What’s to Love: Another “pesticide-free” park in Portland! While that is an attractive feature at Sewallcrest Park, for my son it’s all about the “corkscrew slide.” Sometimes, he calls it the “curly slide.” Whatever your kids may call it, they will certainly be amazed by this old relic. When my son first saw this slide, he just looked at me and said, “Whoa!”

This is one of my favorite neighborhood parks. It has a nice basketball court, baseball field, and the playground equipment is in really great shape. It has a pretty small play structure with a nice set of rings, balance beams and monkey bars. Park your car and it’s a pleasant walk across an open field. This field is the perfect spot to learn how to ride a bike or play some field sports.

Caveats: No bathrooms – we’ve gone inside the school a couple of times, but I’m sure we probably weren’t supposed to! Watch out on the merry-go-round – it’s raised off the ground, which I think is a bit more dangerous for young toddlers.

Website: Sewallcrest Park

Distance from Portland: This park is approximately 2 miles from downtown Portland.

Recommended Ages: This is a perfect park for young toddlers and kids under 8.

Parental Stress Factor: Low stress. This is in a very quiet area of southeast Portland. It doesn’t get very much traffic when compared to nearby parks.

Physical Difficulty: Flat terrain with paved paths, which make it pretty accessible.

Family Fun Factor: Low to Medium – this is probably not the best park for a family outing; unless, your kids are all under 8. If you want to visit a park for a pretty relaxed hour or two, this park fits the bill.

Pet Friendly: Sewallcrest has an off-leash area for dogs. Check the website for for hours. Besides that, when things are slow, the park has a nice open field to walk your dog or play some fetch.

Weather Considerations: Open year round! In the winter, the field will get pretty muddy, so make sure your kids where some rubber boots.

Insider Info: Curly slide! This park is in a very quiet neighborhood. After the park, take a stroll around the block and check-out all the nice houses. You’re also within walking range of the Hawthorne District.

 

 

 

 

Family Tips: Watch your kids on the corkscrew slide! It’s a 2-story slide, and it’s pretty open and airy on the way up. My wife saw a kid take a tumble down the steps, and it wasn’t pretty. Because there are some paved paths, a stroller is a decent option for transporting kids from the car to the park.

 

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