Large neighborhood park with lots of use in the summer evenings…read more Nice newer play equipment including some accessible equipment. Street parking only. Nice gazebo & picnic tables for parties, cookout, etc. Small outbuilding with bathrooms (didn't check them out on our visit). Lots of younger kids playing basketball on our visit. Lots of room to roam. Not a fenced park but the traffic on nearby streets was very minimal and quiet.

Leeper Park always reminds me of Will. And kind of of Sheila, but mainly of Will. Will was sick…read more Esther and I visited him. Often. We got stuff from his apartment when he was in the hospital. This was long before Will moved to Philadelphia. This was long before Erin O. met Will. This was long before Erin O. told me about meeting Will, which wasn't long after Erin O. told me about meeting Aaron. I think Erin O. thought I was trying to set her up with Aaron, but I wasn't. Or maybe Aaron thought so. Aaron is Canadian and that's awesome. I was sort of trying to set Erin O. up with Will, but it didn't take, and that's fine. All of this was long before Erin O. married Jose. The park is spectacular. You can drive through it. You can feed ducks. It goes on and on, kind of like a September to remember, though not quite like a December to remember. Visit this park. Please. I will next time I visit South Bend with Esther, which could be in September. Or October. Hopefully, it will either be unseasonably warm or unseasonably cold. South Bend is best when the weather's not like it's supposed to be, either way. And when I lived in South Bend, I used to wonder whether Leeper park would have leepers if it had sand. You know, leepers, like in the Legend of Zelda? But those are leevers, and I made a mental fool of myself in my own mind for years.

Leeper is nice...the park os situated on either side of 31 on the south side of the bridge. There…read moreis a tennis complex on one side, where they offer an excellent and affordable childrens tennis program, as well as tennis for adults. It was recently remodeled and is in great shape. Near the tennis complex is a playground, a duck pond and some picnic tables. Across 31 there is park with a raceway island and a small beach. Its a nice place to take a walk and popular for salmon and steelhead fishing in the fall. Theres a garden and a log cabin replica on the east side of the park as well. The river in this location is fairly shallow wth rapids, my kids like to wade in the shallows when the water is low.

My favorite park in the whole area, simply because the playground they have for the kids is HUGE,…read moreand they have padded area surrounding it. It's also right by the river, which is a nice view while taking a walk.

Merrifield Park is a unique park in the area. Not only does it offer a public swimming facility…read more(for a fee), it also has public ice skating (you have to enter through the park's admin building to gain access.) The rest (north side) of the park has several shelters, a large elevated playground with towers and slides, and a public access ramp to the river. The grounds were in great condition other than it could use a bit of watering on some of the lawn areas. Lots of parking and open space for running around or organized games that need space. I also noticed a lot of trees that had been carved into wooden sculptures left in place around the shelters. All have been coated with a rust colored treatment to preserve the images. Most feature some type of animal though one has a female image with the word Princess carved at the base. It's a nice park if you have a specific interest in swimming or skating, or just strolling along the river. Review #3101

This park has a bit of everything I would like in a park. (Just wish it wasn't 3 hours from my…read morehouse!) If you like parks with open space, they got it. Convenient parking near large shelters? Check! They also have a nice playground, tennis courts, a splash pad, and a fitness court. There is artwork that includes a statue of Christopher Columbus by the entrance, carved trees that remind me of totem poles in the middle, and a sculpture called Circle of Life on the south end. Oh, and there is a great view of the St Joe River and Dam with a crosswalk to get even better views. There is fishing too. There is even a fish ladder to help the salmon and steelhead that were brought in to navigate the river levels. The park was also clean and well kept. If you are wanting to plan a family day with activities, this is the place to check out! Review #3093

Pretty park for families with a ton of facilities, but not so good for taking pictures.read more

While Golden Gate Park might have the greatest free children's playground in the world…read more(https://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-gate-park-childrens-playground-san-francisco?osq=Koret+Childrens+Quarter), recently renovated Howard Park in South Bend, Indiana, comes in a photo-finish close second. And if I'm being honest, Howard Park makes much more interesting use of its physical geography than Golden Gate Park does with that single playground, so the nod may go to Mayor Pete's hometown. It gives me so much hope that architects and landscape architects and engineers are still willing to build public areas that are both functional and physically attractive. The playground part of the park incorporates so many wonderful and unusual elements. Just when you think you can't be surprised again, you get surprised again. All of my nieces and nephews are older now, but I wish this place had existed in 2014 so that I could have brought their young selves to explore it in its entirety. So that's the playground. Like twelve stars out of five. The rest of the park is well maintained and laid out nicely. There are areas to picnic or just lounge and enjoy the weather in the summer. I know, I know, South Bend has bad weather for much of the year. But you know what? You could do a lot worse than coming to the nearby farmers market to pick something up for a late-breakfast/early-lunch picnic at Howard Park before a Notre Dame football game on a crisp autumn Saturday. Thanks, South Bend politicians and city employees, one-and-all. (I'd thank Mayor Pete, but I don't know whether he played any part in this project, and I'm still a little annoyed with him for having moved to Michigan--once you're elected mayor of somewhere, I feel like you should live there the rest of your life if you can.) Who says the Midwest can't have nice things?

Great park with plenty of space, the 4th of July event does get very busy with many kids so make…read moresure to get there early and bring some blankets or chairs to hang out!

This park is gorgeous (even though there was a lot of construction going on along the south side of…read morethe park.) What makes this park on the low side of the river so stunning is the series of irregular shaped terrace steps that the millrace of the St Joe River flows over to head downstream. All along the park there are tiny waterfalls while appearing nearly flat. The area along the river has paved walkways and is landscaped with trees and a small hill. On the east end of the park is a large sculpture by Jan Martin (2004) called River Shards that makes for a cool accent to the plaza where you can relax and enjoy the sight and sound. This is a must see if you appreciate a marriage between art and nature. Review #3089

Family friends are important…read more There's family, of course, and no matter how much you may hate your family, they're ultimately all you've got. OK, that's kind of an overstatement, but as you grow older, you'll probably eventually either regret drifting apart from family members or wonder what kept you apart in the first place. If you're lucky, like I am, you'll recognize early just how important family is. There are friends. Good ones are like great books in that they're extremely rare and no matter how long it is between visits, you'll always feel comfortable, like you're right where you belong. Other friends are more situational. They serve a specific purpose at a specific time, and when that purpose is spent, you must decide whether to stay in touch or to allow time and circumstances to separate you. Family friends are different. They're not family, but you can't get rid of them like you can past-their-expiration-date friends. Yes, you can ignore them, but unlike family and friends, they don't usually hold grudges. They're connected to you, but they're not related to you. They were there before, and they'll be there in the future. If you don't invite them to your kids' weddings, they won't hold it against you. They'll still let you stay over when you're in town for an interview or some other such ridiculousness, and you'll stay up too late talking. Beutter Park is like a family friend. It doesn't feel as comfortable and magical and raw as childhood, but it sticks in your mind, not like regret, but like something or someone you miss and know or at least hope you'll visit again one day. Soon? Maybe. Family friends brought me and my dad here. It was warm and sunny but not humid. In other words, the weather was perfect, and that's so unlike Michiana in the summer. We strolled past sculptures and talked about first cars. I had heard many of the stories before, but that didn't bother me. I can stand repetition among family friends; I don't know why.

This is a great park for beginning hikers or those short on time. The park, while beautiful is much…read moresmaller than State parks, with trails that are harder to get lost on. There is small playground, a "Sensory Garden" area that has a pond with running water & frogs (for sound), highly scented flowers (for smell) and even some safe to taste herbs (for taste). There is a covered picnic area that can be rented out for parties. It can also be used freely when no parties are booked. One could make a day of this place but it's not a requirement to see everything.

such a beautiful park, i love the trails available very pretty views and everyone that travels is…read morenice. good for walking and biking.

Rose Park is a beautiful community park! There are picnic tables, pavillions, playground, splash…read morepad, pickle ball, corn hole, bocce ball and green space to play. There is also plenty of shade. The area is also very safe. Even in the evening the park is well lit.

The newly improved Rose Park is really nice, with a new playground, bench area, and restrooms…read more A nice little park to take the kids and have some family fun.

This is an absolutely beautiful spot! Visited during the week with a friend and younger children,…read more(trying to get our steps in!) so we stuck to the stroller accessible trail. It wasn't too busy AND we encountered two other parks for the kids to play at over the course of the 2 1/2 miles we walked. Such an enjoyable afternoon!!

My timing was off when I visited this park. I was hoping to check out the Civil War Monument but…read moreit has been temporarily removed for restoration and been replaced by a Veteran's Plaza that will be rededicated on Memorial Day 2020. I hope the white bronze soldier will be returned to the center of the monument then. But even without the monument, this is a really beautiful park. The main feature here is the stonework that was part of the Works Progress Administration back in 1936-7. The park rests on high ground on the north side of the river, so a series of descending pools framed with colorful stones takes the water from street level down next to the river. There is a small waterwheel, a waterfall, and lots of cascades and pools to enjoy. There is a stairway framing the descent so that you can get a close look at the detail. The is also a lot of shade provided by the mature trees and a relatively new plaza on the east end with a pergola and benches. On the west end are the sports/playground features and an amphitheater with lawn in front. This is a beautiful park that offers a couple points to view the river. Review #3088

Clean park. I was there for a wedding and it was a beautiful day. The park was clean. The river…read morewas delightful and peaceful. There was a small playground. There was also a building on the premise, but I did not go into the building.

Pinhook finally got an update. They added a very nice blacktop path for walking, some dog…read moreamenities, a new boat launch, and some new fishing piers. New playground equipment as well. Theres been a little bit better landscaping/ lawncare, and they have added new signage for handicapped access/ parking.