kids coming through to push one of the younger kids into a dangerous spot, or worse, a kiddo who is confident and just makes a mistake leading to a traumatic experience and possible injury. My son being a year older meant he could enjoy this place a bit more, but my parental instincts still set off alarms. I watched kids as young as 2 moving around the structure, and I'd hate for them to get caught in the wrong place. read more
A good place for hanging out and some exercise. Idlewild Park is west of Midtown Reno. Located along the Truckee River. Fun activities. There's often some food trucks. It has some interesting areas. Probably the best part is walking along the Truckee River. The path also goes past a garden with flowers and other cool looking plants, as these also have good smells. It has a playground for children and some workout equipment for adults. There's a few baseball and softball fields. It's kind of annoying to get to from downtown. Try going across the Booth Street bridge to get here. It's surrounded by mostly a residential area. There's not a whole lot going on around here so it's quiet. Best thing is walking or running along the river and getting a good look at it. It's a pretty big park. There's also lots of facilities for a lot of local sports teams. read more
Summer Camp, river walks, trains, two playgrounds, a pond, ball fields and tons of other stuff to do here. The lion park has always been a favorite of the kids but the green park has taken over as their favorite. It s a huge play structure with zip lines and awesome merry go round. 10 out of 10, highly recommend. read more
5 years ago
Can't say enough good things about Idewild! There's so much to do here. It's a sprawling park located right on the Truckee River, so there is always an opportunity to hang out by the water, wade in and splash around, or just enjoy the peaceful trickle. There are a few playgrounds here, all of which have their own charm. There's a newer one that features some really cool climbing structures and a couple of zipline-style swings that the kids (and parents) LOVE! Another playground has been there for decades and serves as a quiet little oasis in the middle of the park. I also appreciate the abundance of restrooms around here. No need to duck behind a riverside bush! I have found the park and trails through the area to be very well maintained and clean. There are a ton of trash cans and everyone that passes through here does a great job of cleaning up after themselves. Squirrel sightings are a guarantee around here. There's also some really cool duck families and geese that are quick to hiss if you have lunch that you're not sharing! Idewild is, of course, home to Food Truck Friday, but the occasional event will show up here like Earth Day and Safe Halloween. If none of that strikes your fancy, there's also a swimming pool, rose garden, ballpark, fishing pond, bike path, and so much more! Idewild is Reno's ultimate multipurpose park, a perfect day for any age! read more
2 years ago
Idlewild Park is located along the Truckee River in Reno. The park has a lot of good, and some bad. Here is some of the bad. The park can be a hub for the homeless. I have seen several homeless people camping out, especially in the summer. But Reno PD is great about clearing them out. In the evening I have seen shady characters hanging out in the parking lots. Once again, I am thankful Reno PD is aware of this. Idlewild Park is the home of Food Truck Fridays. I would recommend giving it a try, but it gets very busy. There is a whole section of the park dedicated to roses. It's very pretty here. There is a sensory garden where veggies and fruits are grown. There is a man made lake with plenty of ducks and geese. There is a very nice walking path along the river. It's very scenic and very nice. Overall the park is mostly clean. There are tons of picnic tables and covered eating areas. There are several bathrooms scattered throughout this large park. There are several parking lots at this park. There are two playgrounds at this park. Playground 1 will be called the Jungle Playground, because it's jungle themed. The jungle playground has a playground for infants, a playground for toddlers, a playground for bigger kids, and a workout area for adults. There are two sets of big kid swings at this playground. There are toddler swings at this playground. There are several slides and structures to play on. Wood chips are underneath this playground. There is a covered eating area here. There are also several other picnic tables under matured trees. There is a bathroom right next to the playground. The second playground I will call the green playground. The green playground was built a few years ago. It is a massive upgrade to what was there before. The climbing structures are really cool. There are zip lines at this playground. They appear to be very fun. Rubber pieces are underneath the zip lines but the rest of the playground has a soft padding underneath. This playground has a gate around it. There is a bathroom located next to the playground. There is a police officers memorial at the park. It's very nice and well done. Have fun out there. - Dadzone read more
1 year ago
Every city should have a beautiful multi-use park like this one. The park is maintained well. The weakest feature of this park is that there is not a great place to ride bicycles. The gardens are a perfect place to unwind. It was cool when they did fireworks in the park on 4th of July. read more
2 years ago
Best skatepark in Reno. Huge bowl and a great half pipe section with a rail. Snowboard Jump in the middle of the Park read more
2 years ago
Last Fall, I decided to take a walk at Idlewild Park. There was a group there cleaning up the leaves and branches, so it was a busy place. But there was still lots to enjoy. There is a Sensory Garden to feel, smell, and see certain plants. Walking along the river is relaxing and beautiful! read more
7 years ago
Last Friday night I wanted to try the Friday Food Truck event at the park. It was impressive 20 different food trucks, cool. The first one we saw was called; "Egg Rolls with a Twist " and it was really interesting. They had a Monte Christo which is a deep fried sandwich that has turkey and ham on the inside. It's incredibly decadent and yummy. I have had a few sandwiches in my day but have never seen it like this, very inventive! It's served with a side of jam which sounds funny but it's amazing! You dip it into the strawberry jam. I was very impressed with this because the jam was a purée which is delightful for dipping. They had a bunch of different ones, but the next one I will try is the Rueben This is also a favorite of mine... The next truck we tried had a pulled pork sandwich. It had a very flaky, fresh bun. I really liked the BBQ sauce. I also sampled the freshly squeezed lemonade. Yummy! It was a great park. The best plan is to bring a blanket and chill out on the lawn. Bring wet wipes for sticky fingers!! There are a few tables around but definitely not enough. Bring a cooler with your fav beverages. We spent $45 for 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks for your FYI. There was many different types of trucks: BBQ, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Burgers, Beer, Lemonade, Donuts, and Crepes. It runs every Friday evening from 4-9 all summer. We went right at 4 and it was packed and hard to find parking. read more
I've always loved the vast area Idlewild Park covers--from the kids playground to the rose garden, then to the pond and around to the skatepark, and then making your way full-circle to the baseball fields. Let's not forget the walking/biking path that runs along the Truckee River and of course, it's worth mentioning Food Truck Fridays are held here annually. Yesterday I enjoyed Idlewild Park as it hosted its annual Earth Day celebration. I was pretty impressed with how many more tents and booths were set up this year as well as the event seemed to cover more of the park than usual. So many local booths discussing ways to conserve, recycle, and renew etc. There was a decent sized section of food being offered with a variety of different cuisines ranging from American fare, Asian plates, desserts and coffee, and even vegan/vegetarian options. While enjoying all the good vibes, there was live music to bop your head to either just walking around or taking a break and popping a squat on the grass to eat and take in the tunes. After all the stimulation, I decompressed just feet away right at the Truckee River, where I took these pics. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
6 years ago
Review #128 - 2020 Since it was 102° out, I decided to take the girls out to find a nice park with plenty of shades & a nearby river. My Yelp search turned out to be pretty helpful, but Apple Maps steered me wrong again. We showed up at around 5 PM on Saturday, July 4th. We parked across the street from McKinley Arts & Culture Center & I needed to use the bathroom pretty badly. I was hoping that I would able to use the bathroom at McKinley, but it was closed. Just my luck! So, we try to make our way over to Idlewild, but little did I realize we were parked at least a mile away so my bladder was killing me during this tiresome walk in the heat. Luckily, we were able to ask some people for help on where to find the exact location of the restroom & I didn't need to find a bush. The bathroom wasn't all that clean, but it was good enough in time of crisis! There was a kids's playground right next to the bathroom, which my daughter wanted to go on; but it was so hot & I didn't want her to burn herself on the slides so we decided to walk back toward my car, where they could actually play in the water. The girls had so much fun playing in the nice, cold water for about an hour before it started getting cold & I made them dry up so we could go get some ice cream & they didn't complain at all about having to leave. Sadly, I didn't get too many pictures of the park areas, since I was in such a hurry to find the bathroom. But, I did get some nice pictures of the river area where the girls were playing at. read more
8 years ago
I feel so lucky that here in Reno we have a park for every occasion. For many years I have come to Idlewild for a variety of reasons. When I used to live close I would rollerblade along the river path. Years later, I found myself there on Friday nights gathered with friends dining from a food truck. As of late I have found myself there for softball practice for an upcoming season. Parking and navigation can be a challenge but once you understand the layout you can quickly find a parking spot near your desired location. The grounds are maintained well typically but the softball/baseball fields leave a lot to be desired. The fields are pitted in the outfield and the dirt and have no shading over the dugouts. That might be fine for spring softball but for summer it's brutal. thankfully the games are mostly evenings but practices are brutal. Aside from heading there for softball, this park checks all the boxes. Beautiful views. Reasonable amount of parking. Located in a convienent and accessible spot. Variation of things to do - skatepark, river path, pool, etc. read more
I have live in Reno all my life so I grew up with this park. It has always been a favorite of mine to go to as a child. The children's play area has one of the biggest playground area for the kids. They have a sectioned off part for a child's birthday party with picnic tables too. In the summer time they have a little train that goes around the park that you can purchase tickets for. If you are just looking for a nice little walk they have a great rose garden with so many beautiful roses. I love to go and practice my photography on all the flowers there. If you are looking for a little exercise check out the crooked mile. It is a nice paves path that takes you along the river and is such a pretty walk. So if you are looking for a place to take the kids, and the furry kids, or just looking to walk than you will be pleased with this park. In the summer months several events take place at this park too including Food Truck Friday and Earth Day. read more
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2055 Idlewild Dr
Reno, NV 89509
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