My kids love going to this playground! It's huge and I like that there's a lot for kids of all ages…read moreto do. The covered picnic table pavilion is awesome so if it's raining or too sunny we can have some shelter. There's a bathroom (not open yet, but hopefully soon!). Also I like that there are only two entrances to get into the playground area, and they're both way from the street. This makes me feel like my kids are more guarded. My negative is there are some sketchy people that do come out to just hang around here, and lots of people smoking around the playground.

This park is LOVELY ! My kids love it there !!! I love how all the parents that come there are so…read morefriendly and so clean also after the emails. Wonderful park !

This 1.5 acre park is right across the street from a grocery store so you'll be able to pick up…read moreyour picnic supplies right then and there. The park has a grill and a playground that's designed for 3-5 year olds. Lots of trees and some open area. The boulder in the corner used to have a plaque mentioning that the park was dedicated to a Union Civil War Veteran's organization, the Grand Army of the Republic. The plaque seems to have been removed. The parking lot seems to have plenty of room, but I'm not sure if you're allowed to park there and go across the street. [Review 11227 overall, 1003 of 2019.]

The Vine Neighborhood has a few parks tucked away and Dutton Park is one of them. This is a simple…read moreand cute park off of Dutton Street. The Park has a small playground, some trees for shade, and 3 benches sitting along the park path. It's also worth mentioning that, beside the entrances, the park is entirely fenced in. I love walking my dog along Dutton and through the park to explore.

Best park! I love that this year there are lifeguards (or maybe that was normal and I've never…read morenoticed?). Nice sand, a nice area to swim before you run into boats and you can borrow life vests. I like the flag warning system as well. The lifeguards were moving around swiftly to change them when the weather turned quickly which was nice. Bathrooms near the splash pad and a spot to buy food and ice cream is a nice touch. Also, if the kids tire of the water, there's a playground in the sand near the sidewalk. Perfect!

South Beach was just ok for us. The beach itself is nice and spacious, so it never felt…read moreovercrowded, which we appreciated. There was quite a bit of seaweed near the pier though, and that made the water less enjoyable than we were hoping. Safety is obviously important, and I completely understand the rules around rip currents and only allowing Coast Guard-approved flotation devices. My only suggestion would be to do a better job communicating that before people get into the water. A sign near the parking lot or beach entrance explaining the current conditions and flotation rules would've been really helpful. We didn't find out until we were already in the water, and it would've saved some frustration. One thing I did really like was the little beach shop and cafe. They were both super cute and made it easy to grab a snack or pick up anything you forgot, which was a nice touch. The staff clearly cared about keeping everyone safe, which I appreciate, but it also made us feel like we were being watched the whole time instead of being able to relax. We ended up heading over to the splash pad.

Want a quiet, peaceful beach on Lake Michigan? One that has picnic tables, a ramped deck on top of…read morethe dune (thank you, city of South Haven, for providing handicap accessibility), and best of all in this town, a restroom with changing areas that stays open past dusk? Enter Packard Park - it's 2 parks north of North Beach, is free, and is the quietest beach in town. You'll head down a short dune and then find the big lake. People bring chairs or towels. The entrance to the water is sandy, and the bottom is firmer than that of South Beach, by the pier. You can see the pier in the distance, just south. Up by the parking lot, you'll see several picnic tables, a grill, and a restroom. The women's has two toilet stalls and two changing stalls - WITH DOORS! thank you. The park is open until 10. Often, when we swim at dusk, we get out of the water too late to change in the North or South Beach bathrooms. NO worries of that here. No lifeguard. Plenty of parking, and a grassy area for kids to run around on if you're cooking dinner before (or after) swimming.

The park itself does not offer much. It has little shade but it does offer sunset views and…read morebenches. There are plenty of other viewing spots at the neighboring beaches.

It really is such a shame that this park doesn't have a beach. We are super fortunate to live on…read moreone of the Portage lakes and have access all the time, but between West, Austin, and Long Lake's parks only Long Lake has a beach (at Ramona Park). Nonetheless, this park has incredible views and offers decent fishing opportunities off of two extended docks, one of which features a large covered gazebo with benches. The playground area here looks legit, and my partner and I always enjoy stopping for a break here when we do a 9-mile cycling route that basically wraps around Austin Lake plus an extra mile each way to access the route from where we live. As with Long Lake, the boat launch is at a completely separate location from the park. Unlike Ramona Park, there is no charge to park at Lakeside Park. We are super excited at the prospect of all the cycling routes in the Vicksburg and Portage area connecting soon. Work got underway on connecting the Vicksburg path into Portage early last year but was halted due to the pandemic. So happy to have a little bit of spring-like weather this week to get out and celebrate all the wonderful natural spaces in our community.

Thanks to our friends, we had a chance to see and enjoy this park…read more The park has great view to the lake with two decks on each side. We saw some folks fishing while we were there. There's also a small trail where you can exercise too. Don't worry, there are a couple of picnic areas for you and your family to bbq and enjoy the serenity of the beautiful lake. The parking lot has lights so when you leave the park at sunset, you won't be walking in the dark to your car.

Nice large and clean park, especially for this size of town. This is more of a nature park so there…read morearen't any large fields for organized sports, but there are plenty of small grassy fields for picnics, and the stream that runs through it looks like a nice place for kids to dip their lines in for a fish or two. There are also a couple of basket ball hoops, horseshoe pits, swings, and a skate park to keep the kids entertained as well as a nice paved path to have a leisurely stroll down. Just be warned that the bathrooms are closed if any of the little ones have an emergency.

Nice little dog friendly beach for our pups first time at the beach! There were plenty of places to…read morepark but we got there pretty early. Short walk to the beach. It was a pretty small area and pretty packed but it was a holiday weekend when we went. Wasn't the most clean/pristine beach but we didn't expect that for a dog friendly beach. There were bathrooms up near the parking lot. Kind of a mixed sand rock beach but mostly sand. When we left, the parking lot was packed and people were lining the street, so I'd say go early if you want a parking spot.

One of the top highlights of our week stay in South Haven. This small secluded nature preserve has…read morea modest rocky beach perfect for small treasure hunting. At the beach we found geodes, lightening rocks, and sea glass. This area has a small 45ish car parking lot. It is dog friendly (dogs must be on leash and picked up after). There's a .33 mile trail that is not difficult. Park is free and a great way to spend some time in nature!