9 Dickinson Parks Ranked for Toddler Friendliness
Here in Dickinson, we are so lucky to have an amazing Parks and Rec, with a fantastic network of parks and playgrounds for families to enjoy. But as anyone with a baby or toddler can tell you, not all playground equipment is equal when it comes to smaller kiddos. High platforms, advanced climbing equipment, and no toddler swings can be just a few factors in making a playground less fun and more anxiety-inducing for parents of toddlers and preschoolers.
So the other day, my 5 year-old and I decided to visit some of our favorite parks around town and rank them based on their ease of use for families with young children (well, she wanted to play, I was the one doing the ranking, obvi).
Kostelecky park, 1949 Prairie Ave, Dickinson, ND 58601
3/5 stars
Kostelecky is has newly-updated play equipment that seems pretty ideal for the preschool set- lower platforms, wide stairs, short slides. There are also several baby swings. The grass is nice and there is plenty of street parking. I docked two stars from this rating due to no bathroom facilities and lack of shade- there are smaller young trees throughout the park, but none very close to the playground. Also, the pavilion with picnic tables is not close to the playground. And if you’re looking for a great starter sledding hill, Kostelecky has the best!
Rocky Butte Park, 566 Fairway St, Dickinson, ND 58601
3/5 stars
Rocky Butte has always been a favorite of my kids- not so much for the playground, but if you take the paved driveway up the hill, past the bathrooms, you’ll discover the boulders that I assume the park is named after, and this is a popular wild-ish climbing and play area for local kids (side note: the parking area by the rocks does seem to be a popular spot for teens to park and makeout and other dubious activities).
The actual playground at Rocky Butte has its own parking lot, as well a pavilion right next to the play equipment. The playground itself is small and perfect for toddlers, along with a couple of baby swings. Besides the pavilion, much of the park is shaded by tall evergreens that smell like heaven on a sunny afternoon.
Besides the boulders and the playground, there is also a paved walking path the runs around the entire park.
Rocky Butte is my family’s preference for winter sledding, but as the butte is treed, it’s not a sledding hill made for toddlers nor the faint of heart. 😆
The one major drawback of this park is that while there is a permanent restroom facility, it stays locked 99% of the time, unless someone has rented a pavilion. Combine this with tiny bladders and post-pregnancy pelvic floors and the lack of accessible bathrooms can be a real dealbreaker for spending hours at the park. And truly, this is my biggest bone to pick with Dickinson Parks and Recreation: aside from one new park, the parks with permanent bathroom buildings are locked. If you need to use a toilet frequently, look for a park with a porta-potty, as those aren’t typically locked and stay put between Memorial Day and Labor Day- longer if the weather stays nice into the fall. I know, those blue plastic porta-potties aren’t most moms favorite toilets, but where Parks and Recs makes life really inconvenient by keeping the permanent bathrooms locked, at least they tend to do a good job at keeping the porta-potties clean.
Fisher Park, 825 19th St E, Dickinson, ND 58601
4/5 stars
Ok, so this is a really high score for a park that doesn’t have the greatest toddler playground, but it’s also not the worst. So why did I score Fisher so high? Because it has the most lovely, soft green grass. Decent shade trees. Amazing stroller access. Adequate street parking. The playground is set back from a quiet street. The concrete basketball court provides an off-street area for little tykes to practice their bike-riding skills. There are lots of swings. And there’s a porta-potty (you’ll find as you read through this list that access to toilets gets major points from me.
The only thing that’s not great is the playground itself, with some really high sections, but, like I said, it’s not the worst. There are toddler-appropriate areas and the whole thing is easily scaled by adults should the need to help a little arise.
Hospital Park, 175 9th St W, Dickinson, ND 58601
3/5 stars
A small park on the corner of 9th and 2nd, Hospital Park contains nearly perfect toddler playground equipment. The playground itself is not very shaded, but there is a pavilion within easy reach and trees dotted around the rest of the park. However, there are no bathrooms facilities and the vicinity of the playground to a fairly busy street will have many parents stressed.
Eastside Complex, 245 9th Ave E, Dickinson, ND 58601
3/5 stars
Eastside Complex has older play equipment, such as an old-fashioned merry-go-round, but it also also a nice variety of different activities, separate from the main play structure. The main play structure is small and low to the ground. Parking is along the street. However, again, there are no bathroom facilities, and shade is lacking.
Roers Park, 285 23rd Ave W, Dickinson, ND 58601
2/5 stars
Another small park, Roers is set in a residential neighborhood on the west side of town. The playground is set back from the street, surrounded by very nice grass. The play equipment is on the smaller side. Unfortunately, there are no bathrooms, no pavilions, and no shade. I’m guessing this park was built as a small neighborhood space for kids to ride their bikes to and play without much supervision.
Jaycee’s Park, 497 2nd St SE, Dickinson, ND 58601
2/5 stars
Way on the southeast of town, right along the Heart River, we have Jaycee’s Park. Personally, I actually love this park, with its grove of large trees and the view of the river, but the huge play structure makes it not ideal for toddler play. There’s also a locked bathroom facility here. On the upside, there’s lots of room to run, and the park has its own parking area.
Friendship Park, 1388 Gum Ave, Dickinson, ND 58601
4/5 stars
The brand newest of all the parks in Dickinson and a testament to the power of community fundraising, Friendship Park is fantastic. Like, literally, so amazing. Built to be accessible to kids with all kinds of different abilities and needs, with much of it being wheelchair-accessible, it’s the first and only park of its kind in Dickinson. There’s a large paved parking lot and sidewalks around the entire play area make it easily stroller-accessible. There’s even permanent bathroom facilities that are open and unlocked during the daytime. Literally the only factors that detract from this park’s rating is the lack of shade (the pavilion is small for the size of the play area, however, there are lots of trees planted, so the shade situation should be improved over the years) and its rather small toddler play area. The main play structure is designed for ages 5 and up, so, while toddlers can still play on it, there are many facets that they won’t be able to use because they’re simply not big enough.
Pleasant Valley Park, 875 4th Ave E, Dickinson, ND 58601
4.75/5 stars
Not that I’m biased or anything, but this is hands down my favorite park for toddlers in Dickinson. With the playground set back from the street, surrounded on three sides by fences, nice grass, beautiful trees, and a porta-potty, it’s the perfect space to let littles run off some steam for a few hours at a time. It’s become the default summer spot for Flourish Pregnancy & Postpartum Community playdates on Fridays because we all agree that it’s one of the best for younger kids.
The only reasons I deducted a fraction of a point are because, due to the fact that this park is deep and narrow, there’s not a lot of on-street parking available in front of the park and often there are parents parking on the opposite of a busy street to get to this park. Also, with no sidewalks to the play area, it’s not super stroller-friendly. However, that’s just me being picky.