My family and I are on a quest to find all the best parks in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metro this summer and Bales Park is near the top of our list thanks to the new playground that just opened this year.
This inclusive, ADA-accessible west Tulsa playground at 5801 S. Union Ave. features a large central playground tower with climbing features and slides, surrounded by swing sets, sensory activities, zip lines, spring riders, balance beams, a merry-go-round and more.
A Shady, Inclusive Playground on Tulsa’s West Side
I took my wife and son to check it out on a hot Monday evening and not only appreciated the incredible playground equipment but the fact that they left the ample shade trees all around it as well. One of the consistent struggles we’ve faced is whenever a big nice playground goes in, it’s too hot to touch the surfaces because they either build them where there are no existing trees, or they cut down mature shade trees during construction just to replace them with new trees that won’t be helpful for decades.
The playground is built for barrier-free access from the ground up. Rather than the loose mulch found under many play areas, its surface is level turf that mobility devices and canes can roll across easily, and assistive communication boards let nonverbal children point to icons to share where they want to go next.
Playground Features Made for Every Ability
The first thing to catch my son’s eyes were the spring-riders which were made to look like bicycles. He is big into bicycles right now so these were a match made in toddler heaven. These were the easiest spring riders we’ve encountered for Jordan to climb on and for once he didn’t need any help.
The sound garden featured large chimes, two xylophones, and three drums that were very nice but a little too high up for a two-year-old.
The merry-go-round was fully ADA accessible and ground-level with two seats and two open spaces for wheelchairs. It spins slower than your usual park carousel so it’s fast enough for everyone to enjoy, but safe for kids of differing abilities.
Next to the merry-go-round are two zip lines, one with a rope to grip and a foothold at the bottom, and the other an accessible seat and harness.
Then there’s the swing set bay, featuring multiple standard and accessible swings, as well as a swinging hammock where I could easily spend an hour just reading and enjoying the breeze.
Climbing the Volo Aire Tower
The highlight of the park is the Volo Aire playground tower — a three-story marvel that’s accessible to kids of many different abilities all the way to the top. It features steel-reinforced netting and numerous paths to the top including saddle climbers, a firepole, a simulated rock wall, a belt climber, a corkscrew climber, rungs, a swiggleknot bridge, and more. There are three tunnel slides of varying heights, plus a double wave slide and an alpine slide.
The tower is massive with room for countless kids at the same time. While it was technically above my son’s age level, designed for ages 5+, it was perfectly accessible for our 23-month-old with parental assistance. It’s even designed with a bicycle theme to tie it into the extensive 65-acre trail system and new Bike Club headquarters.
The one aspect of the playground that’s not quite as accessible as some in the community were hoping for was the lack of a fully fenced enclosure to prevent eloping.
My family spent over an hour here before the lack of restrooms finally made us depart for nearby Tulsa Hills. We had an absolute blast and can’t wait to stop by any time we’re in the area. It’s easily one of the top playgrounds we’ve visited this summer.
Tulsa’s First Accessible Softball Field
The playground is one piece of a larger set of upgrades at Bales Park. The park is now home to Tulsa’s first accessible softball field, striped and painted onto an existing paved area that can be closed off and used for adaptive softball on request.
Bales Park also keeps its lighted ballfields on the south end, which are set up for organized youth and league play and can be reserved through the local association that manages them.
The Bike Club Headquarters at Bales Park
The park’s bicycle theme is more than decoration. Bales Park is now the headquarters of Bike Club, a youth cycling nonprofit, whose facility here includes offices, storage, and a classroom with direct access to the trails.
The organization runs programs in dozens of Tulsa Public Schools, teaching students safe cycling and bike-handling skills before leading group rides through their own neighborhoods to destinations like parks, fire stations, and local businesses. It also supports trail development and offers adaptive riding for cyclists of differing abilities, which carries the accessible spirit of the playground out onto the trails.
Miles of Hiking and Biking Trails at Bales Park
Beyond the playground, Bales Park spreads across a 65-acre multi-use trail system, one of several networks that make Tulsa’s west side a destination for mountain biking and hiking. Roughly 3.4 miles of soft-surface singletrack cross the property, branching off a central junction known as The Hub.
Four named trails make up the network:
- Lookout Ridge, a 0.4-mile beginner trail, runs from the park entrance to The Hub and cuts through remnant prairie with open views of the downtown Tulsa skyline.
- Little Rock, a 0.6-mile beginner route, follows the north side of the park, rides in both directions, and offers the shortest way back to The Hub.
- Bootlegger is the park’s only bike-only trail — a 0.3-mile intermediate run of rollable jumps and flowing berms that descends about 120 feet of elevation.
- Blackjack, the longest and most challenging at 1.9 miles, winds through the southern half of the park over 220 feet of wooden boardwalk and past rock gardens.
The trails are built to accommodate adaptive riders, and they connect to the wider west Tulsa trail scene that includes Turkey Mountain, Lubell Park, and River Parks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bales Park
Where is Bales Park located?
Bales Park is at 5801 S. Union Ave. in west Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Is the Bales Park playground accessible for children with disabilities?
Yes. The playground is designed to be inclusive and ADA-accessible, with a ground-level merry-go-round that has two wheelchair spaces, accessible swings and a harnessed zip-line seat, level turf surfacing, and saddle and net climbers that lead all the way up the central tower, plus assistive communication boards.
Does Bales Park have restrooms?
There are no restrooms at the playground, so plan accordingly before a long visit.
What trails does Bales Park have?
Bales Park has a 65-acre multi-use trail system with about 3.4 miles of soft-surface trails. It includes two beginner routes, Lookout Ridge and Little Rock; the bike-only intermediate Bootlegger; and Blackjack, the longest and most challenging at 1.9 miles.
What is Bike Club at Bales Park?
Bike Club is a youth cycling nonprofit headquartered at the park. It runs programs in dozens of Tulsa Public Schools, teaches safe cycling, supports trail building, and offers adaptive riding opportunities.
