Southaven, Mississippi is a growing suburb of Memphis, Tennessee known for its family-friendly neighborhoods and quality of life. With a population of over 55,000 residents, Southaven offers plenty of parks and outdoor recreation spaces for people of all ages to enjoy. From large community parks with sports fields and walking trails to quaint neighborhood playgrounds, there is a park for everyone in Southaven.
This article will highlight 12 of the best parks found throughout the city, detailing the amenities and activities offered at each location. It provides an overview of both the well-known flagship parks as well as some of the hidden gem green spaces tucked into neighborhoods. Whether you want to take the kids to play, have a picnic lunch, walk the dog, or get in a workout, you’ll find a perfect park option in Southaven.
1.Snowden Grove Park
Snowden Grove Park is the largest park in Southaven, spanning over 100 acres near the city center. It contains a sprawling sports complex with eight fields that can accommodate baseball, softball, soccer, and football. The park also has three playground areas, two pavilions available to rent for gatherings, 1.3 miles of walking trails, and a disc golf course.
Families appreciate Snowden Grove for its variety of amenities and ability to entertain kids of all ages. The playgrounds include traditional equipment like slides and climbers as well as modern attractions like a zipline and rock climbing walls.
At the sports complex, there is always a game happening on the baseball diamonds or busy soccer fields. People also flock to Snowden Grove to walk their dogs or jog on the trails that wind through the trees surrounding the open grassy areas. With so much to do, Snowden Grove Park is a popular getaway for Southaven residents.
2.T.E. Shutt Memorial Park
T.E. Shutt Memorial Park honors the founder of Southaven and provides a peaceful green retreat in the center of town. The 25-acre park offers a one-mile paved walking trail encircling a tranquil five-acre fishing lake. Visitors can fish from the banks or rent a small boat to go out on the water. The park also contains a playground, picnic pavilions, and a Veterans Memorial site.
As one of the few fishing spots in Southaven, T.E. Shutt Memorial Park attracts those looking to enjoy a relaxing day by the water. Families appreciate the playground and picnic facilities that let them make a full day out of the visit.
The park also hosts 5K runs and walks year-round thanks to the scenic trail around the lake. Whether you’re in the mood for exercise or recreation, T.E. Shutt Memorial Park is a go-to community park in the heart of Southaven.
3.Thompson Park
Nestled next to Town Hall, Thompson Park serves as the central gathering place for community events in Southaven. The 12-acre park contains a large open lawn lined with trees, a small playground, and a walking trail encircling the perimeter. The lawn has hosted concerts, movie nights, farmer’s markets, and festivals throughout the years.
For day-to-day gatherings, Thompson Park has picnic tables and benches where families can relax for lunch. Kids enjoy the colorful playground equipment next to shade trees. There is also an expansive wooden deck overlooking the large lawn, which is perfect for wedding photo shoots.
Thompson Park provides green space in an otherwise developed area while also representing the heartbeat of the Southaven community with its public events.
4.Grace Christian Park
Managed by Grace Christian Academy, this small park allows youth sports leagues like little league football to practice and host games. With two well-maintained grass fields, Grace Christian Park can easily run multiple matches during peak seasons. Surrounding the fields is additional open space where people can throw frisbees, play with dogs, or find room for other outdoor activities.
The park may be located on private school grounds, but Grace Christian Academy allows public use of the recreational facilities when school is not in session. Families appreciate having this open green space available in the neighborhood to let kids burn off extra energy. For its role in supporting youth athletics, Grace Christian Park is an important component of leisure activities in Southaven.
5.Market Park
Market Park provides green space to complement the popular Market Street shops and restaurants in downtown Southaven. The small park contains a large tree-covered lawn lined with benches so people can sit and eat take-out food from the surrounding eateries. Strings of lights criss-cross above the central lawn area, setting the stage for community events. There is also a small gas fire pit that makes the park usable year-round.
Since its development, Market Park has hosted yoga classes, live music performances, holiday markets, and art fairs. When local establishments close for the day, residents meet friends to relax under the string lights of Market Park to extend the night. Whether you have kids, pets, a date night, or just yourself, Market Street provides public space to enjoy Southaven’s downtown district.
6.Southcrest Park
Tucked away in the southeast corner of Southaven, Southcrest Park boasts a large playground area shaded by soaring oak trees. In addition to standard slides and climbing structures, the playground has modern attractions like a 25-foot tower structure and 40-foot zip line. Southcrest Park surrounds this premier playground with walking trails, grassy open areas, and picnic facilities.
The shaded playground is the biggest kid magnet in the park as climbing structures like the tower challenge children to be adventurous. For parents and guardians, the walking trails provide an opportunity to get in exercise or simply enjoy nature while watching the kids play. Picnic tables offer the perfect spot for lunch after working up an appetite at the busy playground. Southcrest Park blends natural beauty with recreational amenities for family fun close to home.
7.Freedom Ridge Park
The centerpiece of the Freedom Ridge neighborhood, this busy park borders a small lake. At the playground, kids delight in equipment like spiral tube slides that end by dropping into a thick bed of mulch. There is also a large pavilion with attached grills for hosting outdoor gatherings and birthday parties. Visitors to the park walk out on the fishing pier in search of a catch from the lake.
Freedom Ridge Park appeals to the child in all of us with the unique spiral slides as well as other challenging equipment that little ones can climb and bounce on for hours. Families also take advantage of the picnic pavilion, lakeside grills, and fishing opportunities for full days of memory-making outdoor fun. The natural beauty of the trees reflecting on the small lake add serenity to accompany the non-stop motion of the playground.
8.Annory Park
Bordering the Reggie Barnes basketball complex, Annory Park is a popular spot for casual pickup games and shooting hoops. The full court attracts area youth leagues as well as teenagers and young adults looking to play. Surrounding the basketball court is a playground for younger kids not interested in the court competition.
Basketball reigns at Annory Park thanks to the quality of the lighted court where competitive one-on-one or team matchups occur daily. For aspiring young players, it’s an opportunity to watch and learn strategy to apply to their own school or recreational games. Meanwhile, the playground keeps the youngest family members entertained as the basketball playoffs rage on. Annory Park meets Southaven’s demand for access to both structured recreation and free play.
9.Dogwood Park
Families and their four-legged friends flock to Dogwood Park, which provides a fenced dog park along with playground equipment. The dog section has obstacles for agility training and lots of open space for chasing balls. Kids delight in playground attractions like rock climbing walls, swings, and slides. Picnic tables near the separate playground and dog park areas create gathering places for the whole family.
Dogwood Park smartly accounts for the needs of both children and pets with designated spaces for each to play. The dog obstacles allow pet owners to actively engage with their animals, and the picnic tables facilitate refreshment breaks. At the tot lot, the play structures occupy kids for hours on end. By accommodating kids, pets, and parents simultaneously, Dogwood Park facilitates simple joy.
10.Greenbrook Park
Lined by towering pines, willow trees, and colorful wildflowers, Greenbrook Park provides space to appreciate Southaven’s natural splendor. Walking trails wind through the semi-wooded 25-acre landscape past small creeks and bridges. There is also a Veterans Memorial with educational displays about each major conflict through history. Visitors often comment on the park’s beauty and peacefulness.
Outdoor enthusiasts walk or jog on the rustic trails as sunlight filters through the mature trees. Benches provide quiet spots for reading a book, enjoying a snack, or watching birds flit through the dense foliage. Interpretive panels tell the story of America’s military history. Through conscious preservation of the innate habitat, Greenbrook Park immerses visitors in the stunning natural beauty of Southaven.
11.Central Park
At the heart of Southaven’s historic original town center sits Central Park. A brick paver walking path lined with antique light posts encircles towering oak trees shading park benches. The park honors Southaven’s past with artwork, architecture, and design elements from the 1950s and 1960s when the city incorporated.
This iconic park provides a glimpse into what Southaven looked like in its earliest days. Strolling the historic walking path, visitors admire the mature trees and imagine the conversations that once filled this public square. Central Park ties together yesterday and today, representing Southaven’s foundation as well as its future. It is both a literal and figurative centerpiece to downtown.
12.Hope Park
Tucked behind Hope Presbyterian Church, this quaint neighborhood park appeals to young families. Known locally as Rocket Park for the red rocket play structure, kids spend hours climbing, sliding, and pretending on the equipment. Hope Park also includes baby swings, traditional swings, picnic tables, and several shade trees.
The signature rocket inspires imagination and courage as little astronauts blast off for pretend space travel. Toddlers enjoy the small sliding board connected to the structure while preschoolers climb higher to the large curvy slide. Nearby swings allow parents to join in on the fun while remaining close by the busy play area. When not orbiting the rocket, children delight in games of tag on the open grass. Hope Park packs lots of play opportunities into a cozy neighborhood setting.
Conclusion
With its welcoming parks system, Southaven promotes outdoor recreation, community gatherings, and fun with family.This article presented 12 shining examples of public space spanning manicured sports fields, fishing holes, walking trails, dog runs, and, of course, beloved playgrounds guaranteed to tire out the little ones.
Southaven offers big city amenities with a small-town charm through parks designed to serve residents and visitors of all ages, interests, and abilities. Whether you want to play tennis, walk your pup, have a picnic, or just let the kids run free, there is a perfect park for you in Southaven, Mississippi.