This is a really great park sitting along the Willamette River. The park has a nice large playground; it would only be better if there was a fence but there are steps so that slows a kiddo down. The Riverfront Park includes the playground and just grassy area (which is nice for all the folks we saw picnicking), and the carousel, plus food trucks congregate in the amphitheater area sometimes. The day we were there there were three of them and plenty of space for a couple more. Nice option to go grab a snack. There were a few picnic tables and we were able to claim one of them. The bathrooms were pretty gross. There was no soap or anything in them and one was in yucky shape. That led us to the port-a-potty, which was pretty gross but a little less gross than the permanent toilets. There's a large parking lot here since they must have lots of various activities taking place here. I'm glad we visited here (at a friend's recommendation) and got to enjoy this (mostly) well-kept park. read more

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My 4 year old and I came down to Salem to tsp the Enchanted Forest. So the day before we explored Salem. This park was worth the afternoon stop. A carousel ($2 person-go to gift shop to buy the coins) Large grassy areas to run or let the dog roll around (on leash). Really large area of outdoor play area with climbing, swings and slides. Of course the iconic walking bridge. Recommend: pick up some bbq from The Back Porch on Edgewater (5 min drive) and picnic. See review of restaurant read more

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The carousel and different playgrounds tucker my 8yo Granddaughter out. The globe hopefully will be repaired soon. Also, linking the park system is great. The kids, parents and volunteers at the carousel are great. Win win for all. read more

What a beautiful park. I really liked visiting this one. We came out to Oregon to watch my brother play baseball. I wanted to check our the mosaic globe. Definitely needs some work done. The iron man challenge was here this weekend so it was PACKED. But overall nice weather and stunning structures. Pack a picnic and come down. Also limited homeless so that is a definite change in pace for me lol read more

Riverfront Park - Parks Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I go to this park all the time. I run, go on long walks, & spend my time reading outside. So many places to explore & to bask in nature. Sunset & sunrise is always so gorgeous. The only negative circumstance about the park is how some of the homeless men will approach women & demand your attention. I would stay away from the homeless tents section of the park. read more

So many different paths to take, I'm in town for a week and I have been enjoying a morning walk here each day exploring where each path leads. From birds, the river and the occasional biker or dog walker this place is perfect for a morning workout before it gets to toasty. read more

Beautiful!! We loved walking around and seeing all the attractions. Bathrooms are clean and park is well maintained. Definitely bring water there is not to much shade. read more

Great place for family time . Clean bathrooms. Space for everyone to play on the open grass area or just go for a walk.

It's too bad the river isn't cleaner to enjoy. But it's a real perdy view haha. What I like are the bridges, the rocks beach that kept my kids occupied for a good chunk of time, and the trees!! read more

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Beautiful view! Lots of shaded picnic tables for eating, fields for kids to play, playgrounds for children, a Carousel, and trails to walk/bike/skate across. It was great!! read more

Riverfront Park - View from the Walking Bridge - Parks Near Me - Salem, Oregon

There are mixed reviews about this place. I too am mixed. Although it seems great for a long walk or bike ride, there's not much along the river. The river itself looks dirty with signs of no fishing due to pollution. Not what I was anticipating with all the hype of the Willamette river and vineyards along it. Also, the ferry was not operating although it displays daily rides. We are too old for the carousel so opted against that. I did see a nice park across the river that hosted lots of picnic tables. There are lots of picnic tables strewn throughout the area in general. The area was also pretty desolate which was nice. But I could see it get busy during the weekend or when it's summer. read more

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This is a great park for pretty much all the reasons. You can take a long beautiful walk, you can play with your dog, you can sit and just enjoy the views, and so much more. I love coming here on my lunch break to eat some food and spend time outside. Definitely top ten in my book for parks. read more

Ugh. This park is not a good park. It feels....like death. Sure, it has paved paths for walking and jogging and large open grassy areas for frisbee or napping, but beyond that, it doesn't have much going for it. First off, the place is barren. You'll be hard pressed to find any shade, so in the sweltering August heat you'll surely expire. Then there's the "gorgeous" view of the Willamette River. I use " " because I still haven't figured out why real estate agents and architects boast about the views of this putrid river. The whole thing is brown, slow moving, and so full of garbage and other pollutants, that no one uses it recreationally. Well, except for young idiots who aren't from around here and don't know any better and some random boaters/jet-skiers so desperate to use their toys that they're willing to risk life-threatening staph infections. I know some of you will call me a pessimist and Salem-Hater, but whatever. Ask yourself this-- Have you ever seen anyone FISHING here? No? Ever wonder why that is? Duh. Anyhow, the park does house the AC Gilberts discovery Village, so that's ok I guess. But it also hosts the annual "Bite of Salem" and that's NOT ok, so minus another point. There is a playground structure here. It's not that exciting, but then I'm not 6. There is also a giant metal ball at the north end of the park that they turned into the earth (or something) with paint. When I was a teen, we called this the "acid ball" and it was a fantastic hangout and place to smoke. Now everyone's staring at it all day long so the pot smokers have no privacy. Poor pot smokers! :( Parking sucks. read more

Very cool spot to walk along the Williamette. We went to the Riverfront Park on a Friday morning. There is a decent sized parking lot, and it's free, which was a welcome surprise. So, we had a nice parking spot very close to the entrance of the park. As you enter, there's a nice playground for the kids. Near the playground was 3 or 4 public restrooms. I have no idea how clean they are, we didn't use them, but it was nice they are offered. There are a couple of walking trails throughout the park, in addition to several places to sit and look at the river. If you want to get close to the river, there is a spot you can walk down and get on a small dock near the large barge they use for river tours. We walked down there and saw some geese and ducks. They didn't seem to have any fear of humans, and came very close to us. We couldn't see any fish, there wasn't much visibility in the water. There are a couple of vantage points where you can see the bridge or other spots in Salem. In addition, there was a cool amphitheater. There is a carousel, although we were there too early to enjoy the carousel, I believe it opens at 10. There were plenty of people out walking dogs, exercising, or generally enjoying the morning. My son loved it, we'll return on our next trip to Salem. read more

The carousel is a nice little touch for the park but there's really not much in this park. Oh yeah there's a sphere here too. They're building the new bridge over to the island at Minto and this will be the new home for all the wonderful homeless people in Salem. What a waste of money. I hope the Salem PD is going to add some extra police to take care of the homeless problem that is that is going to exist there when this is all done. I'm very dubious this whole project is going to work out well for the community. As far as the AC Gilbert house yes it's a fun little place to go with young kids and do some things but it's not outstanding. I do not attend any more big events at this venue because it's a pain to park and the activities are really not that good. Worldbeat day and Salem Bite way overrated. Bush Park is so much better. Forget the sternwheeler for food that's docked at this park the food is atrocious. read more

This is a great park with walking trails, picnic areas and wonderful vistas overlooking the Willamette River. The park is ideal for young families with access to the Carousel, or active groups with open space for frisbee or football games. The park is pet friendly and you'll see many well-behaved dogs with their owners. read more

Took a walk with my partner around 9pm on an August evening. Plenty of people walking, running, cycling, skateboarding. It felt like a really safe, yet peaceful, way to unwind after a long day. read more

Apparently we visited the park on the 2nd day of Spring in Salem, OR... and it was a busy park with people doing all sorts of stuff. Kids in the playground. In-line skaters, cyclists, runners and walkers... the park was abuzz with activity. Due to the large size of the park it didn't seem packed... people were able to spread out. We took some family pictures and enjoy a stroll around the loop. We were on our way to dinner, so didn't have much time to do much else. But it was on our list of things to do while in town... and we're grateful we took the time for it! The scent of the blossoming trees throughout the park will go home to San Diego with me. read more

Beautiful park. Love to go over the bridge & hang with my friends. The water is fabulous! It's a great place to go for runs!

This is a great park. Open and so spacious, this park has lots of sun grassy fields perfect for catching rays, throwing Frisbee's or playing ball in. This park hosts the World Beat, and other festivals like The Bite of Salem. There is a great playground with double structures at the south end of the park, one for the littler tikes and one for the more daring kids, bark dusk and lots of benches for parents. During the summer there are also free movies that your family can enjoy once a week at dusk. Don't miss the Carousel, but you can see it's reviews at http://www.yelp.com/biz/salems-riverfront-carousel-inc-salem At the north end of the park there is a splash pad that is active all summer for water play. It is pretty basic and probably better for really young kids or teenagers. For a better pad, head to the River Road Park they have a little more to work with for the older kids.There is also a nice covered pavilion at the north end of this park, and the long sidewalk paths are great for bike riders. This park offers something for everyone and is big enough for just about everybody to get a little place to relax and have fun. read more

This is a beautiful, well-maintained park near downtown Salem. It has an indoor carousel for folks to play on, young or old. The walking path is wide and paved and marked if you're a runner and like to know your distances. There are lots of open grass areas for you to play frisbee or ball with your dog. You can walk along the river and do some bird watching (though I haven't seen a ton, there are some) and the Willamette Queen is always an interesting item to see. Parking can be difficult at the carousel on weekends as it's a popular place to go. There are a few playgrounds that are also very popular with families. We took our dogs for a walk there and found it very interesting and relaxing to be there. They have a shelter that you can reserve as well as some shade near the boat dock. We even saw people fishing off the dock and there was a Grebe in the water watching the fisherman. If you don't know what a Grebe is, then look it up. I found the park to be overall enjoyable for a park. read more

This park is so beautiful! There are lots of trees and pick nick tables to sit at in the summer and the view of the water is just perfect! It's always cooler by the water!! read more

Salem's premier park. Great playground, restrooms, paths to walk alone and home to a lot of city wide events.