BlueCross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
This is a newly opened (as of August 2019) community park offering a phenomenal range of active and passive recreational opportunities for all ages. Its unique value proposition lies in providing extensive play structures, an outdoor splash park, various sports training grounds, and outdoor gym equipment, all within a family-friendly environment that encourages active participation from adults alongside children. Parents highly value the availability of clean, full restroom facilities as a significant upgrade from typical park amenities.
Key Highlights
- ✓Extensive and diverse play equipment for children.
- ✓Outdoor splash park for water play.
- ✓Dedicated mini football and soccer training ground.
- ✓Exercise and gym equipment suitable for all ages.
- ✓Paved walking trail and a track and field area.
- ✓On-site community pavilion, ideal for gatherings.
- ✓Full, on-site restroom facilities, praised for being clean (contrasting with port-a-potties).
- ✓Encourages active family engagement, with adults playing alongside children (e.g., water gun fights).
Standout Features
- ⭐Outdoor splash park (bring swimsuits).
- ⭐Mini football and soccer training ground (bring balls).
- ⭐Variety of exercise and gym equipment for all ages.
- ⭐Proper, full, and generally clean restroom facilities on-site.
- ⭐Awesome and diverse children's play equipment.
- ⭐Community pavilion for shaded breaks and gatherings.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Bring swimsuits and towels if you plan to use the outdoor splash park or engage in water play, as water guns are actively used.
- →Be prepared for potential encounters with guests exhibiting anti-social behavior (smoking, cursing); parents should assess their comfort level.
- →Parking might be challenging, so allow extra time or consider alternative transportation if available.
- →While restrooms are generally clean, it's advisable to check upon arrival, as some areas 'could use more attention'.
- →Manage expectations for walking trails; they are functional but may not be the county's best scenic paths.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Cleanliness and maintenance of some restrooms and pavilion areas 'could use more attention'.
- ⚠Reports of inappropriate behavior from some guests, including smoking weed and cursing at children.
- ⚠Parking is reported as 'not great', suggesting limited or difficult availability.
- ⚠Walking paths might not be considered 'one of the better paths' compared to other trails in the county.
Price & Value
This is a free community park, explicitly sponsored by Blue Cross. It offers an excellent value proposition given the extensive range of facilities for no entry cost, including a splash park, sports grounds, and diverse play equipment. No hidden costs for entry or specific features are mentioned.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •The park features 'exercise and gym equipment for all ages', suggesting a general design for broad use. However, no specific accommodations such as wheelchair-accessible play areas, sensory-friendly hours, or staff training for special needs are explicitly mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No specific food and drink rules are mentioned in the reviews. As a public community park, it is generally assumed that outside food and beverages are permitted, but no details about concessions or restrictions are provided.
🚗Parking Info
- •Parking is described as 'not great', indicating potential difficulty in finding spots or limited availability, which parents should factor into their visit planning.
👥Crowd Levels
- •No specific times or days are noted for high crowd levels. However, the mention of diverse 'people and guests' implies it can attract a varied crowd, some exhibiting negative behaviors.
🛡️Safety Features
- •No explicit safety features such as staff supervision of play areas, wristbands for entry/exit, or on-site first aid stations are mentioned. The presence of inappropriate adult behavior by some guests might suggest a lack of active monitoring or enforcement of park rules.
⏰When to Avoid
- • If you are highly sensitive to public displays of anti-social behavior (e.g., smoking, cursing) among other guests.
- • If your primary goal is a long, scenic, or meticulously maintained walking trail.
- • If convenient and ample parking is a critical requirement without other transport options.
Pricing/Package/Events
What People Say
What's Great
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 6 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 5 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Mattman
7 months agoVery cool place lots to do for the kido’s lots of places to play and have full Restrooms could use more attention some pavilion areas Sorry the pictures are not great Took them far away from the kids
Destiny Herron
7 months agoI had a great time. My boyfriend (27) and myself included (24) took his 4 year old son there. We actively played with the kids there. I was shot with a water gun several times. By my boyfriend and other kids at the park. I felt like a one man army. But i would highly recommend going. It’s perfect for a family gathering.
Pamela Bramlett
5 years agoToday, Aug 10, 2019 marked the Grand opening of the Blue Cross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park in the heart of Whitehaven on Whitehaven Lane. What a magnificent addition to the Whitehaven community. The park is simply phenomenal! It's filled with everything from exercise and gym equipment for all ages, to an outdoor splash park, to a mini football and soccer training ground, to a walking trail, track and field area, community pavilion, and on-site restroom facilities. Every aspect of the park is breathtaking. As a Whitehaven resident, we are so very thankful to Blue Cross for sponsoring the park. Kudos to our Whitehaven District 3 Council woman Patrice Robinson for her tireless work in the Whitehaven community and thanks to Mayor Strickland and the entire city council for approving the Blue Cross Healthy Place project in Whitehaven. We value the work and efforts of all the people who worked to bring this project to completion. I pledge to do my part to keep our park as beautiful tomorrow as it is today! 5 STARS *****
Elaine Byrd
3 weeks agoThe people and guests were smoking weed and cursing at their kids, the parking isn't great, but the equipment is awesome
Patricia R Ford
2 years agoI was in the area for breakfast and decided to take a short stroll. It's a family friendly park with lots of options for children's play. I like walking through many parks and trails in the county. Though it's not one of the better paths I've taken; it's granted a high ranking for the availability of a clean restroom versus a port a potty. It's a new park and I hope the city and visitors maintain its integrity.