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.

Really nice state park facilities. Restrooms and picnic area are immediately adjacent to the…read moreparking lot making it easy to access for those with disabilities, or those with kids and beach gear. Picnic area is shaded and has grills and tables. Swim area is clearly delineated.

Such a fun place to take kids or if you wanna be a big kid yourself! I like how they have teenagers…read more(maybe some college kids) working there. They're all so friendly and welcoming! Gives them an opportunity to earn some money during the season. We got the aquabana as they call it, for half a day (4 hours) and it was worth it ! We didn't swim but the kids did and they had a blast! You're able to bring a cooler with food and drinks ( juice, tea, soda, water. No alcohol) they have a food truck on site, as well as a "dirty soda" stand. Flavored sodas with cream (very popular in Utah but slowly making their way to the east coast) as well as a first aid bungalow. Everyone gets a life vest but kids under 18 MUST wear theirs at all times! I like that rule! Keeps the kids safe. Of course the teens working there are certified lifeguards just in case! They also offer scuba classes/lessons at the quarry. Would I come back? YES! Maybe one day I would try the courses and swim or paddle board but the go around it was nice relaxing and letting the kids live carefree in the lake!

Me and my husband had such a fun time here! It was just enjoyable sitting in our beach chairs…read morelistening to the music after running and swimming around out there. The inflatables are so much fun and you get tired out after about an hour. They had a food truck that had some great options as well we enjoyed. I would say this is a great spot for all ages.

I started coming to the Beaver Dam entrance of Falls Lake since there is a public beach, as well as…read moreaccess to the lake where you can open water swim. I have been practicing some open water swimming here. It is populated but has plenty of parking, making it feel family friendly and safe. On warmer weekend days I've seen families come out and have a BBQ. It's the perfect spot to enjoy the summer if you do not have access to a pool or can't make it down to the beach.

It's always nice going out to the Falls Lake area to hike. There are many trails for that and for…read moremountain biking too. Some of the trails are easy while others more challenging. Some off shoot trails go along the shorelines and people come out here to fish or put a kayak in the water. There are plenty of birds and other wildlife to watch in the lake areas. Just a historical note. The Falls Lake area is part of the Neuse River system and is the main supply of water for Raleigh & Durham. It was created in the 70s to supply drinking water for a quickly expanding area of the state. Many valley, farms, and pasture lands were flooded to create it. In times of drought it's not uncommon for the top of an old barn to be seen in the water.

When I moved to Raleigh our real estate agent has told us about the Greenway, but when I purchased…read moremy house I had no idea we lived so close to an entrance, or how much I would enjoy this wonderful place. It is not often a government gets something right, but in the case of the Greenway they nailed it in my opinion. Laid out nicely along the Neuse River. Trash cans set up so people can dispose of their garbage. A great place to jog, walk or ride your bike. I wish more cyclists would announce themselves when coming up from behind, but hey what would the world be without assholes. Enjoy a relaxing couple of ours and take a hike. Relatively flat and you can go as far as you like.

Great place to bike, run, or walk! It was so beautiful and kept me entertained during my entire…read moreride. I also appreciate how easy it is to follow because I get lost easily. I parked at the baseball fields off of buffalo road and headed up towards the dams at falls lake, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The trail is super wide, so there's plenty of room to pass safely. Make sure to pack you own water, I didn't see anywhere to fill up.

Kayak back support was terrible and not working. It was a very unpleasant experience.read more

We rented two paddle boards and had a not-so-great experience. We had no issues making the…read morereservations, finding the location, and opening the lockers. Unfortunately our lockers were missing key parts, including fins, ankle straps, and paddles. We contacted the support number, and someone responded quickly. He gave us codes to spare equipment lockers, but we had to go into 3 different lockers to piece together all the parts we needed. The main issue was the paddles. They have 2-3 parts that snap together, and most of the parts in the spare lockers were not compatible with each other. We spent 40 minutes trying to cobble together pieces to make two usable paddles. In the end, the guy extended our reservation for an hour, which was nice. On the water, we had no issues with the boards. One major point to note: the website says (in multiple places) that the pumps are electric. They are NOT. They are hand pumps. I don't think we'll rent from here again.

Lake Lynn Community Center is a great place to play pickleball. They have six courts and many…read morehours of open play so you can play often with those of all abilities. Good bathrooms and good parking and pleasant helpful staff.

This beautiful park surrounds Lake Lynn with a 2.6 mile trail that loops around. The park is smooth…read moreand has a painted center line, which makes it great for walking, jogging or biking. I would hope folks that are biking or inline skating remember to look out for pedestrians! I did not see any wildlife but you can expect ducks and geese attracted to the water source. There are a few shaded picnic areas along the trail. The entrance to the park that I used did not have a handicapped entrance - there is a staircase from the parking area to the start of the trail. I think there's another entrance elsewhere. I understand that the park gets quite crowded during peak times so come first thing in the morning and you'll have the bonus of a smooth lake like a sheet of glass. [Review 2467 of 2024 - 3921 in North Carolina - 23479 overall]

Forest Ridge Park offers a little something for everyone. Nice sized playground area, picnic…read morepavilions, short hiking trails to Falls Lake, an intro mountain biking 3 mi loop, a welcome center, disc golf, fishing, kayak or paddle boarding if you bring your own. There is no swimming, wading, or beach area. Plenty of parking available.

This is a very nice park in North Raleigh which offers a playground and many walking, hiking and…read morebiking trails that loop around parts of Falls Lake. There is ample parking and there are bathroom facilities on site. You can see lots of birds and other wildlife on the trails. Just keep in mind that during hunting season, there will be hunters in the area and people who are hiking are advised to wear either abs orange vest or sweatshirt.

We did a family canoeing trip for an hour at Cape Fear River Adventures and it was nice. The…read morescenery was nothing exciting and it was full sun the whole time, but our daughter enjoyed the experience. I think tubing would be a little more exciting. Everything was very organized and well run. The grounds are nice too; there's some chairs to sit, relax, and watch the river while the kids play.

I enjoyed learning about the Cape Fear River for the Outfitter Assistances at the Lillington…read morelocation. I also saw River otters, Beavers wrestling on a bank while I kayaked between Boone Trail Canoe and Kayak Access Point to Deep Rover park. I was lucky and excited . I had a good time learning about the ecosystem, geography and cultural history of that area.

My go-to trail! Lots of parking spaces always available. There are plenty of benches spread out…read morealong the lake loop and picnic tables to spend time at. There are some fields as well that are great for activities. There are plenty other trails attached to the loop as well if you wanted to mix up your scenery. There are also bathrooms available

Ran here again along the Crabtree Creek and i really just love how gorgeous the view is. It is a…read more1.5 - 2 mile loop around the lake with a brutal (but short hill). Definitely recommend running this or bringing your bike. We also saw a bunch of families with their strollers, so this is a perfect spot to bring your coffee for a morning walk.

Great park with a Greenway and lots of walking trails around it. There are six patio tables by the…read moreplayground perfect for a picnic or snack time with family and friends. It's very clean too! Not a ton of shade at the playground but there's shaded patio tables nearby too if you're worried about too much sun.

A 5 star for paved paths but also mountain biking track. Lots of open field. Small playground. I…read morelike that it is not overly developed. Just nice open spaces.