Top 10 - City Parks in the USA

     There are hundreds of thousands of city parks in the U.S. By "city parks" I mean parks that lie within or bordering the city limits, and are run by local municipalities rather than the state or national park systems, and do not charge an admission fee. Of those hundreds of thousands, there are hundreds of parks that are famous for one reason or another. If I'm lucky, I may have visited 10% of the top 100 city parks in the U.S. With that in mind, here is my top ten list of city parks that I have personally visited. Naturally, I reserve the right to update this list in the future as I continue to explore this beautiful country of ours.

10. Boston Common (Boston, MA) - Boston Common is the oldest city park in the United States (1634). Originally used for cattle grazing and public hangings, it was later used by the British troops during the Revolutionary War and forms the southern end of Boston's Freedom Trail. Other points of interest include: the Central Burying Ground, the Frog Pond (an ice skating rink in winter), Brewer Fountain, Boylston Station and Park Street Station (the first two subway stations in America), Parkman Bandstand, and memorials commemorating the Boston Massacre, the Old Elm Tree, Robert Gould Shaw and the Fifty-Fourth Regiment. Best time to go - autumn for the fall colors.

9. Hemisfair Park (San Antonio, TX) - The Hemisfair was built to host the 1968 World's Fair. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." The main symbol of the fair was the Tower of the Americas, which dominates the city landscape. As often happens after an international celebration, many of the structures no longer served a sustainable purpose and were left to rot. In preparation for the 20th anniversary of the fair, the city renovated the park with cascading waterfalls, fountains and playgrounds. A branch of the river that forms the Riverwalk starts in the park. Other notable venues are: The Convention Center, the Convention Center Theater, Yanaguana Garden, and several pavilions remaining from the fair including the Mexico Pavilion, the USA Pavilion, and the Women's Pavilion.

Tower of the Americas

8. Storybook Island (Rapid City, SD) - In 1959, the Rapid City Rotary Club created a charitable, non-profit corporation to establish and operate a free children's park. The result was Storybook Island. The park was an immediate hit, attracting thousands of visitors through its tower gates. The park is filled with sets that portray characters from a variety of fables and nursery rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, the Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Yogi Bear, and much more. Storybook Island is a seasonal park, open each year from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

7. Fort Worth Water Gardens (Fort Worth, TX) - The 4.3 acre Water Gardens were designed by noted New York architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. It is billed as a "cooling oasis in the concrete jungle" of downtown Fort Worth. The main attraction is the Active Pool, in which water cascades down concrete terraces into a small pool at the bottom. Steps allow visitors to safely walk down into the midst of the cascading water. In addition to the Active Pool, visitors can enjoy meditating next to the Quiet Water Pool or enjoy feeling the spray from the fountains of the Aerating Pool.

Active Pool

6. Pioneer Park (St. George, UT) - Pioneer Park is a rustic park designed with adventure in mind. Visitors are encouraged to hike through the beautiful red rock formations and climb to the top of various boulders for fabulous views of the city. Some of the more popular formations include Dixie Rock, Boy Scout Cave, an historical pioneer cabin built in between massive red boulders, arches, and slot canyons including one called the Narrows.

Boulder Cabin

5. Liliuokelani Park and Gardens (Hilo, HI) - This beautiful park, with its cultivated Japanese gardens is located on the big island of Hawaii. The park site was donated by Queen Lili'uokalani after a tsunami devastated much of the area. It is believed to be the largest Japanese style garden outside Japan. Some prominent features include Waihonu Pond, bridges, koi ponds, pagodas, statues, and a Japanese tea house. A footbridge leads to Moku ola (aka Coconut Island), which is a popular site for picnics.

4. Balboa Park (San Diego, CA) - Balboa Park is a 1,200 acre urban park combining a variety of museums, gardens, theaters and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The land was first set aside for recreational use in 1835, before California was even a state, making it one of the oldest public parks in the nation. It has hosted two international expositions which have left their mark in the form of the classical architecture that dots the park. In addition to the zoo, some of the most popular attractions include: The San Diego Air & Space Museum, the San Diego Automotive Museum, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the San Diego Museum of Man, the Botanical Building, the Alcazar Garden, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Old Globe Theatre.

3. Central Park (Manhatten, NY) - Central Park is possibly the most famous city park in the world. This mammoth 843-acre masterpiece was built in the 1800's by Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as the nation's first public park. Today it stands out as a swath of green amidst the towering skyscrapers that surround it. The park has hundreds of features including playgrounds, ponds, gardens, lakes, fountains, statues, bridges, shaded trails, sports venues, a zoo, and a carousel. If that isn't enough, the park is bordered by some of New York's most popular museums and attractions.

2. Griffith Park (Los Angeles, CA) - As big as Central Park is, Griffith Park is even bigger (4,310 acres). Yet while Central Park has been manicured to pack as much entertainment value as possible into every square yard, Griffith Park by comparison is a sprawling, untamed expanse of wilderness with pockets of entertainment at strategic locations. Some of its popular attractions include: the Griffith Observatory, the Merry-Go-Round, the Hollywood sign, the L.A. Zoo, the old zoo ruins, Pony rides, Travel Town Railroad Museum, playgrounds, hiking trails, and much more.

Griffith Observatory

1. Garden of the Gods (Colorado City, CO) - Much of the area known as Garden of the Gods was purchased by Charles Elliott Perkins in 1879. Upon his death, his family gave the land to the city of Colorado Springs under the provision that it be a free public park. The remainder of the land was owned by Perkins' friend William Jackson Palmer, who also donated his portion to the city upon his death. Today visitors enjoy walking among and climbing on the giant red rock monoliths, looking for the unique shapes from which most of the landmarks get their names: Kissing Camels, Cathedral Spires, Steamboat Rock, Balanced Rock, Llama's Heads, and much more.