Such a GORGEOUS park in the middle of small town North Carolina just outside of Charlotte. Lake sports, fishing, children's parks and events, the place is HUGE. Camping hours locks you in after closing with private access should you need to exit. Ranger is a friendly bloke that was so helpful. Peaceful, full hookups and onsite black tank disposal. Note, it's a public park - so you're not going to have control over whom your neighbours are, but we got lucky and the possible problem guests were leaving as we arrived (yay!). read more

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Nice, spacious park!!! The playground areas, alone, is worth the drive, it's huge and great for all ages!! There's also a carousel, a barnyard to pet farm animals, an aquarium/exhibit with live animals inside of it in the nature center, a splash pad, mini golf, trails for walking, and some wildlife habitats outside that have wild animals as well. We didn't get to do the train, as it was closed; but there was still so much to enjoy at the park. Me and my bestie brought our kids and they had a blast! We spent a solid 2-3 hrs there and had a great time. It's also very inexpensive!! Some things that I will say is that the bathrooms are not very clean and don't even work but it's an old place, so that's to be expected and we're not there to use the restroom, we're there to play! Bring cash for extra things, like carousel, barnyard, animal exhibits, etc...sometimes their card reader doesn't work and they can only accept cash. There's even a cute place to shop where you purchase tickets for everything with toys and snacks inside! All in all, we had a great time! Keep in mind this place is old, but it definitely still has charm, and stands out against the other parks around. The animal exhibits, including the barnyard petting activity is a hit or miss, because this place is not a zoo. The animals have plenty of room to hide and/or roam to get space, which is a great thing!!! But some people might be upset after paying and not really being able to see the animals. Highly recommend!!! Go if you haven't!!!! read more

What a beautiful park! I wish the carousel had been running :) the playground was so nice and big with adaptive swings. The lake was beautiful. I can't wait to come back. read more

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Dan Nicholas park is a great place to burn some of your kids/dogs/own energy if you have some free time. Aside from being a regular park with playgrounds and open spaces to explore, they have a carousel, mini train ride, small zoo area, putt putt, and paddle boats. They have a snack shop and RV parking as well. It's really a little gem in the area and I recommend dropping in if you have some time to kill. read more

I had a great day with the kids and grands! What a great park 45 minutes from home. I'm sure I enjoyed the carousel more than the grands but that's ok! We will definitely be back! Day trip worthy for sure! read more

Dan Nicholas Park - Not just for kids!!! :) - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

Very disappointed. Raised prices for lesser attractions and lesser animals. The exhibits for the animals are horrible and are severely neglected. They're overgrown with weeds and filthy. There are no bears, wolves, nor raccoons. Which is fine but put up a sign to let everyone know. Train, nature center, and carousal were closed. Only worth while thing is the gem mining and mini golf. I understand that funding is hard but if you are taking care of animals, take care of them. It's disgusting to see how they're living when you're supposed to be a state park. Cheap but I wouldn't support them due to the terrible conditions for animals. read more

Great park for the whole family. Aside from the camping cabins in back, you can do so much. Separate Playgrounds for little and big kids. Volleyball court Mini golf Gem mining Carousel Mini zoo Train ride Splash pad Paddle boarding Fishing docks Tons of benches and picnic tables And tons of walking paths. read more

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We made the drive out recently to Dan Nicholas because now everything is open there again. We went a few times back when we lived in the Lexington area, but the carousel and train were closed at the time. With everything open especially, this place is really worth the drive to spend a few hours or the whole day! Aside of the aforementioned carousel and train ride, there are two large playgrounds, scenic walking trail around the lake, campgrounds and shelters for RV, fishing, and a petting zoo area. They've also opened the concession building that was being newly constructed about a year ago. There's also a mini golf course and ample fields for soccer and baseball. Great park in the Triad? Of course! Beautiful any time of year, and I would love to park overnight in an RV sometime and have time to meditate near the lake! read more

It is a lot of walking. Went with my class. They had fun. We only had time for gem mining, mini golf, and the wildlife adventure. None of the big animals were out. It was disappointing. read more

Nice place to visit and walk around d. Bring cash with you for tickets to the attractions and concessions. The reptile attraction was closed though when we went. Also, very few of the animals were out and about when we visited, but is was mid day. read more

Nice park with lots of picnic tables and plenty of shady areas. Good for families with younger children with the carousel and train ride. The small zoo is nice to explore as is the barnyard. Very affordable. Also has splash pad for little ones. Fishing and paddle pads also available. The "gem mining" Is also a favorite of all ages. Limited options for snacks and drinks. read more

On vacation looking for a place to spend a few hours and found this gem. We rode the train the carousel, spent time in the playground and splash pad. The staff was very kind and the park and bathrooms were clean. read more

Great camp ground, large spaces, lots of trees! Nice small lake to walk around, Clean bathrooms and friendly staff! read more

Dan Nicholas Park - Camp site - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

This is a nice campground with a lot of activities to do when open. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Kitty in the office made our 1st trip happen by allowing us to move our dates around when we encountered an unexpected delay. She's also full of helpful knowledge and information. Unfortunately, the activities are currently closed due to covid-19 however you can still walk/ hike and fish with license. Hand sanitizer stations located in various locations. This was our inaugural camping in our R-Pod. Glad we came here 1st. No generators allowed. Must purchase firewood from office. 2 Shower house's nice with 2 shower stalls in each read more

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ANIMALS WERE SICK!!! ENCLOSURES WERE APPALLING!! THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN! It was hard to get a pic of most things - but the red fox DEFINITELY had a large abrasion on his back (complete with flies crawling all over him - see photo). Most of the other animals looked malnourished and forgotten about. The fox and the red wolves looked the worst - not to mention a raccoon that had mange. THESE ANIMALS ARE SICK AND SOME ARE INJURED. I tried asking about it at the gate but the lady, never looking up from her yogurt said, "Ah, they got better lives than they let on." WTF???? HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING SIDESHOW ATTRACTION ANIMALS - they should be looked after better! read more

Dan Nicholas Park - Fox - has lesion on back and had flies all on it - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

Dan Nicholas has a lot of things to do for kids. Train, barn animals, putt putt golf, gem mining, a carousel, pedal boats, and a huge playground. The prices for the concessions and rides are very good. This past weekend I stayed in the campground for the first time. The campground staff were very on point and friendly, and the campground was nice and well kept. This weekend they had a great Halloween get together that invoked the whole campground. Everyone was great and the decorations were impressive. I definitely plan on going back! read more

This is a great park with a huge playground. During the summer months they have lots of extra things to do that don't cost too much.

I enjoyed it we love to go fishing there the park is nice have all types of activities nice place for family together

Love how much this place has grow from when my family used to being all of us siblings and cousins! They have so much to do for a whole day of fun. Paddleboats, fishing, carousel, train, putt-putt, playground, petting zoo, and so on! Long miles of hiking area - very nice and clean. Petty sure it's a walk if your own risk kind of deal.. I don't think the park ranger goes out that way. They have camping sites available for purchase that is open year round. Shelters for rent for special occasions at a decent price. Grills available on site as well as trash bins. Everything is nice and clean, bathrooms are kept clean and maintained. The park is very family oriented. I wish they would taking smoking out, which is the only downfall. Dogs are allowed on a leash. Loving visiting this place during nice weather! read more

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Fun place. Nice people. Clean and safe. Always a fun time . The splash pad was great for my Grandkids.

Nice park to visit with family. Plenty to do including a zoo, Barnyard, miniature golf, large playground, paddle boat and fishing. It's something to do for every family members. Must visit if you are in the Salisbury, North Carolina area. read more

Great place to take your kids or just relax and take a load off. I remember going here with my dad as a young boy and I can never forget the reptile exhibit, it has and always will be my favorite, considering my dad never had a lot of money, Dan Nicholas was always a nice place to go as most of the attractions are free. It's nice to take a stroll around the lake or, if you're a kid, play on the playgrounds they've got there. read more

Dan Nicholas Park... One of those places that I do not hear many people talk about around here. Its a great place to camp, visit ,picnic and much more. Its local and the prices are very reasonable http://www.dannicholas.net/. Not sure why more locals do not go if they do it may be one of those " What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas things" One of the things that kids young and old like is the Live cameras they have in different spots in the park( Check out the web site). Children and You can check out where they are going next week-end!!! Sure its not Yellow Stone but, its a nice little park for a Place like Salisbury .So if your in the area ... read more

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I have been coming here my whole life. I love this place. There is paddle boating, a petting zoo, a zoo, fishing, playground, tons of shelters, mini golf, aquarium, reptile house, train, a carousal, camping.....etc etc etc! They do a lot of events throughout the year and different programs mainly for children. The green areas are large enough so you aren't sitting right on top of anyone else. There is also a playground for the smaller children that is fenced in. Also, they do a fall festival every year and the place gets packed out, its really worth checking out. read more

Dan Nicholas Park - The nephew and I enjoying the kiddie park - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

This is a very nice and very large park. They are a lot of outdoor activities here, lots of grass, lots of wilderness and trees. The place is friendly clean it has a send environment that is conducive to nature. I let her ride for good place to take a walk short hike also you can bring your pets on a leash. read more

A great park for a family outing. Always enjoy taking the grandkids and enjoy watching them have fun.

Went on a cold windy day with my family just as a last minute thing & fell in love! The place was literally empty, but the aquarium & reptile house was open & free! Really cool local animals, trout, rattlesnakes, alligators, more snakes, more fish, & some really cute turtles. We then went to the concession stand & paid $2 for 2 tickets to the wildlife walk, which was empty as well. Didn't have to fight a 5 year old to get a good view of bears, bobcats, foxes, wolves, groundhogs, raccoons, hawks, vultures, turkeys, deer, eagles, & more! All of the animals were surprisingly active given the cold weather. There's more to do here too, gem mining, fishing, camping, mini golf, water park, paddle boats, lots of playgrounds & bike trails. If i can enjoy it on a cold day, i can't wait to come back on a hot day. So worth it!! I absolutely adore this place! read more

Dan Nicholas Park - Rattlesnake! - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

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This is such a place you can just kick back at. Nice campsites, clean.. Went there for a mini golf touriment for the LIONS CLUB and had a great time, so I came back by myself to see the rest of the park.. There's nothing like smelling clean air and a peaceful feeling that surrounds ya. read more

So much fun for the kiddos! Where else can you throw down a $20 and keep a child entertained for an entire day?! (hint: nowhere). Merry go round, petting zoo, reptile zoo, animal zoo (with bears!), paddle boats and more. Pair that with a camping experience and you got a pretty good and cheap mini vacay. read more

Dan Nicholas Park - Merry go round - Parks Near Me - Salisbury, North Carolina

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Dan Nicholas Park is a wonderful place! Every year we go there like all the time! There's just animals to see rides for the kids a lake to walk around or go fishing, there's also a campsite there. Right now we are going to be there in a couple weeks for a birthday party and we just had a Father's Day celebration there last week I one of their shelters. It's a great place!! read more

Good family fun. It's got rides, animals and lots to walk around and see. Take a picnic and make it a day.

My kids love it but if you don't have helmets with your bikes they will kick you out

Great place to have a picnic. Lots of activities for the children and adults. There is a small train, merry-go-round, rock panning where you sift out gemstones. We had a great day and will be going back when in the area. read more

nice campsite, the manager and host are very nice BUT.... evidently somebody's too penny pinching to turn on the heat in the bath houses unless there's a mostly full campground. We just got back camping from 10/16-10/19 and the temperature was in the low 40's in the mornings and there was no heat in the bath houses! None was so ever. They had split units and the indoor fan was running, but nothing but cool air was coming out. I told the guy at the camp store and he was supposed to check into It. Later that day, still no heat, so I asked again and he claimed it seemed to be working. I knew what it was....they just didn't want to have to heat the bathrooms with only 6-8 campsites filled. It couldn't have been over 55-60 degrees at the most in there. Thursday evening the people started rolling in for the big Halloween blowout they have every year. Guess what....the heat magically came on then. I would recommend NC State Campgrounds. They heat their bathrooms even if only one person is there....and you get senior citizens discount as well..... read more

This was such a fun low-cost day trip. For 13.50 I got to see and do all of the attractions the park has to offer. They offer a discount pass for 10 bucks which includes the train ride, gem mining, carousel, and mini golf. I also added the paddle boating, animal area, and petting barn. We packed a picnic lunch and there were plenty of picnic tables to use. The bathrooms are not the nicest but they are flush toilets. I would definitely come back in the future. read more

Absolutely great time for family! Especially with little ones. Multiple age-appropriate playgrounds are only part of what the park has to offer. My son could have stayed all day on the carousel (only $1). The other reviews hit all of the highlights about this place. I highly recommend and is worth the 1 hour drive from Charlotte!!! The only gripe I have is they allow smoking in a place where most of the people there are children. Nothing like getting your kid out of the city to a park to breathe the fresh air... and cigarette smoke. Plan next time is to get there early and enjoy the park, while the smokers are still at the gas station buying their coffin sticks. read more

Imagine an auctioneer as I spew the list of offerings at Dan Nicholas. Gem mine, aquarium, boat pond, mini golf, petting zoo, train rides, carousel, picnic shelters, playgrounds, water pavillion, camping, trails, ducks to feed, reptile house.....whew! That was exhausting and that's not all! This place has something for everyone at rock bottom prices. We rented a big shelter for my son's bday party a few weeks ago, complete w/two grills for the 1/2 day price of a mere $20. Shelters are clearly marked w/parking areas and reservations. Petting zoo is 50 cents, train rides, $1 dollar. Water pavillion, play areas, free. There's so much to do it's easily a day of fun and can even be a weekend camping adventure. Highly recommend for families and out-of-towners alike. read more

One great thing about the region is the plethora of impressive public parks. As a plus, many of the regions parks have very natural settings. Walking and driving paths wind through trees and there seems to be very little intrusion on the natural habitats. With any public park, it's quite easy to be underwhelmed. It's a park, so you don't expect much right? Talk about mind blowing - Dan Nicholas had everything. This wasn't just a park with open fields and picnic shelters, this was an educational learning experience. This was a state fair, a fishing pond, petting zoo. You name it - they have it. Miniature golf was affordable, the splash park was free, the carousel and train rides were only a $1 and the wildlife center was about the same. Fishing was fund and affordable and on top of all that they even offer camping. read more

Dan Nicholas Park is much more than I expected for a county park. It is CLEAN, CLEAN...CLEAN!! And, has so much to offer families. From Hayden's carousel, zoo, petting zoo, gem mine, aquarium, paddleboats and more, this place is top notch. The price isn't bad either. We camped in the campground and it was affordable as were the atttractions at the park. A stones throw from Charlotte, if you're looking for a place to camp or just a day trip with the family this place is a must visit! read more

Beautiful park with something for everyone. Our grandchildren love the multiple playgrounds. We just went to the fall festival & found some beautiful crafts for our home. We had a great time & always enjoy visiting our local park. read more