Parks & Playgrounds: Sumpter Park

By Emy Sloan

Sumpter Park is a great place to take your kids to burn off some of that extra energy. It’s also the perfect spot to take the dog for a walk, throw the ball around or plan a family picnic! Set in a beautiful South Salem neighborhood, adjacent to Sumpter Elementary School, this 4.4 acre park has got it all- ball fields, walking paths, tennis and basketball courts and of course a great little playground!

The playground area is small but sweet, with lots of fun play equipment. There’s a larger structure for bigger kids which is actually pretty challenging! It includes a climbing wall, rope ladder, climbing net, plenty of bars to swing around on and a couple of steep slides!

The play structure for the smaller kids is fun too! There’s a ramp, shorter slides, interactive play walls and a loud musical bell to ring. There’s a booth with a table underneath, just perfect for playing ‘restaurant’ with bark chips! There’s also a teeter totter, a stand-alone slide and a swing set with baby swings.

There are plenty of picnic tables and benches to relax on as well water fountains, dog-bag stations and BBQ areas. The tennis court is large and well maintained with a smaller basketball court attached. There are plenty of tall trees that provide adequate shade. There are no bathrooms on site.