By Emily Harrington
If you live in West Champaign, you should make a point to stop at Turnberry Ridge Park at 910 Cobblefield Road—just a short jog off Staley Road.
This park is smack in the middle of a neighborhood while free from the sounds of traffic and any businesses. Street parking is abundant, and it leads to one of the concrete paths surrounding and intertwining inside the park.
There are two main structures at the center of the 5-acre lot. The main structure is designed for 6-to-12 year olds (however, my 3-year-old boy did just fine maneuvering this structure safely). It features different levels of platforms that lead to a swirly slide, dueling straight slides, two rock walls and climbing ladders. At ground level there are tables, domes and windows. One of the best features of this park are the suspended platforms for balancing and hopping from one to the other.
The smaller structure is designed for children ages 2 to 5. It’s kind of like a little house with no roof. The walls have different playthings to look at and touch.
Both structures are constructed in wood mulch. You’ll also find some random toys to step and spin on. Right by those play items you’ll see a small, square area that is under construction. Don’t worry—no hazard here. The Champaign Park District is simply replacing a broken toy. This park also has a bank of swings (two belt and two bucket), and it has a basketball court with a hopscotch court painted on it.
There is a water fountain, but no portable potties are available here. You can keep your eyes on your little one while sitting on one of the many benches, or you can eat lunch under the pavilion.
This park is definitely worth a visit! There was no one there when we visited late in the afternoon. There’s a lot of green space, and there are only a few trees making this a perfect spot for kite flying or playing a game of Frisbee.
Emily Harrington is a Chambana townie that left her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job to be a 24/7 mom to a dreamy son. Still interested in writing, Emily uses some of naptime to practice her passion and keep her mind right. Emily is a happy wife with a happy life, because she fell for a fellow townie. Oh, and let’s not forget her other son—a degenerate canine named Heppenheimer.