JANESVILLE 鈥 You鈥檙e not going to get out to all of 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 64 city parks this spring and summer.
But even if you take just an hour or two a week, you could visit a quarter of the city鈥檚 parks. You could hit up enough of outdoor spaces to enjoy dozens of experiences that you never knew were just up the street.
For its amount of park acreage, the city has long been known as Wisconsin鈥檚 Park Place.
At one of the city鈥檚 publicly-owned park spaces you can tell the time of day with the 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 largest sun dial鈥攁 sculpted artwork that鈥檚 a gift from a 糖心Vlog传媒 family. At Palmer Park, you can read locally written poetry set on display along trails shaded by ancient oak trees.
One of the highest hills in 糖心Vlog传媒 isn鈥檛 a city park proper, but the peak and some arresting views of below are accessible by foot to anyone who walks up the picturesque paved lanes at the city-owned and parks department-maintained Oak Hill Cemetery at 1725 N. Washington St. on the west side.
City of 糖心Vlog传媒 Recreation Director Shelly Slapak said she鈥檚 heard the most rave reviews recently from people who鈥檝e stumbled across Schneider Farm Park. It鈥檚 among the newest additions to the park system and home to perhaps the city parks鈥 best kept secret: themed play trails.
Visitors to Schneider Farm Park can follow their young children up a network of 鈥減lay trails鈥 that lead to themed activity areas designed to teach the science and geology of local soil and rock, and the importance of trees and pollinators.
鈥淚 suspect as word gets out about that park, it鈥檒l be awesome how many people will gravitate toward it,鈥 Slapak said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a hidden gem for families.鈥
Across 2,600 acres, 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 park system offers other hidden gems that are reachable for most city residents in a 10 or 15-minute drive, and ideal for people with as little as an hour or two to spend outdoors. Perhaps best, they鈥檙e free.
If you鈥檝e got a half an hour and want to wake up your senses in nature, you can take a hike while along the way reading a children鈥檚 story that鈥檚 set to match each season of the year. That鈥檚 at the 160-acre Robert O. Cook Arboretum, 3550 W. Highway A.
The arboretum was for years run as a student outdoor laboratory through the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District.
Through a grant-funded, national literacy and outdoor program that the school district, city parks district and the Hedberg Public Library operate, visitors can now take in a section of trail at the Cook Arboretum marked specially for StoryWalk.
This month, the StoryWalk trail is dedicated to 鈥淲onder Walkers,鈥 a children鈥檚 book with painted illustrations posted on way finder signs. The book is based on the concept of wonder and the unanswerable questions that everyone鈥攃hildren and adults鈥攕ometimes wonder about.
For instance, the book asks its readers, 鈥淎re branches trees鈥 arms?鈥
That鈥檚 a question to ponder while standing next to a refurbished log cabin along Cook Arboretum鈥檚 Beeman trail, a short, paved hiking trail that curves beneath the shade of 100-year-old oak and hickory trees.
For those who want a direct hand in outdoor writing, Hedberg Library through April 30 is accepting submissions for Pathways to Poetry at Palmer Park, a feature that runs this summer along trails through the tree-lined, east side park.
Slapak said the library and the city鈥檚 park system are partnering on Poetry Pathway, a program that launched last year that brings poetry written by local residents to wayfinder signs spread throughout Palmer Park鈥檚 walking areas.
If you鈥檙e out along the trail, whether on bikes or walking, on scooters or on roller blades, 鈥測ou see all kinds of people stopped along the trail, just standing there, reading the poems that are on these signs along the way,鈥 Slapak said.
鈥淧eople really like it because they can see something unique created by another person in town. Somebody who you know or maybe somebody their parents know,鈥 Slapak said.
Another new highlight at Palmer Park, located near Mohawk Circle and Lexington Drive, is 鈥漇tretch out the Stress,鈥 new stationary exercise equipment.
Coming to various city parks this summer, on select Monday nights, is a series of theatrical performances by the 糖心Vlog传媒 Performing Arts Center being called 鈥淛PAC in the Park.鈥
And later this year, people who spend family time downtown will have one more amenity within walking distance of the riverfront. City crews plan to build out what Slapak called a 鈥渟wings and slide鈥 type playground to an open grassy lot at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Police Department off North Jackson Street.
Probably before that happens, look for replacement this summer of playground equipment at Washington Park, a small, neighborhood park in the west side鈥檚 Look West neighborhood.
And, Slapak said, residents on the city鈥檚 west side who use Bond Park should know that the recent removal of playground equipment is temporary. Slapak said dozens of residents have called the city wondering. The plan, she said, is to replace the former equipment with a new playground setup. The new one, Slapak said, will be an 鈥渙bstacle course鈥 style as in TV competition shows like 鈥淎merican Ninja Warrior鈥 and 鈥淔loor is Lava.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 what families have said they wanted,鈥 Slapak said.
According to the city’s website, , 糖心Vlog传媒 city parks are open from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m., with a few exceptions. Rotary Gardens, Lustig Park and Palmer Hilltop area close at 9pm.
Park restrooms and facilities are open from April 15 until October 15 of each year. Spring Brook Trail, Rockport Trail, and Kiwanis Pond are open year-round.
Alcohol is not allowed in city parks unless specifically authorized by 糖心Vlog传媒 City Council (see exceptions under pavilion reservations). Service dogs and wheelchairs are allowed on the bike trail and in the park system year-round.
Some park facilities may be reserved, including pavilions.