Riverside Park

A nice walk, especially weekends when something is always happening. Come early if you want to meet the locals, or late afternoon if you like quiet time. This is a good place to get a sense of what the town is all about.

Awesome place! You can do many things here, walk your dog, fishing, frisbee, picnic, you name it. There are always events too such as festivals gatherings and car shows. In the winter you can go sledding and enjoy looking at the pretty trees and dock. Lots if ducks too. Best if all! It’s free!!!

I’ve had many good times here, and never any trouble. Sometimes it can be a bit dirty, but all in all the city (or perhaps the community?) seems to do a good job of maintaining it. Great place for spending a bit of time in a green space without leaving the city.

I grew up in the area so perhaps I am biased but… I love this place. As a kid I spent hours here walking around, fishing, riding my bike and just being a kid. Now with kids of my own I take them here often for a walk after visiting our local favorite places for food/​treats.

Conveniently located next to both Downtown Ypsilanti and Depot Town, Riverside Park is an absolute treasure! This wonderful park sits beside the Huron River and offers serene sights and sounds of the clear water flowing through it. There is a wonderful wooden bridge that connects the park to Frog Island Park and the rest of Depot Town, as well.
There are many local events that take place in the park so you will often stumble upon large groups of people or crowds partaking in a little bit of Ypsilanti culture; when the park isn’t being used for an event, it is a bit calmer, but still attracts plenty of visitors. It is always kept quite clean (even right after the events), and there are quite a few benches, docks, and gazebos for spending a bit of time and relaxing in the park.
I think Riverside Park is a great place to mosey around before or after a meal at one of the amazing restaurants in the vicinity. If you’re in Downtown/​Depot Town I highly suggest you take a little break and enjoy the park and the surrounding area (why not take the bridge over to Frog Island and take in the beautiful Huron River and appreciate one of the best things Ypsilanti has to offer)!

I like to come here just before dusk to jog. It’s pretty quiet and peaceful, yet lively enough to people watch. I also appreciate that it is kept pretty clean, smelling the water and grass is a major plus.

Riverside is a great park to take a walk in, and I have, many times. You have to watch out for goose droppings, but that’s true of most of the parks along the Huron River in the Ann Arbor/​Ypsilanti area.
Large parts of the park are shady if you want to chill out and not get sunburned. There is a shaded pavilion and picnic tables.
The park also is the hosting site for a variety of yearly festivals, most notably the annual Heritage Festival but also ElvisFest and others. It’s a nice venue for festivals, and I’ve enjoyed the Heritage Festival there a couple of times.
Another thing that makes Riverside cool is that it’s between the historic Depot Town district and many downtown landmarks like the veritable Haab’s restaurant and the downtown branch of the Ypsilanti Library. In addition, via a set of stairs off to one side, the park connects to the Riverside Arts Theater, one of Ypsi’s hidden gems. Riverside Park also connects up with the smaller but equally cool Frog Island Park.

Great place to get away from it all, just a short walk from downtown Ypsi.
Once you take a few steps down the hillside, the traffic and noise of downtown are forgotten.
Plenty of parking. Good paths for bikes and walking. Acres of grass and lots of access to the river.
The fishing is okay near the Michigan Avenue bridge, but through most of the park you won’t have much luck. I hear the fishing is a lot better downstream.
You can use the famous three-​way bridge to get to frog island park, which has a nice track for running or walking.