The Ultimate Guide to Kalamazoo Parks & Playgrounds: 20+ Places to Swing, Slide and Play

You’re Just a Hop, Skip or Jump Away from the Nearest Kalamazoo Park

Kalamazoo, Portage and surrounding cities are home to many green spaces. With options such as splash pads, beaches, baseball fields, pickleball courts and innovative play structures, Kalamazoo parks are bursting with outdoor family fun.

This park guide will help you find the perfect park for your family to spend the day – or make plans to visit them all!

Whether you’re seeking sports courts, hiking trails or the ideal playground, we’ve got all of your Southwest Michigan parks covered. And when you’re ready to venture, we’ve included some additional spots that are worth the drive.

Playground Intel: Picking the Perfect Playground

We’ve done the (very fun) research and gathered intel on every local park listed to make your playground selection easier in three categories:

Kalamazoo Parks

Arcadia Creek Festival Place

Although best known for concerts and hosting Ribfest, Arcadia Creek Festival Place also includes a fun playground on a rubber surface. Big kids will enjoy climbing the tall structure and biking along the paved paths.

Try This: climbing walls
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: No

Frays Park

Enjoy long walks on the 8-foot wide paths at Frays Park in Kalamazoo. They also offer a mess-free, tall play structure that is great for older kids and a sand volleyball court.

Try This: sand volleyball
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: Standard, ADA Accessible, Baby

Markin Glen County Park

Markin Glen offers a swimming beach, playground, mountain bike trails and 38 modern campsites. Hikers will enjoy a scenic view of downtown while exploring.

Try This: mountain biking, swimming, camping
Admission Fee: Yes. Daily & Annual Passes Available.

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard

Upjohn Park

Upjohn Park includes a skatepark, swimming pool, boundless playground and multiple sports courts. The Kik Pool is the only 50-meter outdoor swimming pool in the Kalamazoo area.

Try This: skatepark, swimming pool
Admission Fee: No park fees. The Kik Pool offers daily or season passes.

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: Standard, ADA Accessible, Baby

Portage Parks

Harbors West Park

Nestled inside a Portage neighborhood, Harbors West Park includes features for kids of all ages. Little ones will like climbing the playground and walking the shaky bridge. Big kids can play basketball, sand volleyball, or in-line hockey.

Try This: in-line hockey rink, sand volleyball
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Haverhill Park

Located adjacent to the Portage elementary school, Haverhill Park is a favorite stop on the Northwest Portage Bikeway. Families will enjoy the playground, basketball courts and tennis courts.

Try This: tennis courts, bike paths
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Lakeview Park

Two playgrounds on Lakeview Park offer different options for play. Stay near the park’s entrance with the younger kids (bonus: it’s shaded!). Venture further into the park towards Austin Lake with the bigger kids for a climbing-friendly playground.
Be sure to walk out on the docks to see the fish!

Try This: fishing, walking trails
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: No
Swings: Standard, Baby

Oakland Drive Park

Oakland Drive Park boasts a towering play structure and multiple sporting fields and courts. As all slides are tall, covered tunnels, this playground is best suited for big kids.

Try This: sledding hill
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Ramona Park

Best known for its sandy beach on Long Lake, Ramona Park includes two playground structures, fishing, and multiple sports courts.

Try This: fishing, kayaking, lifeguarded beach
Admission Fee: Yes for non-Portage residents during summer/beach season (Memorial Day – Labor Day).

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: Standard, ADA Accessible, Baby

Westfield Park

Westfield Park includes a not-so-subtle blue playground, tennis courts, soccer fields and sand volleyball. While the playground surface is soft (rubber turf), the slides may be a bit too tall for toddlers.

Try This: sand volleyball, soccer, tennis
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: Standard

West Lake Nature Preserve

The West Lake Nature Preserve is a 110-acre wetland bog in Portage. Families will enjoy fishing, visiting the nature-themed playground and walking the trails. Tip: Watch your step! Some floating bridges squirt water through the planks.

Try This: wetland trails, fishing
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard

Surrounding Cities: North

Kindleberger Park

Located in Parchment, Kindleberger Park includes a Little League complex, playground, outdoor stage, and pickleball courts.

This park is also great for sledding in the winter and a short walk away from a summer treat at Twisters.

Try This: pickleball, sledding hill
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: No
Swings: Standard, Baby

Sherwood Park

Situated along the east bank of the Kalamazoo River, a visit to Sherwood Park can include ice skating in the winter and sand volleyball matches in the summer. This park also includes a Veterans Memorial at the north end.

Try This: ice rink, visit Veterans Memorial
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Surrounding Cities: South

Prairie View County Park

Prairie View County Park spans an impressive 210 acres that include two lakes (Hogsett & Gourdneck). While there is play equipment (slide/swings), the highlight here is really the water. Families enjoy the swimming beach, which is shallow enough for little ones to enjoy.

If you have canines in your family, this park also offers a dog park.

Try This: beach, dog park
Admission Fee: Yes. Daily & Annual Passes Available.

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: No
Mess-Free: No
Swings: Standard

Scidmore Park

Scidmore Park is home to a petting zoo (May – October), farmers market, duck pond, and large, farmhouse style playground.

Try This: petting zoo
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Surrounding Cities: East

Richland Township Park

With 48 acres of land, Richland Township Park has plenty of room for activities: lacrosse fields, baseball/softball fields, basketball courts and a playground are all options here.

Try This: baseball, lacrosse
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

River Oaks County Park

River Oaks in Galesburg is well-known for its splash pad (open Memorial Day-Labor Day). This park also includes 20 soccer fields, a dog park, a playground, and a model airplane field.

Try This: splash pad, dog park
Admission Fee: Yes. Daily & Annual Passes Available.

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Surrounding Cities: West

Flesher Field

Located off 9th Street in Oshtemo, Flesher Field hosts Oshtemo Fun Days and the Highland Games annually each summer. This park offers paved walking paths, a large sports field and a good mix of play structures for big kids and toddlers.

Try This: wiffle ball, paved trails
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, ADA Accessible, Baby

Oshtemo Township Park

Tucked behind the library and township hall, Oshtemo Township Park’s playground includes large and small structures to suit different ages. Climbers will enjoy scaling the massive climbing net in the middle.

For other fun activities, families can try pickleball, wiffleball, or the 18-hole disc golf course.

Try This: climbing net, disc golf, pickleball
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess-Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: Standard, Baby, ADA Accessible

Texas Drive Park

Texas Drive Park includes a sandbox, play structure, soccer fields and football field. There is also a 0.75 mile paved path that encircles the park for walking or biking.

Try This: sandbox
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess Free: Yes (Rubber Turf)
Swings: Standard, Baby

Texas Township Farmers Market Playground

Stop by the Farmers Market in Texas Corners and you will find this hidden gem of a playground. Parents of younger kids will appreciate that it’s fenced, lower to the ground and partially shaded.

Try This: climbing wall, farmers market
Admission Fee: No

Playground Intel
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Mess Free: Yes (Woodchips)
Swings: No

Worth the Drive

Bailey Park | 1400 Capital Ave NE, Battle Creek, MI 49017

Kids Dream (Chancy Lewis Park) | 520 S Main St, Lawton, MI 49065

Kids Paradise Park | 200 S Liberty St, Paw Paw, MI 49079

North Side Park | Watson Rd (North of River St), Otsego, MI 49078

Kalamazoo Parks & Playgrounds Map

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