Fun close to home at Coleman Park

With gas prices continuing to hover near the four dollar a gallon mark, it has become important to find fun places to experience while staying close to home, especially with kids. Sometimes that is difficult because of familiarity. Take Coleman Park, for instance.

Coleman Park is known for the baseball and soccer fields that it contains but it also has so much more to offer. The tennis courts are a great family fun activity that allows everyone to chance to swing the racquet.

Whether playing a serious match or just being silly with the kids, the space and opportunity is a fun and affordable way to spend several hours.

The primary feature of Coleman, and the most overlooked, is the walking track and lake. As a fairly new resident to Hopkins County, the Coleman walking track has been an unexpected delight. Whether walking, running, or biking, the track provides the scenery that very few parks can boast.

On a recent walk, I was able to spot an entire habitat of wildlife. The ducks and geese were friendly. The squirrels and rabbits did not instantly bold away. The turtles often will follow underneath you as you pass over the bridge.

On one instance when my children and I journey onto a peninsula to explore the disc golf course, we unexpectedly found a trove of fish (what I assumed to be as carp). Huge fish that would rise up and expose their fins from the water and then dive back down. My daughter was taken with the cranes as they strolled through the shallows on the hunt for minnows. My son was excited to see the occasional aquatic snake.

Then there is “Imagination Mountain.” We have imagined that large hill to be a castle, a fort, a mountain, and a treasure map, and that was just one long afternoon. The waterfall and stair-stepped rocks are infinitely enjoyable.

When looking for affordable and fun placing to play in Sulphur Springs, Coleman Park should be at the top of your list.

Hope to see you there.