Fantastic place for family fun, athletics, or just get togethers for groups. Suggest folks to come by and take time to sit out at the lake and enjoy the scenery. read more

Great recreational spot! Playgrounds, trails, picnic areas and a big old lake to ride around in. We brought our paddle boards and cruised around the afternoon. It was free, parking is limited near the boat launch area, but other options aren't too far away. read more

The lake is a decent size and the parking is good, however, the traffic noise is LOUD. So even if you're in the middle of the lake be prepared to hear highway noise. Additionally, there is no swimming because it is a public water source. But, they are building homes all around the lake so the natural tree protection and additional runoff (fertilizer, insect sprays, gray roof water) will be going right into the lake. So why not allow swimming if the water is already getting degraded by much worse things from the execissive construction on the shore? read more

Another gorgeous lake my goddaughter and I visited during the 4th of July holidays and it wasnt as crowded as I anticipated. We got there early and was able to kayak for an hour for $5 and had a great time on the water. My goddaughter loves the water and is very active so this being my first time kayaking I had to calm her excited butt down while I got over my initial fears. Once my fear of being in the middle of the lake was over I was truly able to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the entire area. This was my AHA moment to enjoy more of life's nature and beauty. We had our life vests on but I still didnt feel 100% comfortable in the water since I cant swim. We walked around the park a little but didnt go too far even though they had a few different trails. The park also had picnic tables and lots of open areas to just relax. This experience motivated me to learn how to swim which Im doing now so I can be better prepared the next time Im on the lake because I will definitely return Lake Wheeler. read more

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It is a beautiful place. I love walking my dog here. It has a nice number of walking trails. The trails are pretty. You can grill out or picnic if you'd like. You can kayak or paddleboard if you choose. I would give it 5 stars except for the following issues: the kids who work there are not what I would describe as 'friendly' by any stretch of the imagination. One of them denied me the opportunity to go kayaking despite having 6 available kayaks. They said I needed to reserve it online. I was so offput I never tried again especially as other people have just walked in and rented them. Also I am of the belief that some of the motor boats people launch are more suitible for Pamilco Sound than a small lake like Lake Wheeler. They cause large wakes which disrupt the fishing. I am sure it is fun for them but not for the people on the shore trying to enjoy peace and quiet and/or some fishing. Other than that I very much enjoy coming here although it appears I must be the only regular in the park itself which is a shame. It is a lovely park. read more

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Lake Wheeler has been around forever and I have been coming here forever, this place is a favorite amongst all locals. I have attended many cookouts and boating events here with family and friends alike. They have lots of picnic tables and grilling area's for large groups,pattle boating and just about anything else you could possibly want to do. I always have a great time when I come here and highly recommend it. The bathrooms are fairly easy to find, parking can be tricky so be mindful of other drivers. OK in conclusion having had this review fly all over the place like southwest airlines, I am going to leave you with simply "get out and get sum". read more

Lake Wheeler Park - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Lovely city park beyond what one would ordinarily find. Pretty lake, boats to rent or bring your own, and more will make one want to easily spend the day here. Great place to have an event with ample room to play and also have a picnic under a pavilion. Great place to get away from it all and relax! read more

Lake Wheeler Park - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I took my nieces there to play and walk around. It was very peaceful but the ice cream cafe wasn't open :-( we had a great time on their playground and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! The bathrooms were clean as well as the grounds! read more

Lake Wheeler Park - Parks Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This is an ideal place to go kayaking if you're looking for a peaceful lake to do it on. The rentals are very cheap. $5/hr for a single kayak. They also have canoes, rowboats, and pedal boats. I went on a Saturday and it wasn't the least bit crowded. Currently, the water levels are too low to allow large motor boats on the lake...which I know means we're in a drought, but it makes the lake much more enjoyable for kayaking. There are bathroom facilities on the grounds, as well as a cafe for food and drinks. If you try to rent a kayak at Falls or Jordan lake, it's $25 for up to 2 hours. read more

Took my 2.5 yr old grand daughter to this park while visiting the area. I have to say that it was a real delight. It's a refreshingly beautiful scenery in a nature habitat with a playground to entertain the kids. After playing for a little while in the playground area we ventured off towards the beach area and the fishing doc to explore. It was absolutely gorgeous. We will definitely be visiting this place when we are in town again. read more

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So this park is mainly for boating, be it kayaking, canoeing, boating, etc.. There is very little/no hiking here. The public areas are very nice.. Lots of picnic tables, nice play area. The concession area is ver nice, but the food options seem extremely limited. If you are looking to rent a boat and hang on the lake, this is the place to go. If you are looking to hike, drive up the street to Yates Mill. read more

The first time we went we rented a sailboat and when I got out on the water I saw it was rigged wrong so I had to rig it correctly on the water. Once we got to sailing we had a good time. Today we came again to sail, but they told us they don't rent sailboats any more because they all broke... I wonder why. Then I went to get a day fishing permit and the person charged us $6 for us to share a rod and fish. The staff doesn't seem to be experienced at all. I don't think they were even well trained enough to fix boats. The trip was extremely disappointed especially when we have to drive 45 minutes to get there. read more

This is a great city park that curves around part of the shore of lovely Lake Wheeler. There are a number of picnic tables and benches along the shore. There is a children's play area, a fitness station, fishing areas (permits are available at the park), and lots of facilities for boating. A number of different types of boats are available for rent. The park also offers some wake-free times that are ideal for rowing. One of my favorite spots is the observation deck near the snack bar--there are a number of rocking chairs there, and it is a good place to relax and catch the breezes coming across the lake. read more

I've been here a couple times both with and without my dogs...other than the fact that this is a lake (which there are many of in NC) I really see no point to coming to this park. You can't ever swim. The area is super residential. The scenery is mediocre at best. read more

I usually go here when I have a hankering for some kayaking. It's an expansive lake with some twists and turns but nothing too dramatic. For a few bucks you can get all your gear and be on your way in short order (in one- and two-seater kayaks and paddleboats), tearing through the lake and perturbing the underwater wildlife. It also has docks for more serious watercraft. As for other park happenings, there are lots of picnic tables and a few trails here and there, but the lake is the shining star of their repertoire. read more

what a great free park with med. size lake. boat rentals-inexpensive and friendly staff- picnic tables-snack bar-clean restrooms-hiking trails,sand volleyball areas-shelters-ball game areas-such a nice clean park! Thanks NC rec. dept! read more

What a shame, this park offers many things but to find it has no hiking or greenway trails was very disappointing! Not sure if most of the lake front is privately owned but disappointing all the same. read more

Now after being closed for 3 years to water skiing and tubing, it is apparent that the county no longer wants power boats on Lake Wheeler. Many years ago, they banned jet skis, and now 3 years after the Swift Creek sewage spill, they claim the water is still tainted. It would be nice if the county would just fess up and admit that they want to end secondary contact in this now, officially named, Raleigh Backup Reservoir. They seem to have no problem allowing young children to play in the water near the docks, so the claim of bird feces on and around the docks, causing the high bacteria reasons is obviously an excuse and a farce to end recreational power boating on that lake. read more