Shadow Bay Park457

Don't let the power poles at the entrance fool you - Shadow Bay Park offers safe and fun recreation surrounded - mostly - by nature.

This bustling park offers a little bit of something for everyone. There's a hiking path throughout the park, and leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. Covered rental pavilions and picnic areas are scattered throughout the area and offer much needed shade in the summer, but fill up quickly, especially on weekends.

Shadow Bay Park offers one of the most inclusive kids playgrounds in the area, with the main play yard filled with slides, ladders, bridges, and swings for almost every age. Different sized equipment lets toddlers hang out in the same playground as their older siblings, without having to get in each other's way. The surface is made up of shredded bouncy recycled tires and feels like a tumbling mat, so spills off of the ends of slides won't hurt so much, and the majority of the playground is shaded by large canopies. A smaller play set is right around the corner from the main play area, and serves as a great place for kids to play while parents hang out in the nearby covered picnic table.

The park's hard-to-miss feature is the 13 court tennis complex, complete with a pro shop. Tennis lessons are available, and numerous tennis leagues also practive at the facility. There are also basketball courts and a baseball field.

The park also contains three ponds for fishing, all of which are stocked and have tip boards for the type of fish in the lake and information about catch and release requirements. A path in the far back corner of the park takes you to Hidden Pond, the quietest fishing hole and appropriately named since you can't see it from any of the populated areas of this recreation site.

Classes: The park offers a number of recreation and family programs including Jr. Magic Basketball, a co-ed basketball league for children five to 11 years old, and Mommy & Me programs that include crafts, storytimes, games, and other activities for moms and pre-school aged children. Call 407.254.9175 for additional information.