What a daydream this spot is so beautiful and a very easy walk. I loved coming in to explore this park and we even saw some deer when walking here. It was so cute. For more recommendations follow@raleighunlocked on Instagram. read more

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It's a nice park in the area! You'll get to expose yourself to sunlight and nature! Great place to do picnic or outdooring like fishing and playing toys on the lake! Cool place read more

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What a scenic experience! The wind and good weather blew me here and it was just the space I needed to clear my head. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Beautiful lake park. I visited on a Sunday. Nice area for grilling out, kayaking , fishing and hiking. I enjoyed Lake Crabtree overall . The parking was plentiful and in the third lots and beyond. Plan ahead to go early as it gets warmer. I look forward to visiting again soon. The mapping here wasn't easy to find and it was a bit confusing determining which trails were closed (before arrival). read more

Trails, boating, wildlife, and more! This park has something for everyone. There are plenty of birds including osprey, heron, and cormorants. There is a nesting area or rookery for the herons and you will probably even see a bald eagle which, curiously, has made a nest among the herons. There are shaded playgrounds for the little ones with seating for adults conveniently placed around the perimeters. Friday through Sunday, the lake offers boat, canoe, and kayak rentals, FREE for 2 hours. They even loan the life vests for free. There was a small fee pre-covid but they have been offering this free service for a couple of years now. They have a decent selection of rentals and even on a super busy day, the wait may only be 20 minutes depending on what you prefer to rent. There are also trails for hiking and biking with various skill levels. The bike trails do have some obstacle courses set up for different skill levels so that can be a lot of fun. If you've never been to Lake Crabtree, I definitely recommend it. Bring a picnic lunch and make use of the many pavilions and picnic areas or go for a hike or boat ride. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

This is one of the most beautiful county parks I have ever been to. The lake is huge and there are relatively few people which allows for great alone time and deep thinking. Here are my favorite things about the park: - On the day we went, the trails were all closed because of the previous days of heavy rain but that didn't stop our trip from being very fun. If you walk further down the entrance, there are a lot of places where you can just sit on the dock and enjoy the view which we did just that. - The views are absolutely stunning even though the water isn't the cleanest. - I think this park is a very good representative of the scenery in North Carolina - very very green. - The park is pretty close to the airport so you can watch planes descend into the airport which is always a beautiful view. Overall, a very great park and next time would come back to go paddle-boating, kayaking, other sport-related activities the park provides. read more

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Absolutely a beautiful place to relax and explore. My mom and I walked around the park for over an hour enjoying the water, trees, birds, and fresh air. Under the trees along the tra we walked it was about 10 degrees cooler and helped us relax even more. Definitely a must go to when in this area! read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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One of my favorite parks in the area. We spent mothers day with family. I come often to hike or bike ride.

This place is beautiful! I was able to take my dog around the trails and we even were able to watch people kayaking. Which I found out there are free rentals! So I will be going back! The place is well maintained and has such calming vibes. read more

Perfect time to come is during sunset. I forgot I wasn't at the beach! It was so breezy and beautiful and perfect for an easy breezy beautiful cover girl (or boy) ;) come check it out! read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Even on a chilly sunny March day, this is a nice place to visit. The park is indeed in the middle of several RTP Business Parks and is on property owned by the RDU Airport Authority. While you can't totally ignore the sounds of nearby I 40, it is a pleasant and quiet place to enjoy. I am very impressed by the boat rental area, with rest rooms, docks, an observation tower, picnic tables, and easy to walk lakeside trails. Fishing docks are well maintained. Do make sure you go to the park's website or call for fishing guidelines before you plan to go there for fishing. When it is warmer, I understand it is a much more crowded place, so you might want to plan your trip outside of the normal peak hours. read more

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I bought an inflatable kayak and heard Lake Crabtree was nice for beginners. We only checked out the boating area. Because of covid they weren't doing rentals but we had our own. There were some people in the sand and some swimming in the water. The area where we were wasn't that crowded. The workers were friendly and even talked to us about she did all sorts of boating but not kayaking. While there, we saw some ducks. They had a water pump area so you could wash your feet off from all the sand before leaving which I thought was great. We will be going back. read more

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This place is fantastic. Haven't been back for seven years and it's much better than last time I experienced. This is like a mini version of Jordan lake or falls lake. We did not even walk the trails, just spent time along the river bank. It has everything a lake park needs--- trails, boats, fishing pier, boat house, playground, beach and huge grass fields. You will easily forget the time here. Awesome county park! read more

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If I had known earlier I would have come here to spent my environment time. This is a go to place to relax and enjoy the birds singing, the sound of the wind blowing those tree leaves. I appreciate this place and there are things to do. Come here for a picnic or quality time for your kids or do a trail and bike run. read more

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I made my way over to this park on one of the first warm days in February and I was far from the only person to visit. I had to pass the first 2 or 3 parking lots just to find a parking place, and to get that spot I saw someone pull out and I swooped in for the spot, and no I did not cut anyone off getting into the spot. The park was nice and very clean. There seemed to be a large amount of picnic areas and the like for families to enjoy a nice clean area to have a meal. Grills were in some areas which is nice. The trails are clearly marked and people were friendly as you passed. There is a mountain bike trail which was very busy on the day I was there, so I am not sure if you are an inexperienced rider this would be a good place to ride as again there were many bikes on the paths and you may get intimidated by so many around. Or you may just go for it and see what happens. It is a nice park and glad Wake County has made the investment in places like this for our residents to enjoy. read more

As the first established county park, Lake Crabtree is located on a 215-acre site, adjacent to a 520-acre flood control lake, and offers 16 miles of trails. Park visitors can enjoy outdoor activities including mountain biking, fishing, boating, picnicking, hiking and nature study. Please be aware, the following are prohibited: alcoholic beverages, firearms/hunting, overnight camping, swimming, collection or removal of any natural material, and amplified music. One of the most interesting thing that attracted at Lake Crabtree was that you can find the remains of a 19th-century tenant farm - You can see the ruins of a tenant house, a stone-lined well and a tobacco ordering pit. We enjoyed walking through the trails, however, we had to constantly move out of the way from mountain bikers using the same trails. The trails were easily mapped using the brochure/map and various trail color coded signs throughout the park. After about an hour, we were able to find the historical home site as mentioned earlier (remnants including the ruins, the old well, and the pit). Bathrooms are located in two locations, but only one was open when we went on a Wednesday afternoon - the one close to the lake and by the boat rentals area. They were very clean and well maintained. I heard they offer geocaching, which sounded neat for a future endeavor. If you're in town and are looking for a quiet place to bike or just relax from the hustle and bustle of Research Triangle Park, check out Lake Crabtree. read more

Beautiful Park right by the RDU airport. This is a great place to come if you are waiting for a traveller who is coming in with a delay, or if you want something to do before catching your flight. This is what we did, we took a leisurely walk around the Old Beach Trail just to kill some time before I had to go board my flight. This trail is completely shaded, making it perfect for someone who may be wanting to walk in the summer heat hours. The trail is also well maintained and super easy to walk. There are pamphlets at the trail head with numbered flora specimens that one can read about while walking along the trail. This park is well appointed and offers a really nice place for people in the area to enjoy outdoor activities. A hidden gem right by Raleigh Durham Airport. read more

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Lake Crabtree is a beautiful urban lake. It was larger than I thought it would be. I came here for the full moon paddle event. The park stayed open after hours and we were able to rent canoes and paddle around from 8-10pm to watch the sunset and moon rise. The staff was great and the event was organized very well. We were out on the water in just a few short minutes after arrival. I felt totally safe rowing around in the dark since our boats were tagged with glow sticks and the staff was out in the water too. They were still inconspicuous enough to where it did not feel as though we were being overly supervised. The scenery of the lake is typical for one located in a prominent residential/business area. Unfortunately, you will not feel the illusion of getting back in touch with nature since massive office buildings and the highway are in clear view across the lake. In any case, it was still a great lake to paddle across, especially in the moonlight. It was easy to find the entrance/exit to the park and the sections were labeled well so we had no trouble finding the boathouse. They have a decent size parking lot for the boat area and options for if you want to bring your own canoe or kayak. read more

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I've now enjoyed Lake Crabtree County Park on two occasions. I came out here in late December with some girlfriends and again most recently this past Sunday with Raleigh Chicks meetup girls. On both occasions, we followed the 6 mile Lake Trail. There are a handful of parking lots, but this trail head is located at the kiosk next to the Manager's Office. This pedestrian loop and its accompanying blue blazes lead you all around Lake Crabtree. Some portions of the trail divide to give mountain bikers their own area. Most of the trail is very wooded and at times can be quite scenic. The brochure says that the average hiker will take 2.5 - 3 hours to complete it. So don't complain when you're an hour in at the 3 mile mark. You have no choice but to keep going or attempt to make your way back by swimming across the lake. We did it in about 2 and still enjoyed ourselves along the way! My complaints with this park are that it was quite busy on Sunday and when some of my girlfriends had to use the restroom, they couldn't because the restrooms were locked. Also, the one water fountain along the trail didn't work -- the human level or the dog level. Along the way, you will find yourself walking along the busy road or behind some office buildings, but for the most part it's wooded and somewhat secluded. Other features: - hiking - picnic - shelters - play area - fishing - sailing - canoeing - mountain biking trails - environmental education - educational gardens - volleyball It truly was a beautiful experience on both occasions. When I visited in December, it was rather cool so it wasn't very busy, but this past Sunday the park was bustling with families, young people, and all kinds of visitors out for a hike, bike ride, canoeing (probably their own), and even to fly kites! This is definitely an excellent escape in the developing RTP business area and near the RDU airport, just off of I-40/540. read more

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FYI, I'm taking a different perspective on this review - primarily bent on it's mountain bike (MTB) friendly aspects. And yes, Brian W., the MTB trails are still there....and better. This park is my "feeder" into the trails of Umstead for some really awesome MTB riding. What's best about this small county park is how developed and super MTB friendly the trails are. I like the fact that i can go online (http://www.trianglemtb.com/crabtree.php) and check out trail conditions as well as trail maps. They have an awesome "pump" track where you can have fun just using your momentum to coast through nice smooth single tracks. However, the best part is the fact that this leads into Umstead where you can take the easy leisurely trails up to Old Reddy Creek Rd and Umstead. If MTB riding doesn't float your boat, you can take the paved trails leading south along the lake into Cary and elsewhere. Really, it's a well groomed, well maintained beautiful little gem alongside the larger William B. Umstead State Park. It has boat launches and other lake related activities to be had as well. There is also a "beach" with some volley ball nets and plenty of picnic tables. The trails do get slammed on weekends with both riders and hikers. Always be polite and yield appropriately when riding - uphill riders and hikers get the right of way! Oh yeah...it's free. Check park times, tho...b/c I believe the park closes at dusk. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - From business website - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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We came here for the first time on a whim on a lovely Saturday evening at dusk. We parked at the first lot we came to, which was at a large grassy area with a picnic table and volleyball court. A family was having a birthday party at the table, others were playing catch on the field, and others were at the sandy area by the lake. It was a very family friendly setting, and having recently moved from Texas where everything is brown and crunchy this time of year, seeing a beautiful green space is very good for the soul. I see the low reviews have to do with kayak rental, which we didn't try as we got there after closing, so I can't speak to that. I'll say the paved trails were lovely and shaded and the several fishing piers were very charming. The trails within the wooded area were clean and maintained, and we saw park staff working on Saturday evening. They were friendly and professional. There was a nice playscape which my son enjoyed. The lake is beautiful with ducks and other birds, and the scenery is overall really beautiful. There were benches and picnic tables galore. We will definitely be back. read more

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Decided to take the pups on an adventure and found ourselves at Lake Crabtree. It has been years since I have been to this park so it was nice getting back with the furry kids. First, Lake Crabtree Park is nestled in the middle of business parks, near the airport, and like Christina G said, you are getting away from it all when it is actually in the middle of it all. You can park, bring your bike and ride on some trails, you can paddle boat or bring your own boat as their is a boat ramp, you can walk along the little beach area and dip the toes in for a refreshing cool down, or like I did, you can take the pups for play along the water, then a walk on the trails! Boy, did they love it! You'd be surprised what a change of scents will do for a pup! The parking is easy peasy! As long as you have your pups on a leash, the possibilities are limitless! It seems to be so peaceful as if no one knows it's there. The trails are shaded and are a lot of fun to go exploring on. There are also lots of open grass-sunny areas that are fun to run and play with the pups too. Lake Crabtree Park would be a perfect picnic getaway or for larger groups to gather as they have a few shelters that can accomodate most size groups! Good times! read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Lots of bunnies out this time of year. We had a nice walk with the dogs. We went about 30 minutes each way on the paved path.

This park technically deserves 2 reviews - one for the general park area and another for the MTB/hiking trails. Both are excellent. If you're new to mountain biking the trail here is not super intimidating. There are technical areas setup, but all can be avoided. It's possible to get lost, but the trails are well marked. The park area itself, off the main entrance, has several areas. The larger parking lot half-way through has a really nice open space. Great for throwing a frisbee, chasing kids, or letting the dog go crazy. I've never taken a kayak or sailboat onto the lake, but it looks really nice most days. Bonus: watching the planes come in for a landing across the lake into RDU. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Tons of room too run around - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

We went here yesterday, and had a great time. We went on the "6" mile loop trail that circumnavigates (SAT vocab at work!) the lake. I swear this thing is longer than 6 miles though. Beautiful lake, beautiful walk. Some other review said it wasn't so good for walker, and was more for bikers, but I disagree. It's good for both! I liked this hike for a few reasons: -The setting was lovely, green, and the trail was very well kept. -I like insect photography, and there were plenty to go around! -It's convinient. -It's free. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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We had a great Saturday hike at Lake Crabtree County Park. We took the lake trail. The trail was around 6 miles long, so it was just enough for us. It literally follows the perimeter of the lake. We chose this park because we were sick of the usual Tobacco, UNC, and Duke trails. It was so nice because it felt very secluded from the World--apart from the occasional Fortune 500 building you could catch a glimpse of on the very outskirts of the lake. All in all we passed about 5 people the whole time. There were a few paddle boaters and sailers. It looked like there was a rental dock and seemed to be a nice place to bring children. There is also a picnic area right by the lake. Really enjoyed this cute little park! We will definitely be back. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - View from lake trail - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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Nice park! I added a geocaching event here recently, but have also attended a birthday cookout here. Pretty location! I'd like to spend more time here. read more

The BIANC Annual Walk & Roll a Thon was held at this park! It was amazing! Mountain Bike Trails r available in the park as well! read more

Lake Crabtree is one of my favorite spots to catch the sunset! Go to the east end of the lake from Weston Pkwy to Old Reedy Creek Road. Follow Old Reedy north to just before you get to 40 and park and walk down to the waters edge. Check out my recent photo I took (very proud of this one can you tell) with my nikon D5300 DSLR using my Tokina 11-16mm ultra-wide angle lens. I'm sure the lake offers more than just great sunset viewing in the Raleigh/Durham area, but I recommend you go to this particular spot for the sunsets. Enjoy! read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - 11/16/15 - My Lake Crabtree photo - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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Good place to run, bike, or take a casual walk. Easy access to Umstead for a long trek or a good weekend bike ride. One warning, do not swim or fish. Lake Crabtree is fed by Briar Creek, which is known to have cancer pollution in it. Its under investigation as a EPA Superfund site for future cleanup. read more

This place really isn't good for mountain biking in the area. If you're looking for jumps. The large Dirt Jump line is almost never open. An the beginner line just has a whole bunch of rounded lips from lack of any maintenance at all. The only reason I'd come here is for fitness reasons. The trails require an insane amount of pedaling and they make it near impossible to carry speed because there's a sharp turn every 20 feet. I'd definitely come here more often if it weren't for the poor maintenance on everything here. Outside of mountain biking there's a few things to do here. But mountain biking is my main reason for visiting and I almost never have as much fun as I can have at every other mtb trail system in the triangle. read more

Such a beautiful park near RDU. We spent the afternoon here while waiting for a flight, and we were so pleasantly surprised! It's just 5 minutes from the airport, so it is a super convenient place to wait if you need some fresh air before a flight, or if you need to waste time while waiting to pick someone up! While we didn't try them, the trails looked amazing. There's a field right along the water with the most gorgeous view. Everything about it was so relaxing. A little further down the road is a cute little playground with picnic benches. It was an absolutely wonderful place to enjoy our lunch. read more

Echoing what others have said -- feels away from it all when it's actually right in the middle of it all. Enjoyed a potluck picnic here today near the shelters. Our group took over two picnic tables, and had meat grilling in one area, and s'mores going in the other. Few better ways to spend a fall afternoon! The leaves are just beginning to change and scatter, so I enjoyed soaking up some nature, and the view over the lake. Being beneath the canopy was a bit chilly today, but we were close to one of the docks, and walked our dog down to bask in the sunshine and recline on the benches. The water is a bit murky, but there are apparently fish. The fish are, allegedly, pumped up with chemicals -- according to Wake County signage posted in 2007, advising against catching and eating them. Kind of sad. There was a sign up that trails were closed for today, (perhaps only referring to mountain bike trails?); the paved path closest to our picnic area was open, and provided a nice jaunt along the lake. With plenty of parking, lots of space, and boating options, this spot makes for a really nice local getaway. read more

Still come here with the kids. Same problems if you come during a week day as listed below and you are a man by yourself having lunch in the car. Also noticed that this is the place to cheat on your wife. Tons of moms in mini vans pulling up and making out in cars with randon men. I know this because after 3 days up there i saw the same woman in her minivan with kid stickers all over the back making out.with 3 different dudes in different trucks. Nice location and a great park over near the airport. Several short but technical Mountain bike trails. Hiking paths through the woods with lots of open spaces for lounging or picnics. Covered areas with grill pads available. Fishing pier and boat rental house. Cops patrol it pretty regularly. The only thing i dont like about it is the gay dudes that come up at lunch time to hook up. I just wanna eat my lunch in peace. Not have dudes coming up to my car to see if i wanna go off and have sex in the woods. It happened 4-5 times in one lunch. Now I avoid it lunchtime weekdays. Park staff is aware of it but cant do anything unless they catch them with their pants down. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - A bike repair station with all the tools! - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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GREAT FOR CYCLISTS - NOT SO MUCH FOR WALKERS OR RUNNERS. This is a great space that's really conveniently located right off of Hwy 40. When we got the map for the location to pick out some trails to walk with our pup, we thought the map a bit funny because it looked like someone let their child scribble a trail on a piece of paper and then decided to make it happen on the ground. But, this is a GREAT place for beginner and intermediate off-road cyclists with all the twists, turns, and moderate elevations. For walkers, though, this is not a great option as we constantly had to step off the track to avoid cyclists and the noise of the highway killed the whole "out in nature" vibe of the place. Speaking of all the twists and turns, we were forced to laugh after realizing that after 10 minutes of walking, we found ourselves still only a 100m from our parked car (seriously!). It's also - while a park - not really that charming "beauty-wise". But...all this said...on a bike, you're going fast and you're not necessarily there for the beauty. This is a great place to improve your off-roading skills! And, if you're a kayaker (and I wonder how this place would rate for sculling?), this is also a great spot. Walkers and runners, though, keep walking or running somewhere else. :) read more

Beautiful park that has a ton of things to do for all of your needs-family, dog, exercise etc. Really accessible and lots of parking. Can't wait to bring my dog back! read more

Awesome running grounds on the Cary greenway. The tree coverage is so nice and there aren't too many people on the trail, take advantage!

What a great place! A hidden gem in the middle of it all. It's perfect for when I feel like kayaking but don't want to travel too far or pay to get in somewhere fancy. Not that Crabtree isn't fancy...it's just small and very simple. But in a good way! I'm a big fan of paddling out to the middle and then napping for a while. If the wind takes me to the edge, it doesn't seem like too much work to get back to the middle of the lake--or the shore to call it a day. read more

Bike Trail Focus Great for riding single track trails. This was my first experience riding at lake crabtree and it was very enjoyable. I went with someone that had been riding there a good bit, so he had all the trails already planned out. There are many different types of loops and intersecting lines, that allows you to get some good mileage in. The trails directly next to the lake are well packed, but can be crowded, so watch out for other bikers and hikers. These trails aren't to gnarly, so anyone comfortable riding in the woods on single track could ride them. Hardtail bikes should be fine. When you cross-over the bridge into some other property there are some more aggressive trails that could be done on a hardtail, but you would be much happier with a full-squishy bike. With at any of trails here, you can put on some mileage (10+ miles per trip). read more

This park has one of my favorite mountain biking trails. I come here often for mountain biking meet ups. I love the variety of trails from flat to hilly. It's always a great workout and there is always a good group of riders here. It's never crowded. read more

Lake Crabtree County Park - Ready to ride! - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina