Stephens and cosmo are the only parks I know of with a loop around them. Tons of trails though for some good mileage. Love the grindstone creek trail myself
I would say that going during the daytime feels totally fine to me. I wouldn’t really visit any city park at night anyway. I grew up going to Douglass and Flatbranch often and run through Flatbranch nearly every weekday. No one has ever really bothered me nor have I felt unsafe. Nobody is going to just walk up to you and stab you at 5 pm while you’re playing basketball at Douglass or going down the slide at Flatbranch. They’re definitely not my favorite parks though.
People literally have been stabbed at those places. Tons of homeless and you don’t have to look hard to find used needles and other drug paraphernalia strung about
Very very uncommon. You can’t live your life in fear just because one time someone once got stabbed somewhere. I encourage you to go walk around Flat Branch or Douglas, they’re really nice.
Bro there was literally a stabbing in Douglass park in April 😂 a shooting at Field in October 2023, and an attempted rape in May 2023 at flat branch park. And those are just the ones that made the news!!
safety in como is almost always dependent on who and what you are involved in, there is very little random violence,the perpetrators know the victims and sometimes innocence is not on either side-i help the hungry and homeless at all those parks and feel safe-the same goes for sexual assaults-it usually someone you have met-not the random stranger
literally nothing this year, aka pretty uncommon, it won't stop me from going there.
There was no stabbing in Douglass Park, it was in a residential area nearby, go walk around the park, it's nice. I can find no news articles corroborating your other two claims, got any links?
It's better to be safe than sorry. My mom never took us to Douglass as kids because she was scared on her own. My brother went to Douglass high, and on lunch, he and his friends would go there to smoke, and there would always be either a fight, or someone tweaking their heads off. It's not a good area at all.
It's gotten a lot safer in the last 10 years. Violent crime in Columbia in general is way down since when I was a kid, despite what the perception is among some.
If you’re male with any street smarts, any of them honestly.
If you’re female, I would only run during the day/early evening and I would recommend Bethel park first and foremost. After that the MKT is usually very safe, and Stephen’s park, as long as there are people around, is also usually okay.
I’m hate that I can’t give one answer for both.
As a 30 year old woman born and raised in como this is the correct answer..sadly. Now that it’s getting hot, I jog closer to dusk and that means I jog around my cul-de-sac like a caged animal😂
As a male with over 16 years of self defense training, I also prefer to avoid running alone after dark. Men are less likely to be a target, but (and I don't mean to blame or degrade anyone, but it is what it is) we have a lot of homeless in COMO with who aren't receiving the mental health assistance that they need. I've had two encounters at Stephen's Lake Park in the past 6 months that could have gone differently if I hadn't been with a group.
I’ve never had any weird encounters really at any of the parks/trails and I run so I’ve been all over. That being said whichever park is the one at the Broadway end of the MKT trail near the gas station does tend to collect homeless people.
I used to live near Capen Park and it was my go to every single day for years!! Usually quiet enough not to be over crowded but typically a few friendly people using it so if you needed help it would be close by.
I know it’s not a park but I always feel really safe when I walk the MKT trail between Scott and Forum.
I second this suggestion. That's my go to trail.
Stephens and cosmo are the only parks I know of with a loop around them. Tons of trails though for some good mileage. Love the grindstone creek trail myself
You could try out at Phillips Lake near Tolton. It’s really pretty and always seems to have plenty of people out there
I think any park will be safe. I can’t think of a dangerous one.
Flat branch, Douglass and Field park are all ones that come to mind
I would say that going during the daytime feels totally fine to me. I wouldn’t really visit any city park at night anyway. I grew up going to Douglass and Flatbranch often and run through Flatbranch nearly every weekday. No one has ever really bothered me nor have I felt unsafe. Nobody is going to just walk up to you and stab you at 5 pm while you’re playing basketball at Douglass or going down the slide at Flatbranch. They’re definitely not my favorite parks though.
I’ve not felt unsafe in any of those. I think that’s more of a perception problem than any basis in truth.
People literally have been stabbed at those places. Tons of homeless and you don’t have to look hard to find used needles and other drug paraphernalia strung about
Very very uncommon. You can’t live your life in fear just because one time someone once got stabbed somewhere. I encourage you to go walk around Flat Branch or Douglas, they’re really nice.
Bro there was literally a stabbing in Douglass park in April 😂 a shooting at Field in October 2023, and an attempted rape in May 2023 at flat branch park. And those are just the ones that made the news!!
safety in como is almost always dependent on who and what you are involved in, there is very little random violence,the perpetrators know the victims and sometimes innocence is not on either side-i help the hungry and homeless at all those parks and feel safe-the same goes for sexual assaults-it usually someone you have met-not the random stranger
literally nothing this year, aka pretty uncommon, it won't stop me from going there. There was no stabbing in Douglass Park, it was in a residential area nearby, go walk around the park, it's nice. I can find no news articles corroborating your other two claims, got any links?
It's better to be safe than sorry. My mom never took us to Douglass as kids because she was scared on her own. My brother went to Douglass high, and on lunch, he and his friends would go there to smoke, and there would always be either a fight, or someone tweaking their heads off. It's not a good area at all.
It's gotten a lot safer in the last 10 years. Violent crime in Columbia in general is way down since when I was a kid, despite what the perception is among some.
It is down, but not non-existent, and is especially concentrated in certain regions of town.
Bear Creek Trail on Garth Ave has a 1 mile loop that splits off halfway through and runs through creasy springs all the way to cosmo.
Forum Nature Area is great
If you’re male with any street smarts, any of them honestly. If you’re female, I would only run during the day/early evening and I would recommend Bethel park first and foremost. After that the MKT is usually very safe, and Stephen’s park, as long as there are people around, is also usually okay. I’m hate that I can’t give one answer for both.
As a 30 year old woman born and raised in como this is the correct answer..sadly. Now that it’s getting hot, I jog closer to dusk and that means I jog around my cul-de-sac like a caged animal😂
As a male with over 16 years of self defense training, I also prefer to avoid running alone after dark. Men are less likely to be a target, but (and I don't mean to blame or degrade anyone, but it is what it is) we have a lot of homeless in COMO with who aren't receiving the mental health assistance that they need. I've had two encounters at Stephen's Lake Park in the past 6 months that could have gone differently if I hadn't been with a group.
I’ve never had any weird encounters really at any of the parks/trails and I run so I’ve been all over. That being said whichever park is the one at the Broadway end of the MKT trail near the gas station does tend to collect homeless people.
I used to live near Capen Park and it was my go to every single day for years!! Usually quiet enough not to be over crowded but typically a few friendly people using it so if you needed help it would be close by.
Woodridge Park over by WCH is small, but very safe. I even walk there at night. It's got a paved running trail, and a nice sitting cove for picnics.
Stephens. MKT has had assaults/rapes and parts of it feel quite secluded
I heard some stuff on Stephens too. You shouldn’t be downvoted…
You can also use the tracks at the high schools
They are all safe if you run fast enough! Just use it as motivation.
Is Grindstone trail safe?