Overview
Gallup Park is a 69-acre park and is Ann Arbor’s most popular recreation area. It is located along the Huron River and Geddes Pond with scenic walkways that traverse small islands with pedestrian bridges that form a loop. View the
Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. View a
map of the park showing all of the paths and trails. There are concessions, coffee, riverside seating and free WiFi located at the boat rental office. The park contains three playgrounds,
canoe, kayak, and paddleboat rentals, picnic areas and grills scattered throughout the park, two picnic shelters, open field for play, and over three miles of asphalt trails that are popular for biking, rollerblading, walking and running. Gallup Park is an important connector on the
Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail. Two drinking fountains and many benches allow the park user to take respite from their recreational activities. In 2017, the
Rotary Centennial Universal Access Playground opened and offers a universally accessible play area. Gallup is also home to the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden and several
rain gardens. The park has two large picnic shelters and a
meeting room in the livery building that can be rented. Visit
park rentals for information on hosting an event or renting a shelter at Gallup Park.
Gallup Park Vehicle and Pedestrian Bridge now open
The new Gallup Park Bridge Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place Thursday, Oct. 24 to celebrate the completion of construction. The bridge is now open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The special event also recognized the funding and support — and input from community members — which brought the project to fruition. The project was made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Park Maintenance and Capital Improvements Millage, with valuable input from local residents guiding the design process.
Boat Rentals, Tubes and Launch
You might hear the term “Canoe Livery” which refers to the place where you can rent a canoe, kayak, tube, stand up paddle board, or a paddleboat where trip transportation is also offered. The
Gallup Park Livery has an
accessible dock for people of all ages and abilities. Gallup Park is the destination for paddling trips, downriver from Argo Livery- see
Canoe Liveries Map for launch locations or visit
www.a2gov.org/tube for information on tubing to Gallup. There is a
public boat launch for those with their own watercraft. The livery also hosts
river camps and programs.
Winter at Gallup
Year round, heated restroom facilities are attached to the canoe rental building. The Gallup paved pathways are scheduled for clearing when it snows. For more information on walking in winter or which parks are on the path clearing routes, visit
Parks in the Wintertime. If you are a bird watcher, Gallup Park really shines in winter. The open water that is often present at Geddes Pond in the early winter can be an ideal place to view wintering ducks and other waterfowl. Rafts of Common Mergansers, with their green or rusty red head-feathers, make Geddes Pond their temporary home. Other diving ducks, such as Canvasback, Redhead, Scaup and Bufflehead, can be seen searching the waters for fish and invertebrates. Often a raptor, such as a Merlin or Cooper’s Hawk, will make its winter home here too, feeding on the bounty of small songbirds that shelter in the berry bushes at Gallup. These birds and others are highlighted in a 2019
Natural Area Preservation newsletter feature entitled,
A Treasure for Birds: Gallup Park by NAP ornithologist Juliet Berger. This park is also a
pickup location for a sand/salt mixture in the winter to help residents treat sidewalks.
