For anyone new to Bainbridge, the entrance to Settlers Park, located at 17800 Haskins Road, might appear to be an industrial site. It is actually the Bainbridge Recycling Center and township Service offices. If you keep driving, go past the speed bumps, you will find yourself in a wonderful park with a multitude of uses.
Amenities Tailored for Community Use
The park’s design prioritizes functional, family-oriented amenities that maximize its utility for everyday township life.
The Modern Playground
The centerpiece of Settlers Park is its modern, accessible playground facility. This area is constantly utilized, serving as the go-to spot for families in the surrounding residential developments. The township recently invested in updating the equipment to ensure it meets contemporary safety standards and offers stimulating activities for children of varying age groups. On any given afternoon, the sound of active play is a constant feature of the park.
Pavilion and Gathering Space
A key functional component is the covered pavilion. This structure is managed by the Bainbridge Service Department and is highly sought after for reservations. It provides essential shelter and centralized space that is great for birthday parties, family celebrations, and large picnics. Its ample size and proximity to easy parking make it a reliable facility that keeps the public engaged with township resources.
There is also a smaller secondary pavilion between the baseball and soccer fields for parents to hide in during rainy games.
Open Fields and Recreational Utility
While larger athletic complexes exist elsewhere in Bainbridge, Settlers Park features excellent, well-maintained open fields. These are not officially striped fields but are in high use throughout the warm months for local youth sports. Scheduling for these field areas is typically coordinated through community partners like Kenston Community Education. In addition to the two obvious baseball fields and soccer fields there is a basketball court and a (poorly maintained) sand volleyball court.
The baseball fields at Settlers
The basketball court hidden behind the pavilion.
The park also features paved pathways that offer a safe loop for casual walking, jogging, and pushing strollers, ensuring accessibility for all residents.
Getting Off the Path
For those that like to explore a bit more there are a number of geocaches hidden around in the forests the line the park.
There is also a secret-feeling path that leads from Settlers Park to Restland Cemetery (which also has some geocaches!). It is a road according to most online maps but in reality it is an unmaintained gravel path that winds through the woods for 0.3 miles until you enter the rear of Restland Cemetery. There is a gate here that is occasionally locked.
The gravel path leading to Restland Cemetery
One word of warning, the park is only accessible during Spring through Fall. In the winter months the gate near the Service Department is closed and locked.