Park Address: 2900 Leslie Park Cir, Ann Arbor MI 481045
Hours and Rules
Open 6 a.m.-midnight with quiet hours beginning at 10 p.m. Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules. Smoking is prohibited, alcohol is prohibited, and dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Leslie Park is a large 38-acre park located off Dhu Varren Road, tucked between neighborhoods on the city's north side. View the
Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park contains two play areas, one tennis court, six dedicated pickleball courts, basketball courts, softball fields, a sledding hill with a great view over the golf course, picnic tables, benches and open fields. There is ample parking and a portable restroom in the summer. An accessible asphalt walking/biking path connects all of the activities. Trails connect Leslie Park to
Black Pond Woods.
Food Forest Project: Video captures feedback from online meeting
An online informational meeting about the Leslie Park Food Forest Project took place on Thursday, Sept. 10. The Food Forest is being proposed by a citizen coalition interested in advancing food security and sustainability solutions. At this meeting, participants were encouraged to ask questions and share thoughts on the proposed project. A video of the meeting can be viewed on YouTube.
Access and Parking
There are several dirt parking lots in the park, near all of the activities.
The park is accessible on foot and bicycle. The park is accessible by walking and biking through the connected neighborhoods. There are bike lanes along nearby Dhu Varren Road and Pontiac Trail.
The park has trails connecting it to
Black Pond Woods Nature Area.
Public Transportation: The
nearest bus stop to the Leslie Park Circle entrance on the north side of the park is less than a five minute walk from the park. There is a
bus stop immediately adjacent to the trail entrance off of Pontiac Trail. Visit The Ride for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Using a phone? - Click for a GPS Tracker and Wayfinding Map
Amenities
- Benches and picnic tables
- Open grass fields
- 2 baseball/softball diamonds
- Tennis court (1)
- Pickleball courts (6)
- Paved trails with
winter maintenance
- Unpaved trails, connecting to
Black Pond Woods, view
trail map
- Grill
- Sledding hill
- Seasonal portable restroom
- Basketball courts (1 full and 2 half)
- Landfill receptacle
- During the winter, Leslie has a pick-up location for a sand/salt mixture to help treat sidewalks (available to city residents, typically starting in late November)
Volunteer
There are ongoing and limitless opportunities for volunteering and getting engaged with the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Unit. GIVE 365 and the seasonal Adopt-a-Park Program offer volunteer opportunities ranging from a 90-minute commitment, to a more long term, ongoing role. Natural Area Preservation also has volunteer opportunities that support their mission and involve volunteers in all aspects of maintaining biodiversity and restoring damaged ecosystems. If you are feeling the call to volunteer or give some time, reach out or explore the websites above to see what’s upcoming or how to get involved.
Report a Problem - A2 Fix It
To report any maintenance issues or other problem during your park visit, please report through A2Fix It. Keep in mind that parks are large spaces and A2 Fix It requests can be difficult to find without detailed information. When reporting an issue in a park please include location details. There is a details and description section near the end of the request process to help you provide this. In addition, users can utilize the pin (website) or X (mobile app) feature to provide specific location information inside the park. Finally, please consider including a wide angle photo or include background landmarks, which helps staff find and fix the problem.
Gifts and Donations
Information on donating to the parks and the Guide to Giving can be found here. Alternatively if you have a special project or park improvement idea that you want to donate your time and energy toward, a great place to start is through Adopt-a-Park and the proposing a special park project guide. For information on donating a tree through Adopt-a-Park, the tree donation guide can help you get started.
History
Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land here.
The property once known as the Hagen Farm was bought by the City of Ann Arbor from Eugene and Emily Leslie in 1963. Eugene was a chemist, professor, and inventor. Totalling about 207 acres, this land is now home to Leslie Park, the Leslie Park Golf Course, the Leslie Science and Nature Center, Leslie Woods Nature Area and more. This property was the largest ever purchased by the city for park and recreational purposes.
Steve Gilzow of the Ann Arbor Observer wrote about the Leslies and their generosity:
"E.H. and Emily Leslie both died in 1976. They had already given their home to the city, retaining a life lease, and had sold the farm for annual payments of $15,000. They forgave the remaining debt in their wills, and left a half-million-dollar trust fund that more than covered the past payments. It was one of the most generous gifts the city has ever received. The farm became Leslie Golf Course, Leslie Park, and Leslie Woods. The Traver Rd. property opened to the public in 1986 as the Leslie Science Center."
Read the whole article
here.
Read historical articles courtesy of the AADL about Eugene and Emily Leslie and their contributions here.
Updated January 2022. Email [email protected] for incorrect/outdated information.
