Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park - Fun Hike For Little Kids

Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park Summary

Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park offers a great hike for the younger crowd or parents who have to hike with a baby in a carrier. There are no strenuous hills, only some light obstacles to navigate, and plenty of fun snack stops.

There are many deviations to your path, including walking clockwise or foregoing the woods altogether in favor of a paved loop.

There's a bathroom and a map at the entrance. You'll find ample parking for a large group - we've gone with five families in the past. The exercise equipment quickly becomes a jungle gym once the hike or walk ends.

Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park Hike

When we hike at Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park, we go counterclockwise, starting on the park's east end. The hike begins on a paved trail with exercise equipment like chin-up bars. The kids typically run from station to station as we start the trek.

We walk about a quarter loop on the paved trail and take the first exit. The exit can be tricky in the summer or spring when there are leaves, as the entrance looks like a secret wood. It's much more visible in the fall and winter when no leaves exist.

The way you spot it is there's a fence with a sign directly across from it.

Now, the wooded area has a bunch of different paths you can go. We make a loop by staying right at every fork. That way, you go down to the creek bed, walk next to the creek bed for a little bit, and then head back to where you started the hike.

Fleshing out the details, it's maybe a quarter mile down to the creek bed. When you reach the creek, about a third of the hike is over, and at this point, the kids stop for their first snack break. They do an excellent job of eating and throwing rocks into the creek. You can generally walk out onto the creek bed - it's never been full of water for us in the last three years.

After the creek bed, it's maybe half a mile back up a gradual incline to where you started the hike. When you get back to the start of the hike, there is a lifesize checkered board, some exercise equipment, a hill, and picnic tables. Our gaggle of kids makes them a playground for 15 to 30 minutes each time.

So, all in all, it is a very solid hike for little kids. It's not intense by any stretch, which is good if you have to carry one of them on your back some of the way.

Additional Paths At Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park

There are other trails in the magical woods. We've never done it, but you can go left instead of right in the woods. One of these trail branches takes you over the creek and onto a running path, but with little kids, we haven't tried that.

There's also a mile-and-a-half paved loop around the entire park. You walk past several different ball fields, including soccer and baseball, and past the entrance to the park.