Morgan Creek Park
Today I’m reviewing Morgan Creek Park located at 7212 E Ave NW in Cedar Rapids, IA.
This park features 3 really cool-looking play structures in different sizes. There’s a small play structure for 2-7 year olds, and a medium and huuuuuge play structure for 5-12 year olds.
There are also 3 zip lines, one of which has an accessible chair. There are multiple spinning features. My favorite one is a giant sphere which is super cool, and there are a bunch of different swings including a baby swing, traditional swings, an accessible swing, a tandem swing with large seats (as opposed to the parent-and-baby swings I’ve seen at other playgrounds, this one has two large seats facing each other), and there’s also one large circular swing.
Other Features: Morgan Creek Park also features a trail, a huge pavilion, a bathroom structure, and a few little shaded picnic areas.
How to get there: My GPS was a little confused as to how to get there, which I’m assuming is because it’s so new. I’m horrible with cardinal directions but I can tell you that my gps said I was there when I clearly wasn’t so I had to keep going straight and turn right at the roundabout onto E ave until I saw the sign for the entrance. The playground itself is not very visible off the main road but you will see the big sign. There’s a long driveway with a parking lot at the trail entrance first and then ends at a very large parking lot near the playground.
Parking: There is a ton of parking near the playground, which is great. Even when we went toward the beginning of the summer when it was packed, we still easily found a place to park. Be aware that there is a little waterway creek thing in the middle of the parking lot with a small bridge to get from one side to the other. LIke I said before, there’s also a smaller parking lot near the trail entrance, which I haven’t personally checked out yet.
Restrooms: There are some nice brand new bathrooms there. I haven’t tested them out and I’m not sure if they lock them once it starts to get cold out like they do at many parks, but I’m going to assume they’re pretty nice restrooms since they’re new. The bathrooms are located in between the playground and the large pavilion.
Shade: As far as shade, there aren’t any shade trees around, but there is a large shade sail (try saying that 3 times fast), above the smallest play structure. There are also at least 3 little picnic structures that provide shade and, of course, the huge pavilion. All of these options make this park a great picnic spot. I love the idea of the little picnic shade structure areas, which I don’t think I’ve seen at other parks.
Surface: The play surface underneath the play structures is a squishy colorful playground surface and the area is very wheels-accessible overall. I did not see any ramps up into any of the play structures, however. They have nice wide sidewalks leading to the restrooms and pavilions making it stroller and wheelchair friendly for getting around.
Accessibility: There is a zip-line with a chair as well as a swing with a chair. The tandem swing, the large spinning sphere, and the circular swing could all also be options for children with diverse physical needs.
Pros: Some things I love about this park are the cool geometric shapes, the fact that there are tons of options, the place is brand new and the last time we were there I even saw staff members cleaning every surface (even the informational signs!). I’m not sure how often that happens, but it was nice to see! I also appreciate that even though the large structure is suuuuper tall, the highest features are enclosed so I’m not too worried about kids falling. It’s also kind of nice that it’s basically out in a big field so there are no busy roads or anything nearby.
Cons: My not-so-favorite features of this park are that the sight lines can get tricky with all the enclosed structures and there are lots of directions kids can run which can make it hard to follow multiple kids around. The first time we were there it was PACKED. It literally reminded me of watching a colony of ants on an anthill and it was way too much for me to handle. We had to peace out of there pretty quickly. I’ve heard that it chilled out a little bit as the summer went on, especially at the early hours. The park opens at 4am, but I certainly don’t plan to be there that early!
This time we were able to go mid-morning on a school day and it was much less busy and a much better experience. Truthfully, we had to leave for school before my 4 year old was ready so we definitely plan to go back.
Have you been to Morgan Creek Park? What did you think?
