Saline – Parks & Recreation

Saline Parks & Recreation, 1866 Woodland Dr. (734) 429–3502. Twelve community parks with playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields, water access, dog park, pavilion rentals, trails, recreation center, and many other amenities. Youth, adult, and senior programming, including fitness classes, sports leagues, swim lessons, camps, family events, nature programs, martial arts, tennis, and more. cityofsaline.org/parks, register for programs: salinerec.com

Curtiss Park, 440 W. Michigan Ave., is 50 acres of rolling, grassy land along the Saline River below Oakwood Cemetery. The green space continues north along the river for another 54 acres as Mill Pond Park. Both parks have picnic areas, pavilions, play areas, and opportunities for cross-country skiing; Mill Pond has a dog park, open fields, a large play structure, and a nonmotorized boat launch. Four-acre Stonecliff Park is near the river at the end of Saline River Dr.

Three neighborhood parks provide play areas—Marlpool Park, 511 Marlpool Dr., in a subdivision just east of Old Creek Dr. and south of Michigan Ave.; Colony Park, 1012 Colony Dr., accessible through the Colony Estates and Northview subdivisions; and Risdon Park, 241 S. Ann Arbor St., on the corner of S. Ann Arbor St. and Pleasant Ridge.

40-acre Tefft Park, at Woodland Dr. E. and Textile Rd., includes the Saline Recreation Center, a play structure, 4 tennis courts, a picnic area, a 5.5-acre natural area, 4 softball diamonds, a 5-hole disc golf course, 2 sand volleyball courts, cross-country ski trails, and the Rotary pavilion. People’s Park, 209 W. Monroe St. (between S. Ann Arbor St. and Monroe St.), has a basketball court, a ball field, and a nature trail. Pedestrian access from the corner of S. Ann Arbor St. and Pleasant Ridge Dr. Brecon Park, 397 Nichols Dr. (on N. Harris at Nichols), features a nonmotorized pathway linking to the Saline District Library and the Depot Trail, and basketball court, baseball field, open field, and playground. Near Willis Rd. and S. Ann Arbor St., Canterbury Park, 219 Willis Rd., has 4 acres of play and picnic areas. Across Willis Rd. is Wilderness Park, a 22-acre natural area with walking paths that overlook a pond, and good fishing, birding, and cross-country skiing. Saline’s newest park, Salt Springs Park, near S. Ann Arbor St. & Willis Rd., has natural salt spring features and a newly completed parking lot, trailhead, and sidewalks. In Phase 2, the city hopes to add more hiking trails and historical information about the city’s namesake natural feature.

Other small parks are scattered throughout the area. Sandra Richardson Park, 125 acres at the southeast corner of Platt and Willis Rd., has soccer fields and over a mile of hard-surfaced trails and nearly 3 miles of nature trails through fields and woods. Mary J. McCann Park, off the east side of Warner between Willis Rd. and Bemis, is a 38-acre partially wooded preserve with a trailhead at a small parking lot. An ecological demonstration area showing stages of natural progression has a teaching station for up to 30 students. Henne Field is located in the heart of downtown with a nice walking trail throughout. Henne is owned by the Saline school district but is the home for many community events.

The Leslee Niethammer Saline River Preserve, 9000 S. Maple, is home to one mile of walking paths with views of the Saline River and Spring Creek. The 18-acre Joan Rodman Memorial Plant Preserve (4747 Saline Waterworks Rd.) has peaceful trails winding through southern floodplain forest straddling the Saline River.