The Buzzards Bay recreation area sits along the Cape Cod Canal, a man made body of water that bifurcated the Cape. The playground features prominently in the center of the park.
Buzzards Bay sits on the mainland side of the canal, so we're usually focused on getting over the bridges rather than stopping here. But we had been on our way back to Brooklyn during the fading winter sunlight and saw an opportunity to use up some of that toddler energy.
This playground is especially exposed to the sun with very little in the way of shade. That's probably not ideal in the summer. There are a few benches under an awning, but definitely not the place to be in the midafternoon.
The rolling hills of the playground are covered in that rubbery cork-like material, giving the space a kind of artificial feel. It curls over the mounds and hills, and that might be great for playing but its a little more difficult for an adult to walk around.
Mainly this playground is designed to appeal to climbers, and there are a variety of ways this is achieved with ropes for balancing, and different types of structures with rope and wood.
There is a good slide built into the landscape and a smaller structure for tots with a plastic slide, but for kids accustomed to larger set pieces, this will probably be disappointing.
Our toddler lost interest fairly quickly because he wasn't really old enough to take advantage of the climbing equipment and there are only so many times one can slide. Disappointingly, the Cape Flyer commuter train doesn't run in winter yet, so there were no trains coming over the rail bridge–this feature would definitely have been a highlight.
I'm sure this would be a destination for tourists visiting Buzzards Bay as it does have the feeling of being in the center of town, but given the bridge traffic we're unlikely to be stopping here in season.
The recreation area was created with the construction of the Cape Cod canal. The waterway opened in 1914 but has since come under the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers. The playground is part of a larger recreation area near the rail bridge linking the Cape and mainland.
