Bahnson Park

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Last Updated: December 4, 2025

Bahnson Park is a public park located in Brookings, South Dakota.


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Summary

It is a popular destination for visitors due to its vast array of recreational activities. The park is spread over 79 acres and features several points of interest, including a skate park, a BMX track, an outdoor pool, a playground, picnic shelters, and walking trails.

Visitors can enjoy various outdoor sports and activities, such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, frisbee golf, and horseshoes. The park also offers several fishing ponds stocked with trout, bass, and catfish.

One of the park's unique features is the Brookings Arboretum, which features over 120 different tree species, including exotic trees like the Ginkgo and Dawn Redwood. It is an excellent spot for nature lovers to explore and observe the natural beauty of the area.

The best time to visit the park is during the summer months when the outdoor pool is open and the weather is warm. However, visitors can enjoy Bahnson Park year-round since it offers winter activities such as ice-skating and sledding.

Overall, Bahnson Park is an excellent destination for visitors looking for a fun-filled day outdoors. It offers something for everyone, from playgrounds and walking trails to sports facilities and fishing ponds.

       

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Park & Land Designation Reference

National Park
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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