Special Note: Sadly, this playground has been torn down and is no longer open.

The fabulous natural playground at Baker Creek Preserve makes mother nature the shining star. Here a variety of rocks, logs, hills, and grassy areas are arranged to create a vast natural jungle gym that will entice your child to climb and interact with nature like never before! In addition, the park also features a variety of hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and a more traditional-style playground across the street.

Baker Creek Natural Playground in Knoxville

Description

This playground is a totally unique adventure for kids of a variety of ages. If you park in the upper parking lot, the first feature you’ll encounter is the large scale bamboo chimes. These are really fun, but my almost 3 year old was a little scared of them at first. Once he warmed up, he had a great time running through and knocking the bamboo pieces together to create “music.”

The fun continues as you head deeper into the park with a variety of natural climbing structures made from tree stumps, logs,  and various sized boulders. The stair structures come in differing widths and heights, which encourages kids to use a range of motion and balancing skills. There is also a more formal rock climbing wall.

There are several tame slides built into the hill side, connected by the various climbing features. Meandering throughout the space, there is ample grassy area for tumbling, rolling, and wiggling your toes in the blades. At the bottom of the hill there is a large field and basket filled with balls, which are graciously maintained by the neighborhood.

Around the perimeter of the playground there are several different hiking and mountain biking trails. This trail is specifically designated for kids 15 and younger, but there are all ages trails as well. There is also a unique little bike jump course. Across the street from the natural playground, the park boasts more traditional play equipment including swings, a climbing center, and more.

Special Considerations

• There are currently no picnic tables nor running water, but port-o-johns are on site.
• Although the side with the traditional playground equipment is very shady, there is absolutely no shade at the natural playground.
• They are in the process of revamping the neighboring building, which shares the same parking lot, into a lifestyle center, which will include shopping, a coffee house, and more.