Welcome!
Welcome back to Outings! – a blog series where I pick a different park/trail each week to experience and review. If you missed last week’s post, it was an actual hike(!) so you’ll definitely want to check it out. This week we’re back to exploring a new-to-us City Park. Let’s get to it!
Wendy Kroger Park
Tucked back on a side street of a side street, at the crux of a neighborhood and an apartment complex, sits Wendy Kroger City Park. Framed by homes on three sides, it’s west-most side abuts some sort of RV industrial business. Maybe a self-storage? I couldn’t quite tell.
Point is, if you didn’t live next door and didn’t know to look for it, you may never know that this park exists. Evidence? Me! I’ve lived in this city for almost eleven years now, and have never once seen or heard of this park. And that sort of obscurity is exactly what I want from a park.
It isn’t a large park by any means, but it offers a wooded loop trail with a creek crossing, as well as a paved field loop that runs parallel to the playground equipment. With a full basketball court and what the city calls a “multi-use court” (looked like Wall Ball to me, but Trev assures me it’s good for tennis practice too), there’s a lot to recommend this hidden gem.
Like all the other trails and parks we’ve visited in the last month, there was considerable damage from the winter storms, including downed trees and a debris-stymied creek. There’s a reason people don’t tend to gush about the PNW in winter unless you’re in the mountains. It’s hardly its most photogenic season. And yet, there’s been something beautiful at every park.
Stats & Specs
This is the part where I break down the park by the numbers!
Park Specs:
- Distance: 0.52 miles. We basically did a perimeter loop, but you could definitely get creative and extend this walk by a bit by following every interior trail.
- Elevation Gain: None. The park is very flat. Also makes it pretty accessible.
- Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
- Environment: Tucked back in a residential area, this park is very quiet. It was a little chilly for birdsong, but it was peaceful nonetheless. The loop around the field is more open and allows for a breeze, which was not a good thing this morning (brrr!), but in the spring and summer I imagine it would be lovely. It has a wooded trail near a creek and a large field separating the playground equipment from the basketball and multi-use court, making it a versatile park.
- Condition: As I mentioned, there were a lot of downed trees, but there also seemed to be some general maintenance that had been neglected. Missing picnic tables, drainage systems that were plainly visible and verging on a tripping hazard, and we saw multiple piles of dog poo other park users had ungraciously left behind. In these respects, the park could use some love. But, the trails were decent and the fields, courts, and playground were all in fine shape.
- Popularity: This park might be pretty popular with its local residents. We were there in the nine o’clock hour in 38º weather and still saw two other walkers. Luckily neither of them had a dog, so we had a very peaceful morning! In warmer months I can see this park getting a bit of use.
- Uses: Walking, playground activities, field sports, court sports, birthday parties, etc., It’s a very nice neighborhood park, but nothing mind-blowing.
My Stats:
- Duration: 18 minutes
- Pace: 34’47”
- Average Heart Rate: 100 BPM
- Max Heart Rate: 137 BPM
- Active Zone Minutes: 0 Zone Minutes
- Steps: 1,260
- Calories Burned: 103
My Gear:
- Columbia Windbreaker/Rain Jacket in Teal
- Mystery Columbia Pullover with Throat Zipper in Black Heather
- Zip-up Vest, brand unknown, black
- Adidas GalaxyTrail Trail Runners
- Green leggings, brand unknown (Costco)
- Ancient (and Beloved) Chandler-Gilbert Community College Beanie, black
Trevor’s Gear:
- RunseScape Iron Man Letterman Jacket
- Salem Ale Works beanie, gray
- Jeans
- Thrifted Adidas, model unknown
Simon’s Gear:
- RuffWear Front Range Dog Harness, in Aurora Teal
- RuffWear Knot-a-Leash Rope dog leash, in Aurora Teal
- Pendleton Westerly Dog Sweater
The Verdict
There was a lot to like here, but ultimately it was a little unkempt and pretty small. I’d like more wooded, bark dust trails and less paved sections, personally.
It’s small and in rough shape. Lots of dog shit and downed trees. It could be cool, but it needs some work.
Holy. Sniffies! So MANY SNIFFIES! I wanted to sniff all the the things, but there were just too many! I could’ve spent all day just sniffing things, but it was kinda chilly, even in my sweater. Also, too short.
There’s potential in this park, and if it were in our neighborhood we’d probably frequent it. As it is, we’re glad to know about it, but we won’t be going out of our way to return.
That's All, Folks!
That’s another week, another Outings! down. We’re recording a new episode of Top Shelf Librarians this week, so I don’t expect to be back with another blog post until Monday.
Until then, Bloggarts!
BZ
