Incredible park with something for everyone. Love love loved this park. It is in a nice shady area, there's playhouses, multiple picnic/patio table areas for parties and people to eat meals and/or snacks. It also has a big range of play equipment for different age ranges. Did I mention that I love this park? There are cool statues inspired from fantasy themes like a lion with a squirrel body or a tortoise with a hare's head as well as a giant sea monster on a hill, complete with a nest of eggs. There's also an area with water spray thingies. That's my best attempt at describing them. They had been off for the winter but they're back on since a couple weeks ago! The kids love it especially with the weather heating up! read more

See all

"Can we go to the dinosaur park, mommy?" I don't think he fully gets the difference right now. There is a large dragon sculpture that kids can climb on but there's no dinosaurs. The park is in heavy usage and it seems like due to this, likely, there are often things broken here. A bench, a fence, etc. There are multiple different play areas and a water play area. It's a delightful park to visit. We have played here for two hours straight. There is a covered picnic area that you can rent and people often do so for kids birthdays. The variety of play experience make this play so popular - sandbox with play excavators, climbing areas, platform rocks, a tree house area, dragon area, water play, slides and Roller slides, instruments, young kids play areas. This park is recommended (by me). read more

Marla Dorrel Park - Parks Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Great park for ages! Just discovered this with my grandson. Really well laid out, clean and safe. read more

Marla Dorrel Park - Climbing structure - Parks Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We really loved Marla Dorrel Park. It's like a hidden gem to me partially because I don't live in Cary and the other side is that I have never heard of it. I looked best parks in Cary and it had a good rating so we went. Upon our arrival the first thing that we noticed was the basketball court which always makes for a good park in my sons book. But I told him that I want I wanted to see the park first before we went to play. He went without a problem can we say WIN! I had to use the restroom so we both took a bathroom break. To my surprise the bathroom was really clean. Like really clean and it smelled clean. Which was a major plus because park restrooms can be a hit or miss. The park is beautiful and well shaded for hot days. They have a huge dragon that's in the ground and kids can play on which was pretty awesome and my son couldn't believe his eyes. They had 3 different parks one for the littles, the tods and then the big kids. (There was a snake hole near the big park, so be careful) the set up is really nice and the park is beautiful. They have a field to play games in and if I am not mistaken I think that I may have seen a trail. There is also an area with sand. Overall great park and my son asked if he could bring his dad back so I think he loved it. read more

See all

Beautiful park with a paved walking trail and children's playground. Nice spot to walk your dog. The walking path crosses right over the top of Rt 1/64 and connects to MacDonald Woods Park. It's a bit noisy in that area but you probably won't even notice if you're jamming tunes in your earbuds. Bring your kids and dogs and take advantage of the beautiful outdoors! read more

Marla Dorrel Park - Parks Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

See all

Nice area. Great park! Clean bathroom. Lots for kids to do. Plenty of places for parents to sit.

Recently discovered this gem of a park. It is not very large but it is very well kept with several playgrounds intended for toddlers and little children. There is a single shelter with one grill, a few swings, a few slides, and other play fixtures scattered around the park. There is also a walkway around the park that I see people on often. Overall, it's a nice little park that doesn't have all the bells and whistles but is still nice enough to enjoy with your kids. read more

See all

This is the a perfect spot to get out to get some fresh air during this COVID, social distancing. It's a great way to meet others. The scenery is beautiful and breathtaking. read more

See all

A great little park for kids. It's much more than a simple playground as everything is closed-in and surrounded by trees and bushes. The playground equipment appears well maintained and although I can't speak for how much fun it is personally, I can say my friend's kids seemed to enjoy everything the park had to offer and wore themselves out playing. Marcel's review really describes the park better than I ever could. In a nod to the local community, the Kids Together Park also is reachable via the Hinshaw Greenway, about a one and half mile paved walkway meandering through the trees through the Swift Creek watershed and connecting to MacDonald Woods Park. Access to the greenway is a nice touch for families who also like to bike, run, or walk before or after the younger kids have exhausted their excess energy on the playground equipment. read more

This is the coolest park we have ever found for our 6-year-old boy. It is beautifully landscaped, has plentiful shade, flush toilets, great play spaces and equipment for toddlers up through elementary school kids, and attracts a family-friendly crowd. There are three main play areas, each aimed at a particular age range, but they are not exclusive. The whole park is fenced so kids can not easily wander off, and the toddler area within the park is mostly enclosed to discourage random sprinting off into the sunset. There are a variety of climbing structures and swings, and a big sandbox with built-in excavators. There is also a life-size sculpture of a green dragon built into a hill for clambering or relaxing upon. One of the play structures is designed to be wheelchair accessible with ramps in place of some of its stairs and ladders. A picnic shelter covers half a dozen tables, and there are a couple of more picnic tables under the trees. We often see folks holding birthday parties on these tables. The park is on a greenway that connects to a second, smaller park about half a mile away, and there is a basketball court. We often stop by for an hour after school, and usually find someone to play with. My only "complaint" is that I wish it was within walking distance of our house! read more

Marla Dorrel Park - Tire Swing! - Parks Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

See all

We were there on one of the hottest damn days of the year and the adults in our group were miserable but the kids didn't seem to mind at all. The dragon was roped off so that was a disappointment, but the kids had fun on the monstrous playscapes and in the water (there's a shower and foot wash station, I guess in case the kids get dirty playing in the sand). It is a pretty big area so to keep an eye on your kid you need to follow them around. (YOU HEAR THAT, PARENTS? KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR KIDS!) I wanted to explore more, but as I said, it was super hot and we didn't stay long, but we'll definitely go back when we visit our friends again. read more

Marla Dorrel Park - Parks Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

See all

Met a friend at the playground here. The playground was pretty good. Not as extensive as other playgrounds... especially our beloved Laurel Hills Playground in Raleigh. The kids had a good time. If I remember correctly, there is mulch on the ground. I hate mulch. It's so messy! I much prefer the newer rubber mats. Ah well. read more

Great park! Playgrounds are great and extensive with plenty of room. Lots of benches and tables to watch the kiddos from. I love the Hinshaw greenway connection. Very shady for a lot of it (at least by the park, which is what I'm reviewing) so it's comfortable on a hot day. The pedestrian bridge is terrifying fun! It's super solid and concrete with the highway traffic whizzing under your feet. The paved trail on the other side leads to another pretty greenway which is an easy walk, that connects to MacDonald woods park, which is also really nice and shady. read more

See all

A crowded park perfect for little kids to use up their energy with other munchkins! Their playground is nice and spacious- I spotted plenty of little ones running around while parents relaxed on the side. This park is also great to take your dog out for a walk- they have a paved trail perfect for just that! Bonus, the entire time we were there, an ice cream truck was with us at the park! Seems like this park was made for the happiness of children~ Side note, parking gets unbelievably hectic so maybe you'll get lucky and find a parking spot? If not, you may have to do what most did and park on the side of the road. read more

Wonderful accessible park! They add new features every year. It has 4 play areas. Fenced in area for tiny kids. Lots of swings. BATHROOMS! Also accesses a nice greenway with a walk to an over highway bridge. read more

Perfect place to take your pup to after a visit to Phydeaux! Marla Dorrel Park is beautiful and we enjoyed walking on the greenway.

What a great park! AKA "Kids Together" Park, this is my daughter's current favorite park to go and play! The park is divided into three major play areas. One for younger children (complete with little kid swings), a sand area, small slide, some play houses... The middle area is a climbing play structure with tunnels and such. The area furthest back has more swings (regular and chair swings), a twisty slide, a "bumpy" slide, bridges, monkey bars, more sand, music stuff and more. There's also a big sea monster on a hill beside the covered seating area (usually occupied by a party on weekends) and bathrooms. There's a TON of stuff for children to do here starting at young ages going up through elementary level. There is also a lot of shade which is great on sunnier days. Picnic tables and benches are scattered throughout, and there's even a wooded area within the park for play. The playground is beside the greenway so there are often people walking their furry friends here. There are even water fountains for the furry friends here too! Overall, this is a great park. Lots of different play options and great for a wide range of ages. This was the first park we visited when we moved to the area, and it has maintained its spot on the top of our park leader board ever since! read more

This is one of the best kids parks I have been too. This place pretty much has anything you want for any age group. It has three different play areas based on age. Older kids can just roam around the area and play. There is one older kids big toy with more climbing. The middle age kids can play in the back with multiple sandboxes, swings and yet another big toy to play on. The kiddies can go play in their area with a few little play houses, another giant sand area and more swings. What is nice, most of the area is actually fenced in so your kid can wonder off that much. There is a nice little annex for birthdays or getting a little shelter from a passing shower. There are bathrooms that are actually kept up pretty well. The last little bonus is there a greenway on the backside that you can get access to and walk along that if you want to go for a walk. It goes over rt. 1 and we like to go over there and see if we can get any truckers to honk their horns... Great job Cary!!!! read more

Very pretty park with lots of play areas for children of all ages. Lots of shady areas and benches to sit and have a picnic. Out of the way and not too crowded at all. Will definitely go again when I'm visiting the area with my grand daughter. read more

See all

Has to be on the short list for best park in Cary - and there are a LOT of great parks. There are multiple sets of play areas, and lots to do for kids at all age levels - well, the 10YOs might start to get bored. Parking could be better, but there's an overflow lot and you can get there from the Cary greenway trail system. My 2YO daughter loves the 'troll bridge' she can run across and make bounce. There's plenty of toddler swings for my 8MO son. Plenty of benches and shade for the parents, and a very nice pavilion and restroom facility for long extended visits. read more

Super fun park with lots of playground centers within one park so that kids of different ages each have something to explore.

This is my favorite outdoor park in Cary. It's a little bit out-of-the-way, but worth the drive. There is a ton of playground equipment, a nice shelter with bathrooms, a good number of benches for tired parents, and artwork. The shelter is good for parties, or just sitting down with some takeout food. The whole park is enclosed by a fence with only one exit, so you can feel comfortable letting the kids run around and as long as you watch the exit they can't get out. There is a dedicated playground for little kids so they don't get run over by the bigger ones. Lots of trees provide shade during the summer. Our family calls it the "dragon park" because there is a giant dragon embedded in the ground that the kids can climb on. All the equipment is in really good condition. This place is all about being kid friendly. The Town Parks Dept did a great job and we love going there. read more

Love this park fun for all ages, great walking trail, safe and clean, sometimes hard to find parking,also has basketball hoops up front, the court is full all the time read more

Great park... Come here from apex, my kid loves it... Although i wish bathrooms were cleaner.

One of the best parks we've visited! Multiple play sets for kids of all ages, sand pits, infant swings, rubberized place spaces, etc. Connects to the Greenway if you're looking to take a stroll. We plan to visit this one frequently! Pack a picnic! Great layout and variety. Highly recommend for all ages! read more

Lots of play equipment for different aged kids. Clean, surrounded by trees. Plenty of parking. Our family enjoys this park a lot.

Great place for children from just a few months up till about 8/9 years old! The equipment is well maintained and its one od the best shaded parks around! My only complaint if you could call it one is that I wish there were more like this one in cary! read more

My 15 month old, her daddy, and I all go to this park every Sunday for our family day. I love it here! Sometimes it can be really crowded but if it is, there's usually somewhere you can go where it's more open. Lots of great things to explore and play with. There's a spot where you can rinse your feet off or your whole body, and water fountains. The little picnic area is pretty nice too. read more

This park is excellent for young children from one to about eight. It offers three unique play areas, which include plenty of variety for little explorers, a lot of sand box areas, and plenty of shade from all of the beautiful vegetation. In addition, the park is a trail head for the Hinshaw Greenway which leads to MacDonald Woods Park and crosses over I-40 on a neat bridge that kids enjoy. read more

I love this park and so does my toddler! Lots of fun structures, sand, swings, he doesn't get bored at all. Relatively clean bathrooms, too, and I love that there's a greenway attached so that if he gets sleepy I can pop him in the stroller and take him for a walk. One big WARNING, however...the park is absolutely covered in Nandina, which is VERY POISONOUS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina. All those red berries you wonder about? Keep them out of the kiddies' mouths! read more

The best free park for small kids that we have found in the area. It has multiple play areas with different designs and challenges and is accessible for handicapped children. read more

This was my (and my 14 month old)'s first time at the Kids Together Park. We met three friends, so the toddlers we were with ranged in age from 14 months through 19 months. All four are walking, which made each separate playground area much more accessible than if they were not yet mobile on two limbs. There are several different play areas, so plenty to do for all age groups. I especially appreciated the fenced in area, which included two playhouse, a slide, tunnel, sand area, etc. This was nice for those of us who have new walkers that take off as fast as their little legs can move! My little guy really enjoyed the baby swings as well. There are two different styles on opposite ends of the park and he laughed his way through both. It wasn't overly crowded on a warm, January day, but I imagine Spring and Summer are much more packed. There are bathrooms easily accessible and the Greenway starts here as well. read more

We are from out of town and we were looking for a park for our children! Found this park and it was absolutely amazing. Took our kids back here a few times before we left. read more