Elderberry Park (23)

8-4-09: Elderberry Park (23)

Directions:

• Glenn Highway south (toward downtown)
• becomes 5th Ave.
• Stay on 5th Ave. until it ends.
• Park and small parking lot are on right side of street right before 5th Ave. curves to the left.

Features:

• two baby swings and two regular swings
• one small slide
• play structure with large slide
• play structure with sand
• park benches
• picnic tables
• bike/walking trail
• train tracks
• port-a-potty

Negatives:

• sand
• sometimes pretty busy

Valley of the Moon Park (92)

7-15-09: Valley of the Moon Park (92)

Directions:

• Debarr headed west (Debarr becomes 15th Ave.)
• Turn left on E St.
• E St. curves onto 17th Ave.
• Park is on the left-hand side of 17th Ave.

OR

• Northern Lights headed west.
• Right on Arctic.
• Arctic curves to become 17th Ave.
• Park is on right-hand side of 17th Ave.

Features:

• several play structures with slides
  
• two baby swings and two regular swings (maybe more, I forgot to count)
• bike trails
• creek
• covered picnic area
• several picnic tables outside of covered area
• several park benches
• nice scenery
• two port-a-potties

Negatives:

• rocks and sand
• usually quite busy

Fish Creek Park (161)

7-14-09: Kiwani's Fish Creek Park (161)

Directions:

• Northern Lights headed west
• Turn left on Minnesota.
• Turn right on Spenard.
• Turn right on Turnagain Blvd. E.
• Park is on right hand side of street.

Features:

• one baby swing and one regular swing
• large play structure with several slides
• covered picnic area
• ok parking lot
• pretty big grassy area

Negatives:

• not sure if it's a good area of town or not
• no restroom
• rocks and sand
  

Lloyd Steele Park (140)

6-9-09: Lloyd Steele Park (140)

Directions:

• Northern Lights, headed west
• Left on Aero Ave.
• Left on 30th Ave.
• Left on Telequana Dr.
• Follow curve of street (Carleton Ave. -- Leighton St.)
• Park is on left side of street.

Features:

• pretty large play structure with slides
• covered picnic area
• picnic tables outside covered area
• pebbles under/around play structure
• porta-potty
• grassy areas and woods for ball and/or "exploring"

Negatives:

• no swings
• lots of mosquitoes (at least on the day we were there)
  

Little Dipper Park (145)

6-1-09 Little Dipper Park (145)

Directions

• Northern Lights headed east
• left on Muldoon
• left on 32nd (the street to get to Totem Theater)
• right on Cherry
• left on Little Dipper
• The park is on the left side.

Features

• open grassy field
• picnic table
• play structure with several slides
• two regular swings

Negatives

• NO RESTROOM
• sand under swings and play structure
  

Sitka Street Park (311)

5-26-09: Sitka Street Park (311)

Directions

• Debarr, headed west
• Left on Sitka St. (first left after Lake Otis)
• Follow road around to park entrance.

Features

• two baby swings and four regular swings
• play structure with slide
• wood chips under baby swings and play structure
• picnic tables and park benches
• pavilion with picnic tables
• big grassy hill
• walking/biking trail
• big open grassy field
• outhouse

Negatives

• sand under regular swings

Campbell Creek Park (413)

05-22-09: Campbell Creek Park (413)

Directions

• Northern Lights, headed west
• Left on Lake Otis
• First left after light at Tudor.

Features

• play structure with two slides
• outhouse
• walking/biking trails
• scenic bridges
• slow-moving section of the creek perfect for wading
  

Negatives

• rock around play structure
• no means of preventing small children from going into the creek
• no swings

·

Wickersham Park (185)

05-22-09: Wickersham Park (185)

Directions

• Northern Lights, headed west
• Left on Lake Otis
• Right on Campbell Pl (3^rd right after light at Tudor)
• Right on Dimond Dr (2^nd right)
• Park entrance is in between two houses – pass it, turn around, park at guardrail over creek.

Features

• swingset with four regular and two baby swings
• wood chips under swings
• play structure with two small slides
• right on Campbell Creek
• picnic tables and one park bench
  

Fe
Negatives

• NO RESTROOM
• sand around play structure
• no means of preventing small children to go into fast-moving creek

Nunaka Valley Park (75)

05-21-09: Nunaka Valley Park (75)

Directions

• Northern Lights, headed west
• Right on Beaver
• Left on Mink (just before white church – Greater Friendly Temple).

Features

• swingset with two regular and two baby swings
• woodchips
• big yard
• park benches and picnic table
• play structure with small slide

Negatives

• NO RESTROOM
• very little shade

What am I doing?

This blog is a critique of all the parks that my kids and I visit in Anchorage, Alaska. I'm making this blog most of all so that we know which parks we liked and which ones we didn't. Maybe other Alaskans will read these posts and have an easier time picking a park :-) There will be a number in parentheses after the name of each park. This number corresponds to the Anchorage Trails & Parks Map (sold at REI for $5).