Olson Park

One of Ann Arbor’s many parks — this is a great place to bring kids or for outdoor activities. Their playground has a jungle gym, swings, and even a causal climbing wall. There is also a basketball court, soccer field, and bathroom.
If you are planning on hosting a larger gathering, you will need to call Ann Arbor parks to reserve the venue. There are grills as well as a shelter which make it great for barbecues and picnics. There is also plenty of parking. The cost to reserve is around $ 175.
If you are looking for an open space to for a jog or a place to play sports, definitely check this place out.

Olson park has an off-​leash dog park area and a number of trails winding around a pond at the center of the park. The off-​leash dog park is two stars, the rest of the park is four stars, leaving me with this average of three.
The off-​leash dog park is small. It’s certainly a place for dogs to play off-​leash but it’s not a place to walk around and my issue with smaller parks is that it is a breeding ground for gate aggression when dogs are all just hanging out near the entrance/​exit. Swift Run Dog Park on the south side of town is probably the better choice of the two, simply because it’s a bit bigger. Another issue, neither dog park offers daily passes for purchase on-​site. What’s a girl to do?!
Head to the trails! We found much more enjoyment after leaving the dog park area and heading out onto the trails. Mountain bikes are welcome as are on-​leash dogs. They did a nice job of really winding the trails around, making the most of this 54 acre parcel of land. You do hear a bit of highway noise from M-​14 but it is nice to walk on dirt trails that are, for the most part, shaded.
All in all, I would head back here for the trails but not for the dog park.

Small, clean, accessible park across from Gretchen’s House on Dhu Varren. While the newer playscape is small (go to County Farm Park for more), the round pavilion /​shelter is big and spacious, and easier to get for events than Gallup, etc. with plenty of parking. While it’s right by M-​14 (not the most inspiring view of nature in Ann Arbor), it’s hard enough to get to that it stays pretty quiet.

Super fun park with lots of amenities. A pavilion for parties and picnicking, BBQs, a new, clean playground for happy kid times, a basketball court, soccer field, a dog run for the pups, a fishing dock, and a little bathroom shack for when nature calls. Oh and tons of bike trails.
The great part about this park is that they’ve retained a lot of the nature around it. The amenities fit in seamlessly to the grasslands, lots of wild flowers, etc. It looks as lovely as it is to enjoy!