Max V. Shaul Playground

Tucked inside Max V. Shaul State Park, this little playground punches above its weight for families with toddlers and preschoolers — the 2-4 crowd is clearly who this place was designed for. The equipment is well-suited to small kids, and the whole area stays genuinely clean and well-kept, which isn’t something you can say about every state park facility. There’s a BBQ area on-site, so it’s worth packing a cooler and making a proper afternoon of it. Trails and forest are right there if the older kids or adults need to stretch their legs, and the bathrooms are actually maintained — a low bar, maybe, but one that matters. No entry fee either, which makes it an easy yes on a summer weekend.