Mission Statement: “To enhance a city wide park and recreation system which improves the quality of life and promotes safe and enjoyable outdoor activities for all citizens of Spencer.”
The Park System in Spencer offers many opportunities for all types of citizens. We have a campground and enclosed shelter house at East Leach Park. Ice skating, summer band concerts, picnics, family reunions, etc. are held at East Leach. It is also one of the sites of the Summer Playground Program which is a great activity for kids for some summertime fun!
A beautiful nature area for fishing, hiking and bird watching is available at Stolley Park. Hundreds of kids and adults alike enjoy baseball and softball at Pederson Park. There are fields that are used extensively from May-September by patrons of all ages. During those months, the population equivalent of Spencer goes through Pederson on a weekly basis! Talk about a busy place!
Other Parks within the Spencer Park System include DeWolf, North School, Pete’s Pond, Sunset, Westview Memorial, Fairview, Waterway, C. Earl Page, and West Leach Park totaling 256 acres. We feel fortunate to have such a variety of Park options here in our beautiful City. The Park Department operates year-round with Supt. Bob Fullhart at the helm. Summer part-time employees are the major labor source in the care of our parks. We also have a very active volunteer Park Board that has put in countless hours toward improving our entire Park System. It is fitting, therefore, that the mission statement established by the Spencer Park Board is “To enhance a city wide park and recreation system which improves the quality of life and promotes safe and enjoyable outdoor activities for all citizens of Spencer.”
C. Earl Page Park
Location: Between 13th and 14th Ave. West and between West 13th and West 16th Streets, near the south end of the block.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: 1
Description: This small neighborhood park—often called a pocket park —features a picnic shelter with a table, a single basketball hoop, and a berm that’s popular with children for play.
Amenities: Basketball Court, Children’s Playground, Neighborhood Park, Picnic Tables.
Accessibility info: Access includes curbside/off-street parking and unpaved walking surfaces.
Deerfield Park
Address: 1501 W. 15th Street
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Between West 15th & 16th Street, two blocks east of 18th Ave. West.
Description: Locally known as the “Green Park” for its green playground equipment, this neighborhood park is a favorite for active play. It features a ½-mile walking trail. The playground is a highlight, with a fun zipline and a large netted climbing structure that kids love. With a mix of open space and unique play features, it’s a great spot for both recreation and relaxing outdoors.
Amenities: Playground, trails, covered picnic area with tables, grills, half-court basketball, baseball backstop. A portable restroom is also available.
Accessibility: Includes a paved walking trail suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, an accessible picnic area with level surfaces and accessible seating, and a wheelchair-accessible swing.
Dennis Price Courts
Address: 1400 10th Ave. East
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Directly east of Spencer Middle School on the far east edge of town, sharing the same parking lot as the school.
Description: These courts include four newly constructed tennis courts that were built in 2023 as part of a joint project with the Spencer Community School District. The courts are lined for both tennis and pickleball, allowing for multiple types of play on the same surfaces. They provide a modern, shared-use facility designed for school and community recreation.
Amenities: Tennis courts with pickleball lines, NO RESTROOMS.
Amenities Nearby: Spencer Middle School, Spencer Soccer Complex and Pederson Memorial Park (baseball/softball fields).
Accessibility: Includes cutouts from the paved parking lot for convenient entry, a paved pathway leading directly to the tennis courts, and smooth court surfaces suitable for wheelchair and stroller access.
East Leach Park
Address: 225 4th Street SE
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Located on the south side of the Little Sioux River, just east of Grand Avenue.
Description: Nestled along the Little Sioux River, East Leach Park is Spencer’s largest and most active park. It offers a wide variety of amenities, including direct access to the paved trail system, fishing opportunities, a large playground featuring the park’s well-known “Rocket Slide,” and a spacious covered picnic area with tables and grills. Visitors can also enjoy a skate park, sand volleyball courts, and a unique bandshell for performances. The park is home to the East Leach Park Event Center, which offers two indoor spaces available for reservation, making it an ideal location for gatherings and events.
Amenities: Playground, trails, covered picnic area, picnic tables, grills, 2 sand volleyball courts, portable restroom, East Leach Rental Facility, Bandshell, and Skate and Bike Park
Amenities of surrounding area: East Leach Event Center, Spencer Bandshell, Spencer Skate and Bike Park, Rocket slide, Little Sioux River, Spencer Aquatic Center, SMU Family Splash Pad.
Accessibility info: Access includes a gravel parking lot with a paved sidewalk connecting to the park. The site provides easy access to the Spencer Trail System, which is paved. A covered picnic area is easily accessible, and the play area is surrounded by a paved sidewalk; however, the play surface itself is uneven.
Fairview Park
Address: 1406 5th Avenue E.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Adjacent to Fairview Elementary School on the east side.
Acres: 6
Description: A neighborhood park that features a covered picnic area with tables and grills, a large open green space, and a walking trail.
Amenities: Covered picnic area, large green space, basketball court, soccer goals, children’s playground, hiking trail, tennis courts.
Accessibility: This park features off-street parking with wide paved areas for easy wheelchair and stroller access. Visitors can comfortably connect to the paved trail system and main park amenities using smooth, accessible pathways.
North Lookout Park
Location: Two blocks west of Grand Avenue on West Park Street, just west of Gary’s on the River.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Description: This area features a scenic overlook on the north side of the Little Sioux River, offering some of the best river views in town. The site includes benches for seating and relaxation, a carry-down river access for kayaks and canoes, and serves as a connection point between the Spencer Trail System and the off-street trail network.
Amenities: Benches/seating area; kayak & canoe carry-down river access.
Accessibility: Features off-street parking with wide paved areas for easy wheelchair and stroller access. Visitors can comfortably connect to the paved trail system and main park amenities using smooth, accessible pathways.
North School Park
Address: 1103 1st Ave West
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Two blocks west of Grand Avenue on West Park Street, just west of Gary’s on the River.
Description: North School Park, established in 1980 on the former site of North School (demolished in 1975), features a playground added in 2005, a large covered picnic area with tables and grills, a full basketball court, and plenty of green space. The park also connects to the North School Trail, which extends north and provides a path for walking and biking.
Amenities: Playground, covered picnic area, picnic tables, grills, full-court basketball, portable restroom.
Accessibility: On-street parking on the north and east sides. From these access points, visitors can connect to a paved trail that loops around and runs through the park, offering smooth and accessible travel for walking, strollers, and mobility devices.
Oxbow Wildlife Area
Address: 2901 W 4th St.
Location: Situated on the western edge of Spencer, positioned near the Little Sioux River and the Spencer Recreational Trail system.
It is a natural preservation space designed to protect local river oxbows—meanders that have been cut off from the main river channel—creating excellent wetland habitats for local wildlife, bird watching, and passive outdoor recreation.
Pedersen Memorial Park
Address: 1203 E. 9th Street
Acres: 35
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: On the far east edge of Spencer along 10th Avenue East, just south of Spencer Middle School.
Description: This complex serves as the primary baseball and softball facility for Spencer youth programs.
Amenities: Includes 10 total fields: five softball fields, four youth baseball fields, and one small T-ball field. The park also features a playground and a concession stand, covered picnic area with tables & grills and public restrooms open during softball/baseball season.
Accessibility: Access is partially supported by a paved roadway and select paved sidewalks in certain areas, which provide smoother travel between key points. Many routes between parking areas and individual fields include uneven terrain, which may make navigation more challenging for some visitors, especially those using wheelchairs or strollers.
River View Park Complex
Address: 612 4th Street SE
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: Nearly 60 acres
Location: A recreational destination in southeast Spencer. From Highway 18, turn north onto 4th Avenue SE; the complex is located just to the east. From Grand Ave., turn east onto 8th St. SW and continue for approximately six blocks.
Description: This park features the Spencer Family Aquatic Center, with a 10,000-square-foot, zero-depth entry pool, a body slide, and a tube slide. The historic Freeman Township Schoolhouse is also located on-site. Looking ahead, the Spencer Splash Pad is planned for completion in 2027. Located next to the aquatic center, it will feature a 1,800-square-foot interactive play area and a separate 1,000-square-foot toddler zone for ages 2–5, along with shaded seating. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Amenities: Features the Spencer Family Aquatic Center with showers, restrooms, concessions and green space within the fenced area.
The complex also includes the Spencer Splash pad, eight tennis courts, with one court lined for pickleball. An 18-hole disc golf course winds through the park, and Moose Pond features two one-acre ponds and more than 20 acres of wildlife area with access to the Spencer Trail System.
Accessibility: Paved parking area with direct access to the paved trail system throughout the complex, providing smooth and accessible routes between amenities and activity areas for wheelchairs, strollers, and other mobility devices.
Riverview Tennis Courts
Address: 612 4th Street SE
Location: Inside Riverview Park Complex. Directly south of the Spencer Aquatic Center and Splash Pad, next to the parking lot.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Description: 8 tennis courts that were last resurfaced in 2014.
Accessibility: A paved parking lot that connects directly to the tennis courts. Paved pathways link the parking area to the courts, allowing smooth and easy access for wheelchairs, strollers, and other mobility devices.
Spencer Band Shell
Address: 225 4th St. SE
Location: Inside East Leach Park, along the scenic Little Sioux River
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Description: The Spencer Bandshell was built in 1969 as a venue for outdoor concerts and festivals. Today, it remains a popular gathering spot for music and community events, hosting the Spencer Municipal Band, concerts, festivals, and other live entertainment throughout the spring and summer.
To Reserve the Bandshell: Call 712-580-7200 M-F 8a – 5p.
Amenities: Stage, benches
Accessibility: The bandshell area is accessible from nearby parking lot; however, seating benches are located in grassy areas, which may present uneven terrain for some visitors using mobility devices.
Stolley Park & Pond
Address: 2906 W. 18th Street
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: 109.5 in total, with a 40-acre stocked fishing pond
Location: On the far northwest side of town along West 18th Street. It sits west of the fairgrounds and near the airport, adjacent to the industrial park and just south of the community’s transfer station.
Description: This unique park, formerly a large gravel pit donated to the city, has been transformed into a scenic outdoor destination. It features a one-mile trail loop and connects to the Spencer Trail System, making it a great spot for walking and exploring. The park offers excellent access to the water, including a fishing pier, a kayak launch, and carry-down access to the Little Sioux River. The water is stocked with trout, making it a popular location for fishing.
Amenities: Fishing pier, kayak launch, covered picnic areas with tables and grills.
Accessibility info: This park features a paved walking trail loop that connects directly to the paved Spencer Trail System, providing accessible opportunities for walking and recreation. Interior park roads within Stolley’s are gravel and may present uneven surfaces for some visitors using mobility devices.
Storybook Park (Pete’s Pond)
Address: 1203 E. 9th Street
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: 12
Description: Storybook Park is located along the north side of the Little Sioux River and offers a scenic setting for walking and relaxation. The park features two looped walking trails—one circling Pete’s Pond and the other looping around a small limestone amphitheater. It connects to the paved Spencer trail system and is located near Oneota Park and the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river to East Leach Park.
Amenities: Walking path, Pete’s pond.
Accessibility: This park features a paved walking trail loop that connects directly to the paved Spencer Trail System, providing accessible opportunities for walking and recreation.
Sunset Park
Address: 1014 W. 7th Street
Location: W. 7th St. & 11th Ave. W.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: 2
Description: Sunset Park is a small neighborhood park with a playground, covered picnic area with tables and grills, a half-court basketball area, and a baseball backstop. A portable restroom is available.
Amenities: Playground, covered picnic area with tables and grills, half-court basketball, baseball backstop, portable restroom.
Accessibility: Off-street parking with a paved sidewalk connecting to the park. The play surface itself is uneven.
West Leach Field & Green Belt along the Little Sioux River
Address: S. Grand Bridge & 4th St. SW
Acres: 8
Description: Children’s Playground, Fishing, Neighborhood Park, Picnic Tables, Canoe Ramp
West Leach Park
Address: 107 4th Street SW
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Location: Situated beautifully on the south side of the Little Sioux River.
Acres: 8
Description: West Leach Park offers an expansive, peaceful green space that makes it a community favorite for relaxing outdoors, taking walks, and bringing pets. It also serves as a popular destination for local anglers looking to enjoy some fishing along the riverbank.
Westview Memorial Park
Address: 906 W. 9th Street W. 9th St. & 11th Ave. W.
Location: Located directly west of Johnson Elementary School on West 9th Street.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Acres: 5
Description: West View Memorial Park features the Deegan Pavilions (2015), an outdoor performance space with three pergolas made of glass, steel, and wood. The park also includes a scenic, tree-filled setting that serves as an unofficial arboretum, along with a ¾-mile trail and sidewalk that wraps around Johnson School for walking and recreation.
Amenities: Outdoor performance area, paved walking paths, benches, year-round portable toilet.
Accessibility info: Off-street parking with a paved sidewalk throughout the park.
