I love living so close to Millpond Park! It is definitely a family favorite because is is open, spacious, and free with a variety of landscapes and activities to explore. It's even worth a bit of a drive if you live further out.
Insider Info.
Plan to play. The play structure is one of the best I have ever seen. It is HUGE and its castle-like quality allows older kids to enjoy time there too playing tag or other imaginary games while the younger ones can slide and swing until they are too tired to keep going.
Bring the babies and toddlers. There is a nice good-sized play area dedicated to the little ones. I also like that there are very few open spaces to fall through, even on the bigger areas of the play structure.
Tote your sports gear. There are huge open areas (it's a 54 acre park) that make great spontaneous soccer or Frisbee fields. We always bring a variety of balls and other equipment to keep us busy.
Bring sand toys. The sandbox area at Millpond is very small, but it's always fun to have a bucket and shovel.
Plan for water. There is a small but pretty creek that runs through one side of the park. My boys love to search for crayfish and frogs. Sometimes we find them, other times we don't, but it is a definite draw for the older kids, especially on a hot day.
Watch the animals. We usually see a large group of geese or ducks floating on the water and we enjoy watching them dive and swim. If you have a dog or enjoy dogs, there is a one acre gated area where the dogs play and roam free at their own dog park. It's fun to take my boys over and watch the dogs enjoy the park as much as we do.
Pack food. We always end up staying longer than we think we will, so water bottles and snacks are a must. It is also a lovely place to have a picnic with on-site charcoal grills for your use.
Grab your pole. Fishing is permitted at Mill Pond and there is a boat launch for canoes and other non-motorized boats. We are thinking of buying a few poles this summer.
Explore the area. There are short trials behind the river that are full of flowers, and we often see deer, squirrels and other fun animals. It's a shady way to break up the play.
Lather on sunscreen. The play structure has very little shade, which means if it is toasty, you are looking at a sunburn and possibly hot slides. The other areas of the park have plenty of shade, so it is easy to cool down if you need it. It's ideal to go during a time of day that is not too hot or when there is nice cloud cover.
If you go.
Address. 565 West Bennett Street Saline, MI
Pavilions. There are two large pavilions that you can use at your leisure or you can reserve one or both for a party. There are plenty of picnic tables and garbage cans to handle a large group.
Bathrooms. There are two working restrooms next to the pavilion. Always nice!
Water. There is a drinking fountain that usually works, but we always bring our own just in case.
Parking. There is plenty of parking in the lot (68 spots), which is very close to the picnic tables.
Labels: Free, outdoor fun, parks, Saline, summer
