We are very lucky to have a great deal of parks and playgrounds in walking distance to many homes in the Chicopee-Holyoke area. From an early age, my kids always loved going to the park. They loved the climbing, the swinging, the slides and all the water features in the hot summer months. I loved bringing them to burn off all that energy plus it's something FREE we can do!
Since we began homeschooling this year, the parks have been a great way for us to meet up with other families and let the kids be kids. There weren't many co-op groups running and so many indoor places were closed so we used the parks and playgrounds as a way to help the kids be social with one another. We love to explore new parks and all that they have to offer but here are our top 4 in the Chicopee-Holyoke area.
Here are my family's top 4 parks and playgrounds in the Chicopee-Holyoke area.
Please note: This story was written during COVID-19. Some parks and playgrounds may still be closed or features are closed. Things tend to change daily so it the information here may not be up to date. We will update this list as summer comes and we are able to explore more and find out if water features will be opening.
I listed these in alphabetical order.
Bowie Park
80 Dare Way
Chicopee
What we love about Bowie Park:
Bowie Park located between Bowie and Selser School. It has tons of climbing structures to keep the kids climbing for days. The field is extremely large and the kids have spent many years playing soccer there. There most favorite equipment at this playground has to be the huge tires that they can climb on and through.
Amenities at Bowie:
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Chicopee State Park
570 Burnett Rd
Chicopee
What we love about Chicopee State Park:
Chicopee State Park brings the combination of beach and forest together into one. We love that we have a place so close to home that allows us to pursue our passion of swimming while also giving us some sand castle building time. The beach is framed off and when you don't want to get sand in your lunch, you can set up a picnic blanket in the grass in the shade under some beautiful trees. Chicopee State Park is a great place to go swimming for a few hours, or bring the coolers and barbeque at one of the picnic sites with grills. It does cost $8 to park for the day but make a day of it and it will be well worth the cost.
Amenities at Chicopee State Park:
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Community Field Park
Community Field Road
Holyoke
What we love about Community Field:
Community Field Park is surrounded by trees and walking trails right off the highway entrance in Holyoke. We love the different climbing structures but more importantly we love that we can bring our dog Duke to the dog park. There are also some great walking trails and in the winter there is a 300' refrigerated ice skating path! A good time for the entire family no matter the season.
Amenities at Community Field:
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Ray Ash
687 Arcade St
Chicopee
What we love about Ray Ash:
We are probably biased to Ray Ash park because it is in walking distance of our home, but the kids never seem to get bored of it. There are two playgrounds, one for smaller tots and another for older kids with lots of climbing and slides. There is a large field that kids can play sports in, fly a kite or ride their bikes. In the summer months, the kids would love to play in the new spray pad or head on into the enclosed pool area. When my children were really little, I always loved this park because of the location of the playground to the road. Worrying about twin toddlers going in different directions has always been a huge concern to moms with multiples.
Amenities at Ray Ash:
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We hope this list of top four playgrounds and parks in Chicopee-Holyoke area helps you find -- or rediscover! -- some fun places for your family to explore. Stay tuned for a summer update of this article. We plan on getting all the scoop on summer lunches, when and if pools and splash pads will open and hope to explore new parks in our community. Now that things are opening up more I hope to explore some new parks to us in the Ludlow area to add them to this list. If you have a favorite park in the Chicopee, Holyoke, or Ludlow area that you think we should explore and add to the list, please fill out this form HERE and let me know! Now get those kids out to play!
