Buckingham Lake Park

Buckingham Lake Park

Berkshire Blvd. and Colonial Ave 

Albany, NY 

Overview:

Buckingham Lake Park is located in a quiet residential area in Albany, just off of New Scotland Avenue near St. Peters Hospital.  This park's playground is small, but has just enough to keep older children busy with its monkey bars, twisty slides and tree climber.  There are also baby swings and dinosaur riders in separate areas adjacent to the playground for infants and toddlers who are just getting the hang of walking. The highlight of this park is of course the beautiful pond.  Buckingham Pond has three large fountains and is home to many ducks, Canada geese, and fish.  It is surrounded by a wide gravel path perfect for a strolling a baby or two, a variety of trees and plants, and a small shady picnic area just steps from the playground.  

I have walked the hiking path with my son in his stroller a number of times.  It is, for the most part, a quiet, relaxing walk.  There's lots of wildlife to see and search for and a number of great shady spots along the pond for setting up a picnic lunch or just resting on a blanket.  The kids have so much fun visiting the ducks and looking for fish swimming near the shore.  

Includes:

• Playground with mulch floor
• 1 large double slide- curvy 
• curved monkey bars
• tri-rung monkey bars
• tree climber
• curved ladder climber
• 3 baby swings
• 1 accessible swing with roller coaster style safety harness
• 3 Jurassic dinosaur riders
• picnic area
• pond
• gravel hiking path (just under 1 mile long)

Things to consider:

If your child is not a skilled walker/climber, there isn't much to do at this playground except swing, ride the dinosaurs (with help from an adult), and slide down the slides.  Even sliding down the slide with my son on my lap was difficult due to the curves.  I'm pretty small and still wound up getting stuck halfway down...not so fun for mommy or baby.  It would be better if it was a straight slide.

The fact that there are 3 baby swings at this park is a plus given the size of the playground, however, there isn't much shade in the swing area for a good portion of the day.  It's fun to swing, but not when the sun is in your face.  Try planning your visit early in the morning, late afternoon when the sun is beginning to set, or on a partly cloudy day to ensure a squint-free swinging experience. 

Lastly, the gravel path around the pond is wonderful for walking and running.  Just be careful on wet days because certain spots can become quite slippery and muddy, making it difficult for pushing strollers and walking with small children.

Albany Parks and Recreation

Albany Recreation Facilities