The best parks in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is one of the best cities in the UK for the sheer number of parks it has to offer. It’s a town full of green spaces and corridors that connect its suburbs together with large grassy areas and winding paths. In fact, Milton Keynes boasts over 6,000 acres of parkland and green space.

When you stay at Leonardo Hotel Milton Keynes, you’re never far from a wealth of beautiful spaces. Whether you are looking for a nice area to have a picnic with a playground for your kids to run wild on, somewhere to take a scenic run or just somewhere to think and relax, here are a few of our favourites.

The Best Parks for Kids

Kids need two things from a park: plenty of activities and lots of open space. These are the parks that deliver on both.



Stanton Low Country Park
Just on the northern border of Milton Keynes in the Oakridge Park area, Stanton Low is a great combination of wide open grass and a cool playground too. There’s plenty of equipment from balance beams right through to a huge slide and swing sets suitable for everyone. No matter how old your kids are, they are certain to find something to do.

The park is right next to the canal and there are a few boats chugging up and down through the summer months. This is great for a bit of chill out time watching them go by while you settle down and have a picnic together.

Brookland Park
Complete with a sandpit, two sizes of climbing frame - one for toddlers and one for the bigger kids - plus a bumpy slide, Brookland Park is definitely all about the play area. The ground has been done up in bright coloured sea of blue tarmac, sand and an area of grass where a wobbly pirate ship is moored. With this combination, you can visit this park at any time of the year.

This park is in a residential area and there are usually a few families playing here, which is great for more sociable children. Though this is certainly more geared towards kids play, you could take a blanket and a picnic if you wanted to.

The Best Parks for Running

Milton Keynes is ideal for runners who want a nice flat route and the parks here seem to have designed with this in mind, so put on your trainers on and head out!



Ouzel Valley Park
This grassy area is ideal for runners as there are plenty of paths crossing the greenery as well as fully encircling the whole area. If you wanted to go on a simple jog around the park, this would give you a happy 3km but there’s nothing stopping you from creating your own route or doing shuttle runs between the trees.

Willen Lake
The home of the weekly Park Run (every Saturday at 9 am), Willen Lake is always open to runners looking for a nice flat 5km. The route takes you around the lake, passing the Willen Lake Maze and Love Pagoda on your right. As you will only be running on tarmac or gravel paths, you won’t need to worry too much about getting muddy - but do watch out for puddles after a rainy day!

The Best Parks for Leisure

If wandering about a picturesque landscape is more your speed, Milton Keynes has the answer.



North Lought on Valley Park
Home to the Bancroft Petanque Piste, which can be found near the Roman villa site, plenty of people come to this park to give this form of boules a go, especially in the sunshine. It is completely free and you don’t have to be part of a regular team to join in - just introduce yourself and start playing!

The park is also home to some really lovely walks and you can easily spend an afternoon exploring this site. Don’t miss the concrete cows who live just off Monks Way, and definitely take some time to explore the excavated Roman Villa a bit further north.

Caldecotte Lake
With acres of gorgeous parkland and a large lake for watersports, you could definitely spend a full day doing outdoor activities here. The Milton Keynes Rowing Club and the Milton Keynes Sailing Club share a clubhouse here and both are happy to take beginners out on the water. There’s also a chance to try water zorbing or wind sailing further up the lake.

Birdwatchers and all-around nature lovers will also enjoy being here with plenty of different birds and other animals around to spot. You may fish in the lake, which contains roach, pike, bream and tench, just make sure you buy an all day ticket from the Milton Keynes Angling Association first.

It’s all going on in Milton Keynes parks and there couldn’t be a better time to get involved.