Have you been to the Gordon Family YMCA yet? Rainier View Park is as gem of a little park nearby and a great before and after stop!
Rainier View is located at the corner of Parker Rd. and Meade-McCumber Rd and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods. There are parking spots along Parker Rd.
The corner entrance of the park is a unique and beautiful art space with mosaic “furniture” to sit on. But of course, it’s the playground my kids were interested in! There are two different play structures, one for the youngest climbers, and another one for bigger kids. But my kids (ages 4 and 6) went straight for the merry go round (it’s netted to help prevent flying kiddos) and stayed there for most of our visit! There is also a children’s climbing wall that is molded like natural rock, and has room at the top for sitting and enjoying the view.
It’s not fully fenced, which might be a downside if you have a trouble seeking toddler. It’s in a quiet neighborhood, but it is conceivable that a very speedy child could beat you to the sidewalk.
The park also includes a basketball court (a bit removed from the playground itself), a pavilion, plenty of tables and benches, and paved trails that wind through the grassy areas (perfect for those learning to ride bikes!). There are no permanent bathroom facilities, but there are two port-a-potties that appeared to be well maintained.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a view of Rainier today, and the small stature of the tree on this February day was not a problem. But the park might be hot on a sunny summer day (Note from SFM-I can confirm that)!
Now that the YMCA is open and just around the corner, this would be a great place to stop if you’re kids need some outdoor time after your workout. We’ll be back for sure!
Note from SFM-While I don’t think this one is big enough to be a true destination drive, it’s definitely worth a 15 or 20 minute drive. If you’re in the area, and you need more shade, you can find that at Sumner’s Loyalty Park, which has some majestic, old trees, and one of the areas only sand digging toys if you have a kiddo who loves those! Our review of that fun spot is here.
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