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The Ponds Park

2680 Emerald Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

734.794.6230

Overview

The Ponds Park is a lovely 2.23-acre park tucked into neighborhoods on the south side of Ann Arbor, north of the corner of Packard and Stone School. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context.

The park has two distinct areas: a developed area and a natural area.

The developed area features a playground, a garden, and a mowed open field. Parents and caregivers can watch children from the nearby benches or from the perimeter sidewalk. The playground features an accessible swing. The garden features shade trees as well as three-season flowering perennials, including daffodils, irises, daisies, sun drops, sedums, and fountain grasses. Two picnic tables and a grill are also available.

The natural area, which is the northern portion of the park, features trails and tall trees, including cottonwoods. Please note that the water features to the west of the natural area of The Ponds Park are part of the apartment complex, not part of the public park.

Park Notices

Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.

Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.

Park Hours

6 a.m. – Midnight

Amenities

Paved Path

Playground

Unpaved Trail

Open Field

Grill

Picnic Tables

Garden

Landfill Bin

Access and Parking

The main entrance to the park is on Emerald Avenue, at the corner of Candlewick Drive, where the playground is visible. There is street parking along Emerald Avenue.

The park can be reached on foot and bicycle by walking and biking along the surrounding neighborhood streets. There are sidewalks along Emerald. There is a path connection to the Ponds at Georgetown Apartments which borders the park on the west side. There is a trail entrance to the natural area off of Victoria Avenue on the park's north side. There are no bike racks at the park.

Public Transportation

There are several bus stops along Packard Street, about a 5 to 10 minute walk from the park. Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.

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 original land for The Ponds was acquired by the city in 1989, when the Ponds at Georgetown apartments were built and the developers ceded 1.66 acres to the city to be dedicated as The Ponds Park in perpetuity. The park was expanded in 1999 after soliciting public input. Many neighbors expressed support in having the park expanded to provide open space in the neighborhood. The city acquired two lots from the Hearthstone Subdivision that would have been used for housing and converted those to the park frontage that goes along Ember Way. This acquisition increased the park's size from its original 1.66 acres to 2.25. Read a more in-depth history written by The Ponds Park Adopter Karis Crawford: History of The Ponds Park

Check out a NAP Newsletter article detailing the natural area in The Ponds and a new trail: 2017 Park Focus: The Ponds by Katie Carlisle

Active Adopters

A group of The Ponds Park neighbors are committed to helping with beautification and maintenance at the park including maintaining a perennial garden, spreading woodchips on the playground, and advocating for improvements. If you are interested in being another set of helping hands at this lovely neighborhood park, let us know! Email [email protected] or call 734-794-6445.

Volunteer in the parks

Looking to make an impact in a park or nature area? Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation provides volunteer opportunities for almost every interest, ability, and commitment level.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities

Park Finder

Discover parks and find amenities through the City of Ann Arbor Park Finder. This map allows you to search park names or search by amenity type or keyword.

View the Park Finder

A2Fix It - Service request tool

A2 Fix It is an online system you can use to report any maintenance issues or other problems during your park visit. When reporting an issue in a park please include detailed location information in the "details and description" section near the end of the request process. Pictures that provide location context are very helpful.

Submit a request