Love this park. The trails are well signed, great bathrooms and parking. When you walk around the lake you get great pics and see the turtles sunning. You can find some fun surprises on the trails. Very safe atmosphere. read more

See all

My partner and I love to come here for a semi-trail run. Short loop around the lake and a portion of it follows the greenway. Playground, fishing, and bathrooms so a good place to spend an afternoon. read more

Beautiful trails to walk. Not crowded easy to get to Went in june with my daughter

This was my first time at this park. There is a parking lot near the entrance of the park with a reasonable amount of parking spaces including handicapped parking. The park is well maintained. The walkways are open with with some water to view during your walk and rocks that you have to walk on depending on the paths that you take within the park. There are also a lot of trees to keep the park shaded and not be so hot during your hike. read more

See all

This is one of my favorite places in Raleigh! They do a great job keeping up with the trails and there are always people working and available for assistance. There are about five or six different trails that you can take that all connect to each other so that you can go from different trails to different spots. The scenery is gorgeous and it is really close to restaurants and other businesses. The only critique that I have is that there are no restrooms, so make sure to use the facilities before you take a hike. I go here lots of times during the week and weekend and it is not that crowded and peaceful. read more

My dog Sasha and I always Have a nice time walking in the woods. Especially Sasha's nose is working overtime. read more

Such a pretty park and what a great hidden gem! The park is located off of Durant Road, next to a church - a gravel road takes you back to a then paved road which is the park entrance. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice this park is, very clean, great parking, spotless bathroom and easy to navigate paths. We spotted four deer about 50 feet away, what a treat. The actual pond/lake had been drained and is expected to be finished by end of 2019. Very family-friendly park with restrooms, play area, swings and numerous picnic benches, fire pits and grill areas. Highly recommend for nature walks, bring your pupper and/or kids! read more

See all

Nice place to spend time outdoors during the pandemic. Some people had masks on, while others didn't. Many dog walkers. Some nice trails, and plenty of parking. Look forward to exploring some more! read more

Durant Nature Park - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

As a visitor, we had a lovely walk through the woods at Durant State Park. Trails are well marked and well maintained. They have a small butterfly garden, campsites, fire pit and lots of room to connect to nature. read more

See all

Always a good time here! Quick and easy place to stop in and enjoy nature in Raleigh. Great for wildlife viewing, we have seen large birds of prey, deer, turtles, fish, frogs and tadpoles, and plenty of squirrels! Easy trails for any level of hiker, trails are sometimes closed for erosion management so make sure you follow posted signage read more

This review is based on multiple visits. These are my thoughts and observations. - It's difficult to feel like you're lost in nature when there's a warehouse in view and the constant sound of vehicles on near-by streets. - It's not that large, so expect to walk the loops multiple times for a decent length walk. - It's clean and well-maintained. - The park employees are friendly. Durant Park is great for a walk or run, but look elsewhere if you're trying to get lost in nature. read more

See all

I came here with my baby because I saw the great reviews.. we were visiting here from Los Ángeles.. seeing family but thought it'd be a great a idea to do some nature walking... there were plenty of people towards the end of the park. Parking lot was decently full. But when we returned from the park my car window was smashed in... they stole my purse which had me and my baby's identification... we were only gone for 25/30 minutes... I was so shocked for how many people I saw towards the end casually strolling through the park and parking lot... We even gave directions to a young couple to the lake. This park is so beautiful and serene but there are parts that are completely empty... which was a nice break coming from LA... but I truly believe someone was sitting in their car watching us as we arrived... there was no way just anyone off the main street could've wandered in as the park is tucked behind two neighborhoods and it was a good drive just to get past the church and neighborhoods. I called the police just for them not to come saying it's only a petty crime, smash and grab. So my child and I drive home with a broken window. This has to have happened before in this park I'm sure of it... and it doesn't seem like anyone cared to notice.. which is NOT a good feeling... No cameras the police say. So it left a disturbing taste in my mouth and I'm just grateful my child and I are okay... please be careful and lock up your things... especially out of state plates.. glove compartment or just take it with you... I felt like a target and it could've been worse as my intuition told me not to go down that rougher path to the left...so I turned around and just stayed on the main concrete path.. glad I did since my purse was all they took... read more

See all

Amazing walking trails with waterfalls along the lake and lots of wildlife. Goes on for miles and connects to the Sims Branch Greenway which is a great entry point by bike. Nice quiet park with volleyball and place for a picnic, as well as docs for fishing. Love this spot. read more

I am very happy that I moved to Wake County and that they take the time and have the resources to create 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. read more

Durant Nature Park - Serene - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I love to go to Durant Park at least once a week to walk my dogs it's a beautiful view, calm setting, very peaceful read more

See all

This is another delightful park discovery! When my sister encouraged me to get outside today I knew just where I wanted to go. This is one of the three nature preserves in Raleigh and the only one I hadn't been to yet so, after one turnaround to change into shorts -- yay warm weather -- off I went with my iPod freshly charged to explore. Like other reviewers said, this really is a hidden gem, but a really good nature preserve should be. This park's office blends in more with the scenery and some of the interpretative informational signs are very artistic and out of the way too. This is both good and bad because it makes the park harder to navigate. There are lots of trails, mostly all wooded, and the trails aren't as clearly as marked as some other parks in Raleigh. That's my only real gripe with Durant. I did wander over the park office to get a guide before setting off for a hike though. Thankfully someone was in the office. I told her I wanted about a mile hike so she pointed out on the brochure where I could follow trails around the Lower Lake for about a mile. This brochure is all black and white so it makes it a little hard to read, but if you're paying close attention to your surroundings you'll be able to connect the trails to make the loop. All but three trails are under .50. The Border trail, which goes around most of the entire park is only 1.88, the Secret Creek Trail is .6, and the White House Road Trail is .59. I followed Charlie's Service Road to the North Lakeside Trail, connected on White House Road to South Lakeside Trail, on to Fishing Trail, and back to Charlie's Service Road. Park features: - Five miles of trails explore the park's 237-acres - playground - large open playing field - basketball court - volleyball court - picnic shelter - restroom building - fishing on lakes - wildlife watching It's very wooded for the most part, but there are some open clearings too. My favorite part of Durant Nature Park was all the wildlife I saw. I saw turtles on a log and fish in the Lower Lake. There were kids out fishing. I passed some old men and young mothers with their kids out for a walk. Everyone was friendly and smiling at the sunshine. What a perfect day which I may have taken too many pictures of. I'd missed the animals at the parks. I'm glad to see them coming out. This is definitely a park to be enjoyed in the springtime. read more

See all

Another Sunday, another hike! This time, it's at Durant Nature Preserve. The trail/path that we took was around 4 miles total. There is a huge parking lot so you won't have trouble finding any spots. Public restrooms are strangely located far from the park office. You have to go down this hill for about 5 minutes until you see a building on your left. The trail itself is very interesting. There are a lot of twists and turns as well as change in elevation just to keep you on your toes. I even remember a nice little creek crossing where you use these giant boulders to get across. Not a bad place for a photo op. Overall, a great trail in the North Raleigh area. read more

Alright, ranking a park can be somewhat complex as everyone has different expectations of what a park should offer in terms of tranquility, programs offered, exercise, safety, and so on. For me, however, I look for the following things: access, tranquility, space, diversity, and lax regulations. The good: Durant has two clearly marked entrances as well as great signage, so that works well for me. If you get there early enough, the deer and other animals are out in force, so try to make it before 8:00am. After that, the kiddos and families are in full-force which increases the noise level. Lastly, this is city park and, considering the location, it does a pretty good job of offering much needed solace to the surrounding suburbanites. We had a picnic there last weekend and secured one of the first-come-first-serve shelters. It was a lot of fun. The bad: There is some pretty good open space and enough shelters for the population it serves, however, the minimal trails and tiny pond (they call a lake), don't do it for me. They are very strict about dogs and leashes as well which is a bit of an irritation. It's not the rule, it's the enforcement that bothers me. read more

Nice park. Beautiful all year round. Decent amount of trail to walk. Benches in various areas to just relax by the pond. Plenty of wildlife to see. Coyotes, deer, and rabbits are within the area. read more

See all

Beautiful peaceful trails surrounding a lake. Lots of recreational options from playgrounds to ball fields and fishing spots. Fall colors reflecting off the lake made for a relaxing stroll through the woods. Great place for a romantic walk, or for exercising the dog. read more

Durant Nature Park - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

I love this park. I found this gem last year and visit numerous times each month to hike. There are a few nice trails that provide a variety of routes. You can g about a mile around the lake or closer to 5 if you take the Secret Creek Trail, go past both lakes, and then hit the border trail. The trails are pretty flat and unpaved, which is a plus. You can't get lost here because the park is surrounded by neighborhoods, though you still fill enclosed in nature. The trails are not crowded at all; actually very peaceful. There are two parking lots, restroom, playground, open field, and areas to fish. You must visit! read more

See all

Attended a wedding at the Durant Nature Park Lodge last week. The setting was lovely and they lodge proved a fun, rustic but vintage-looking venue for the event with a long porch overlooking a lake, a gorgeous stone fireplace at each end if the hall. Felt like it was 1961 and I was hanging out with Baby and her family at the resort in Dirty Dancing. read more

Durant Nature Park - I carried a watermelon? - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Many different trails and a few bodies of water. You do pass by some houses but it's quiet and nice.

I am not a fan of running, but I love hiking, trailing, jogging.. whatever the correct term for it is. As I arrived to this park, it was fairly empty at first considering that there was a light drizzle -- I still went with it. This is a little hidden so I was kind of scared and didn't bring breadcrumbs. I did read previous reviews and thought to myself, "how hard could it be to get lost in these here parts?" Welp... As I led myself through the top bridge I saw the big lake that had turtles and ducks which was nice. Then I saw a paved trail and an undefined trail, I chose the paved which later led me to the undefined. One thing I must say is that the signs don't have arrows on them so if you arrive at a fork in the road and you did not note the trail you first started on you will probably run in a few circles a couple of times. Some of these trails are nicer than others and less inclined. I think I trailed the whole thing but maybe missed one small one. Very nice for jogs or a bike ride. Thanks to my Nike+ for guiding me, if not my a little over an hour trail would've turned into a days hike. There is a playground, a sandy basketball area and volleyball too. Also, a shed with bbq? read more

I go here sometimes so I can work outside and get away from city life, ample picnic tables for eating lunch while you're at it, plus the swings might help lift your spirits... read more

Durant Nature Park - Near the South Entrance - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We hike here at least once a week. It is a family friendly wooded hiking area. I have seen plenty of jogging strollers on the larger trails for cars. Also, a lot of people hike here with their dogs. The trails can get confusing. They have a few maps posted as you walk but it doesn't always help. The upper pond is small but nice to walk around with a little grassy stream area. The lake (which is small) is quaint. You can walk around it rather quickly but the number of trails helps keep things interesting. The bathroom near the playground is clean and the only one that I have found open. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We went into their office and discussed area insects and critters to look out for. You can sign up for recreational activities on the Raleigh Reclink. The egg hunt was great this year. It wasn't over crowded and each kid got 9 eggs. This was a step up from the fields of eggs at other locations that seem to be cleared in a minute flat. They also set up activities for the kids afterward. The bubble area was very popular. Oh, you can see deer here quite often. We saw a herd of about 20 running along a stream. read more

If you're lucky, like I was, you discovered this hidden gem while you were walking along one of the Greenway trails! My friends and I ventured out for a day of hiking and attempted fly-fishing. It's SUCH an expansive park with so much room to wander around and go on your own adventures. It was in the low 80s, but windy -- so we didn't get attacked too badly by the bugs (insect repellant is a must!). We went on a couple trails -- fun, but exhausting! Definitely make sure you wear proper footwear because some of the paths are a little rough and rugged. If you plan on fishing, make sure you bring light seating, since there aren't really benches by the waters' edge. The highlight was seeing a floating log in the lake with a pow-wow of about forty turtles sunbathing. Very cute! Durant Nature Park is definitely a hidden gem in North Raleigh! read more

I love this trail! Lots of shade and wildlife. Would've given 5 stars if the trails were marked better. I printed out a map that I brought with me and still got turned around. Other than that I have no complaints at all. Make sure to bring bug spray! read more

What a hidden park in the midst of neighborhoods/residential areas in North Raleigh. The entrance from Durant Road goes across a gravel/dirt road for about .4 miles--just keep going and you'll come to the park's north entrance. There are a lot of short and interconnected trails through the park. The "lakes" (really more like ponds) are commonly used for fishing and swimming. There were abundant dragonflies and butterflies. Other than that, I saw a little lizard, but not much else in terms of wildlife. Although big, the park isn't THAT big (i.e., don't go there to do serious hiking). I agree with another reviewer that the trails aren't well marked, but the park isn't really big enough to get lost in. read more

Very well maintained nature trails and a nice little playground with swings and play area. They also have a sand play area, sand volleyball court and beautiful lake. Restroom facilities, covered picnic shelters and a camp area are also on site. My kids really love this place. read more

Durant Nature Park - Sand play area - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Beautiful nature preserve with trails that link up to Raleigh's greenway system. Imagine being able to walk or bike from your Durant Trails or Falls River home. The greenway links to parks, pools, playgrounds, schools, restaurants and shopping plus other walkways as well as bus stops. This large park has a beautiful lake, nature programs and playground and also houses scouting events. read more

This is a great park with beautiful trails around a lake. If you have a little one, the playground equipment is a little dated but all works just fine! This is a great place to walk around and enjoy nature! read more

Decided to try Durant Park on a whim, and it was a pleasant surprise. Not too far off the beaten path, several miles North of 540, and it has ample parking. Park itself has several well marked trails, providing a little bit of everything. Hills are somewhat challenging, and combining trails the hike was just short of 4 Miles. Good Park for hiking. On the way out, I noticed it also has, Beach Volleyball court, Dirt Hoops court, Picnic area, and playground. Good spot for families especially when you consider the aforementioned. read more

Great hiking trails and maps to keep you from getting lost! Our Schnauzer absolutely loves the trail and all the animal smells!

Love this place!! I take my dog here & it's awesome because there are so many walking/hiking options. Can walk around the lake, through forest, down paved paths, etc. always feels safe--never worry about anybody breaking into my car or lurking in the woods or anything. Wonderful place to explore. :) read more

This is a nice park definitely with all the greenery and lake in between. but the maps are not really great and trail signs are very confusing. Especially the Boarder Trail that connects almost every trail in the park. Hence the 3stars. read more

this is the best kept secret in north Raleigh. Who could ever imagine a park between two neighborhoods.. An actual park with a lake that has turtles, and fish, and frogs , and an occasional beaver which happily swims up and down the big lake. If you are looking for a short drive to get away for some fresh air and peace, away from television, radio, and city noise, come to Durant Nature Park. If you are looking for somewhere to do your yoga...try the boat house especially early morning, or end of the Day's can really get in touch with what is important. ..You.!.. If you want to picnic, bird watch or just sit and day dream as you look over the lake., you can, if you have small children there is a play area for them, there are clean rest areas and a water fountain that actually works. Durant Nature park provides all of this..Free parking, free entrance.. if you are interested in bird watching, Durant Nature Park can provide you with some very interesting sites... I feel fortunate to have this Park just a short drive from my home..Thank You Raleigh Parks & Rec. This is truly the best kept secret in town. read more

I just discovered this place in the last month and have fallen in love. There are 5 or 6 different trails to choose from--my favorites are the lakeside, which is literally along the perimeter of the lake, and the forest trail, which I remember the name of... It feels like a mountain escape. Every time I have been in the past 2 weeks I have seen at least 3 deer. If you prefer paved greenway trails they have a couple of those too. Also, the people who work there seem to be super friendly. read more

The park is real nice but if u park in back lot the staff will keep riding their carts to u to see what u are doing. Igo there to just get away from everyone to read but according to staff im hanging out and im not suppose to.but what are parks for it is a public place and no signs says i have to get out of car .that is why i give it one star. read more