Canyon Glen Park

Provo Canyon

Great monkey bar potential. They have one of those hanging bars that slides which are always a crowd pleaser. I was a little nervous with my 3 year old runner and the proximity to canyon road but I stationed myself between the park and the road and so I could be a little less anxious. No shade on play structure. One bench near play structure. Covered Pavilion clean. No garbage cans near picnic area, which I found sort of weird.

Geneva Park

260 North 700 West



We hit this park at 10:30 am and I was really surprised at how cool temperature wise the park was. Great play equipment. We would have stayed longer but we kept finding dead black beetle carcasses all over. Nasty. It did turn out to be sort of educational because I had assumed that the dead were part of the Japanese Beetle infestation around Orem. Not so, these buggers were black and the Japanese Beetles are greenish.

Highland Glen Park

Directions: 4800 W., turn right and travel south to stop light, just south of Lone Peak High School. Turn right and travel west to the parking area.







I hadn't been here for at least 6 years and its a shame because it is so delightful. Ducks are abundant and hungry, and the fish literally are jumping out of the pond. It has plenty of good shade, nice benches, very well maintained. It would be a great place to bring the little kiddos to do some fishing.

The playground, however, could roast like molten lava until at least 6:00 in the summer.

I would love to come back with a blanket, picnic, duck food, and a book and let the kids just explore.

Spanish Oaks Reservoir

From I-15 take Exit 261, head S.east 6 miles, turn right on Powerhouse Rd., 1 mile on the left hand side, you will see a turn off for the reservoir

The water is fah-rah-eezing! Take chairs, pack a cooler and plan on staying for hours! It gets really crowded by lunch time, so for optimal beach location/water front plan on getting there around 10:30. So pretty in the fall.

Harmon Park

200 South 900 East



We hit this park after the early morning balloon launch for Freedom Days. Not a real exciting one, but the bathrooms are close to the playground and the benches are on the north side so you aren't dealing with sun in your eyes while the kiddos play. The playground is on the corner of 850 E.

Scera Park (north end)

600 South State Street

Sorry Mom, no shade for you. Enjoy sweating and watching your kids having a good time.

(tip: park on the east side near Scera Park Elementary. Seems to be a bit closer to the park. Although you pass the bathrooms on the state street side, in case you need to go.)
This is the park to visit if you are a slider. It has a whopping 11 slides all around the structure, making this park a viable option if you happen by it mid-day because your legs won't be burned at least on a few slides. Good monkey bars here too.

Timpanogos Cove Park

Timpanogos Cove is accessed from 9340 N Canyon Heights Drive. (turn right and keep heading up the hill.

Lots of hiking. Bathrooms clean and stocked. Cool little swing in a shady pavillion to catch the views.

Now THAT is a play structure!



The City has constructed this new public park, which connects to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the Canyon Heights subdivision. (.) The five-acre park complex contains five picnic pavilions (one large, one medium and three small); two playgrounds, one for tots and one for teens; a basketball court; a natural amphitheater area; and restrooms. There is no shade at all in the afternoon so hit this park in the early morning. Do not miss it!

Heritage Park

4425 W. Cedar Hills Dr.
The play equipment at the park is not the exciting part by any means.

In fact, I found my blood pressure rising slightly because its not the safest play structure in the land.





Pavilion (picnic tables, barbeque grills, electricity, playground)
Volleyball Court (net is provided)
Amphitheater (grass seating, electricity, light)
Frisbee Golf Course


If you go: consider bringing flip flops or other water shoes and make a simple ship out of wood.

Windsor Park

200 West 1270 North





When I looked at the address for this park I had low expectations and I figured that it would be a simple play structure similar to the one in my neighborhood. I could not be more wrong.

How in the world have I lived in Utah County for 8 years and have never been to this jewell? It has all the "perks" a park should have but it also boasts the best rolling hills and grassy area. It is clean, large, and should not be missed.

Scera Park (south end)

600 South State

The Scera park campus is actually 25.20 acres that includes the jogging/walking path, the pools, an outdoor theatre area, and 2 playgrounds. It is a gorgeous area and I had no idea how far and wide it was spread.

The south park is the smaller park but it was great for heading to right after we saw the Tuesday matinee.

Fairly standard play structure.

Bonneville Park

1450 North 800 West


Tennis, clean playground, fresh tan bark in the playground, decent shade, good climbing trees, no baby swings, barky but friendly dog on the south side of the fence. Set back quite a ways from a pretty busy street.

Nielson's Grove Park

Sandhill Road 2000 South



Reflecting pool, unhungry ducks, playground, fountain, gardens, huge swings. Go to this park late evening or early morning because there's not a lot of shade but its a lovely place.

Burgess Park

Canyon Crest and 200 West

Would be a great game if I had a husband who had to play softball here. Lots of ball fields, pretty spread out, but the playground equipment was MEH.

Battle Creek Park

Not the greatest park but at least its "walking distance". Big open grass area and volley ball area with no net but plenty of cat poop. Close to the high school so teenagers cutting class can come to the park to make out. Not great for shade so hit this park first thing in the morning.

Kiwanis Park

1700 E 200 S.

No playground equipment but lots of easy hiking trails to take the kids. Water streams to through rocks in. Great geocaching. One suggestion is not to say "let's go to the park" but rather "let's go to the wilderness". No misinterpretation and no tantrums. Trust. Oh. and vault toilets.

Anderson Park

950 E. 200 S.

Coolest park we discovered several years ago during Strawberry Days "Huck Finn Days". Playground is not super great, but there is a canal (yes I let my children play in the canal) where kids can jump in and play in a small amount of water. Also free movies once a month during the summer. Great shade, parking slightly wierd because the entrance is in a residential neighborhood.

Legacy Park

corner of Main and Center Street


Most excellent park with red and blue rubber thingys instead of park. Very bouncy. Good park benches for observing. Nice little atrium thingy for reinacting the sound of music in the rain.

Springville Industrial Park

Head east from freeway and turn right into the industrial park. It's cah-razy the amount of ducks here.


Where the ducks are hungry and ample.

No playground equiptment but lots and lots of duck duck goose to be had.

City Center Park

300 East Center St



Slides: awesome tall ones
Benches for moms-sort of far from optimal playground watching. Would suggest bringing chair to sit in grass.
Swings-Boo. Worst part of the park.
Grassy area-Lots of fields to run around

Other coolness-big evergreen trees with branches cut low so kids can go under and play fairies. Nice and cool and woody.

Notes-tricky to time the sprinklers in the morning with the Orem Library story time getting out. Which is no big deal if you don't mind either getting wet of Lord of the Flies mentality.

Riverside Park

1260 West 600 North

Featured Amenities:

Bathrooms
Playground-Amelia says slides pretty good
Provo River Trail access-not the scary fast part of the river but a shallow end
little statue of creepy girl
lots of good shady trees


other coolness..you can watch the helicopters land and take off at Utah Valley which is to the east of the park.

Lions Park

1280 N. 950 W.




Shade: Behomoth of a shade thing with lead paint dripping down. Cool and retro nonetheless. Also, since this park is nestled on a hillside, when the sun is on the otherside, its probably pretty shady and pleasant.

Featured Amenities:

Decent playground-(Abbie wanted monkey bars which it didn't have, and Amelia said the slides were baby slides and too small)
Sand Volleyball (must provide own net)
Bathrooms-clean and unlocked
Water Tap which is sort of broken with lots of water balloon remnants.
Stream that goes through park. Nice shallow not scary

Other entertainment-white dog near fence on west side of park that barks and sticks his head, nose through the fence. Kids laughed forever about that one.

North Park

500 N. 500 W. Provo



Shade Rating: HIGH! big tall trees
Swings: Nope. (yeah! swings are a pain)
Benches: Good.
Monkey Bars: Yep.
Good news and Bad news: Next to the Veterans Memorial Pool and Waterslide.