I am very happy that I moved to Wake County and that they take the time and have the resources to…read morecreate and keep these parks well maintained. The parking is free, admittance is free and for the most part the people that use the park for biking, bike riding, just a good nature walk or as a couple of people I saw today firing up a blunt, the park for the most part is clean, and the water in the lake is clear. I go to the park to take pictures and try to improve my photography skills. There are turtle and butterflies and lots of dragonflies. I have not seen a ton of birds there, but have seen a heron and I think today possibly a woodpecker, but not a ton of birds. The paths are clearly marked and you can walk completely around the lake and see nature from all angles. There are several benches around the lake if you need to take a break, or if you just want to stop and look at the lake and take the view in. Lastly it is never crowded and I hope it stays that way.

Durant Nature Park is a stone's throw from my neighborhood but I have never been to it before…read morebecause the access roads were all gravel. Now that there is a paved entrance I decided to check it out. There is a pond for fishing and a boathouse, picnic tables, a few buildings used for educational purposes and many meandering gravel trails. To me, there is not adequate maps on the entry boards to show the trails, especially whether they are end to end or loops, and there was nothing that I saw indicating directions back to parking. With an elderly dog in the heat I ended up carrying her for a good distance as we used Find My Park to get back. Maybe there is more useful info on a website but to just pop over and wing it, it was not as pleasing to me as, for instance, the Falls Dam trails or Blue Jay Point.

I feel so lucky to live close to the dam. I am an hobbyist photographer and the wildlife here is…read moreamazing. I have watched a Osprey dive in and catch a fish. I have seen numerous Blue Heron and have gotten pictures of them catching fish. Eastern Blue Birds, vultures, and too many other birds to count. The Neuse River Greenway Trail starts here and you can walk up and down the trail from here. There is ample parking and you will see numerous people there ready to jog, hike or bike from the parking lot. You can park at the dam during the hours it is open and hike across the dam. The place is clean and there are bathrooms and a visitors center where members of the Army Corp of Engineers will happily answer any questions that you may have. Great place and it is all free.

Enjoyed finding and driving over Falls Lake Dam. It's a nice little area, with parking, a…read moreplayground, a fishing area, and even a family cemetery. I found a geocache there, to boot!

This fabulous park is "inclusive" which means that it's available for children who are abled and…read morechallenged! Lots of ramps throughout for those who are playing in the park in wheelchairs or who have trouble walking. Awesome. Lots of climbing frames and slides and fun things to do, all of it in bright primary colors. The park is in excellent condition with lots of shade. The park is in a small depression area which means that it's really easy for parents to keep an eye on their kids and harder for the kids to wander off. [Review 2423 of 2024 - 3879 in North Carolina - 23436 overall]

Public pool with nice play area large deck with chairs covered tables and concessions. Registration…read moreis online and allows nonresidents of Wake Forest. Sessions are for 3 hrs and limited to a total of 200 people. At least 2 lifeguards always on duty. A nice way to spend a lazy hot day.

The beach is spotless, with no trash anywhere. You'll see a few hair ties and bottle caps, but…read morenothing major. The sand is coarse because of scattered pebbles and bits of wood, so bring floppers for comfort. The water is clean and safe. Two large buildings are available for changing and showering. Picnic tables sit under the trees, and grills are open for cooking. The park has multiple trails, a children's playground, and it's dog‑friendly for walking. Entrance fees: $10 per vehicle, $5 for seniors.

Sandling is a man made beach within Falls Lake State Park. They charged $10 for the holiday…read moreweekend entrance fee. Sandling is accessible to the fire pits for barbecuing and is very small. Perfect for families and small children. You can access the beach on Creedmoor Rd. This was the perfect place for a convenient beach day 4th of July weekend. It saved me the 4 hour trip to Bear Island. I arrived early around 10:30 a.m. and there were no crowds. We camped out near the showers and bathrooms. This park is perfectly lined with trees in abundance. Perfect for barbecuing. We enjoyed our morning picnic and the water was very relaxing. I appreciate how clean the sand area was and the garbage was well organized as well. I brought my mother who is 72 and I had concerns about the proximity of the restrooms and showers and overall access. I was relieved to discover how convenient the beach access was for those with mobility impairment and disabilities. There are no pets allowed and no alcohol permitted. I watched the park rangers escort someone with a pit bull to the parking lot to return home and a woman was asked to dump out several beer cans. You have been warned. They run a tight ship here. I plan to return throughout the remainder of the summer months.

A hidden gem of a park! What a beautiful setting!…read more Ventured out to this park and brought my sidekick, Bo, with me. This is a lovely park, complete with trail options, restrooms, bbq grill, benches, play area for kiddos and a really nice butterfly park! The views are gorgeous! I took a lot of photos but honestly, my pics don't do this area justice. I was the only person here on a Saturday morning, the birds were chirping, the weather was perfect and it was a really nice day for the mile walk. The facilities are very well kept, the grounds were immaculate as well. Plenty of parking, too, with a few spots shaded by gorgeous trees. This park is fantastic!

This 57 acre park shares parking with the Leesville Community Library but is a separate business…read more The park has a paved smooth asphalt trail that runs for about a quarter mile from the library side to the residential neighborhood on the other side. There are two playgrounds in the park, one for 2-5 and the other for 5-12. Slides, nets, climbing structures and both have a sand surface. There are also benches and the playground area is partially fenced. [Review 12863 overall, 179 of 2020.]

I have a little kid, and we love the library and having free story time. Yesterday, however, we…read morewere able to experience the walking trail a brand-new playground for the first time, and were really disappointed. The walking trail was fine, clean, and a little hilly. There were a lot of people and well-behaved pups on leashes enjoying the beautiful weather. However, the actual paths were covered in a thick carpet of pine needles, so people were slipping and sliding everywhere (in dry conditions). I would think there's a way for trees to be pruned so as to provide for a safer walking trail (see Lake Lynn's trail for an example). My primary issue was with the new playground. Whoever designed and selected it does not have children. And has never been around children. I think the only kids who would enjoy it are 8 year olds without their parents nearby to stop them from climbing to the top of the structures and jumping off. The floor is that rubberized mat, which is nice. There's a large swing for multiple kids to use, which is fine but often not super popular. No regular or baby swings, which is a bummer. The structure for little kids is barely adequate - basically just a couple of platforms and a spinning toy that seemed to contain trash and a couple of balls. No slides, covers, puzzles.... really anything interesting. I'm not sure if the play structure is more an abomination or an art piece not meant to be played with, but it's certainly bizarre. The only slide has NO sides to prevent one from falling - it's just a steep piece of metal designed to cause harm. The other thing that looks like a slide from behind is for climbing, and has a railing straight down the middle. Why not on the side? I cannot explain. There are lots of rope webs for climbing, which will prove fun for some kids. But the platforms are not practical for standing or climbing, and it's mostly simply an unusable hazard.

Lake Michie is a scenic lake located only roughly 20 minutes from Durham in nearby Bahama, NC…read more(which is not nearly as tropical as the name suggests). The lake is reportedly home to some of the best largemouth bass fishing in the area, and the recreation area offers ample boating (rent a boat or bring your own), fishing, and picnicking opportunities. There are tons of grills and picnic tables, as well as a small picnic shelter that you can rent should you desire. All in all, this is a decent spot to get out on the water, do some fishing, or just have a lazy Sunday afternoon picnic. Also of note, the Wilkins Road Recreation Area just across the street also offers a spot for fishing, boating, and picnicking should you want to see what the other side of the street looks like!

Beautiful area. Lots of space, quiet and peaceful. Family friendly! Fun to fish with children and…read morefriends. Pre Covid they had star gazing events so hopefully that will return soon. Restrooms available.

So glad Jessica teaches, aerobics, core exercise. Tuesdays…read moream. And Thursdays. Check out the schedule. Also power house at milbrook . Thanks Jessica

Optimist is a great community center for indoor pickleball. They have 3 courts for open play and a…read moregood variety of hours open. The bathrooms and parking are good and the staff are nice. I took classes here with Ken and Tom and learned a lot. I will keep returning.