I visited Lynches River County Park for the Run for Brighter Days 5K in September 2024. That 5K is…read moreheld in memory of a local teenager who died of suicide and to raise awareness of mental health issues, services, and the 988 phone number. Although I lived in Florence for nine years, this was my first visit to the park. I wish I hadn't waited so long. The 5K route onsite is wonderful- super flat, scenic, and all road. I wish more 5K runs and walks were held here, because it's very safe (several areas for water stations, lots of parking, easy in/out for EMS if needed, etc). For a park out in the country, the cell signal was surprisingly good. I talked to a fellow runner who lives nearby and said he frequently visits for practice runs. At the end of the 5K, we all received medals that are lanyards with a keychain on them advertising the 988 mental health hotline, and we were welcome to enjoy the park for a few hours. Lynches River County Park has a recreational building with air conditioning, kitchen, plenty of tables and chairs, indoor restrooms, and lots of space. It was a great place for the awards ceremony and the recognizing the youth we have lost to mental health struggles. I was surprised at how nice the facility was, as I was expecting picnic shelters and porta potties at the 5K. If you can participate in Run for Brighter Days (also a walk), I highly encourage it, but also get out to the park just for fun. It is also rentable for family reunions or corporate events and would be a great spot for that.

The website oversells the canopy walk. It makes it sound like the canopy walk is a larger than it…read moreis. "The EDC and attached canopy walk is designed to bring visitors to the treetops of the 676 acre park," reads their website. In reality it's a walk of 4-6 trees linked together with bridges over a small area directly behind the Educational Discovery Center. We drove a couple of hours thinking this was going to be a fun, unique experience. Not the case at all. Underwhelming. If we just wanted to walk trails through the woods we could have stayed closer to home and had en even better trail experience. I gave it three stars because I'm sure it is a nice area if you're camping, but I would not recommend this place if you're wanting to experience a walk through the treetops.

There are like 5 parking spots for this playground & the park was empty yet all spots were taken…read more Not sure where the people who'd taken all the parking were. The fast food place nearby was almost full so park was inaccessible due to no parking. We went to Northeast park instead & it was great

Old park close to the highway. Not impressed. Garbage everywhere (including condoms), half of it…read morefalling apart. Missing 2 slides. Swings rusting. Playground chipped and rusting. I was actually nervous to let me two little kids on the park.

I love this park! The trails are nice, there's lots of wildlife to admire, and tons of things to…read moredo. I visited a few times in April 2026, the beach wasn't open yet, would like to come back to experience that. There's a disc golf course, play grounds, fishing, etc. The only problem is the bathrooms are all locked. I got a couple miles in walking the beautiful trails, but had to leave to go find a bathroom. Also, I head a family complain that there were some sharp edges/broken pieces on the small playground near the start of the disc golf course. I would probably take little ones to the playground on the other side of the park.

Quick stop while driving around the area. Nice pond. Pretty empty park, probably because I was here…read moremidday on a Monday. I hope the locals enjoy it. Looks like a decent playground for the kids. Restrooms locked up, but they have a portapotty, which I left alone.

Relaxing and quite a bit of a walk if you are looking for a nice time to get some steps in. I saw a…read moredolphin in the water, a crane and some other birds. The shell tree area is cute and we hung a few ourselves.

It seems to be a pretty busy place I guess it's one of the very few places where you can bring…read moredogs. I realize that along the beach is definitely not dog friendly. I brought my dog on the beach down the road and got a lot of dirty looks and apparently beaches aren't dog friendly for some reason. So a lot of people had a lot of dogs here walking around. They had two Porta potties that are not well-maintained. You can walk along the walkway, they have a few regular porch swings and a few kids swings. There wasn't any grass for dogs to go to the bathroom which would've been nice.

A little off 95, stopped here for a toddler activity and we were so impressed by all the fun toys…read more Daughter decided to pretend to go camping after swinging and spinning for a bit. Easy to find parking and there are restrooms. Some locals were playing pickleball nearby on the courts.

Such a fun park for yourself and especially the little ones! Plenty of space and didn't feel too…read morecrowded. There is a separate area for working out which I love to !

Jones Lake State Park is located in Elizabethtown, NC. It is full of beauty, science and history…read more European migrants settled in the area and the lakes. Jones Lake was named for a local who donated a tract of land on which Elizabethtown was founded. Salters Lake was named after Sallie Salter. She was an American Revolutionary War heroine who famously spied on the Tories encamped along the Cape Fear River. Jones Lake State Park has a Visitor Center with restrooms and interactive educational displays. These cover the history of the area, the scientific phenomenon and the ecology. Both Jones Lake and Salters Lake are Carolina Bays with highly acidic ecosystems. They are shallow, elliptically shaped depressions found throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Aerial views show that thousands of these ovals are perfectly parallel, precisely aligned along a northwest-to-southeast axis. There are many theories about these geological wonders. From wind and waves to even meteorite impacts. The industry in the area was farming and harvesting cotton and longleaf pines for the turpentine, pitch and timber. The area became overcut, and farmers could no longer survive. This led to an experiment of making these areas into parks. During the Jim Crow Era, it became a refuge for African Americans and was the state's first state park for African Americans. As most areas were segregated, the park is where the community came together culturally for baptisms, family reunions and community celebrations. In 1964, the park became desegregated. I had to double-check the date, as 1964 is not that long ago. The lake's water is tea-colored, and decomposing organic matter produces tannic acids. This lowers the pH to 4.3, so it is closer to vinegar than to lake water. It is nutrient-poor as well, so not much can survive here. The waterlogged wetland and rims create a unique evergreen shrub bog called a pocosin. The bog has evergreen bay trees such as the Sweet Bay, Loblolly Bay, and Red Bay. Bladen County is home to carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap, pitcher plants and sundews, which thrive here. Not many fish can survive here except for acid-tolerant fish species, like the chain pickerel, yellow perch, flyer sunfish, and yellow bullhead catfish. For day visitors, Jones Lake State Park features over 50 picnic tables, charcoal grills, a sandy volleyball court, and horseshoe pits. During the warmer summer months, the park also opens a designated, roped-off swimming area with a white-sand beach.

Jones Lake State Park is a peaceful well‑kept place to camp and explore. The campground is small…read morebut usually easy to get a spot in, and the whole area is taken care of really well including the bathhouse, which is clean and maintained better than a lot of larger parks. The trail around the lake is an easy but rewarding walk. There's no elevation to worry about, just about five miles of flat, quiet trail with plenty of scenery. It's the kind of hike where you can relax and enjoy the water, the trees, and the quiet without feeling rushed. Just make sure you bring bug spray this is a large lake with standing water which is a perfect breeding ground for bugs. The park also has a fishing dock and a small boat launch that's perfect for kayaks and similar setups. One of the best things about Jones Lake is how quiet it is. You're away from crowds, away from noise, and it actually feels like you get space to breathe. Interesting fact (at least to me) Jones Lake State Park was established in 1939, and it holds an important place in North Carolina history. It was the first state park developed specifically for Black Americans during segregation its cultural significance is still a big part of its identity today. The nearby town of Elizabethtown has a quaint little downtown with a few local restaurants. There's not a ton going on, but it's a pleasant place to stop before or after your time at the park.

A dainty park created at the corner of Dargan St & Elm St, near the old McClenaghan High School…read morebuilding. There's ample parking on the Elm St side of the park. It's very peaceful, clean, and well kept. Everything is centered around this beautiful water feature. There's a paved walking area and lots of greenery at the perimeter of the park. But, no shade in the seating areas keeping everything bright and airy. It's all just enough to draw you into this cocoon of serenity. As a Florence native, it almost makes me forget that this was a bad area once upon a time.

What a beautiful oasis in Sumpter! While traveling through the area I wanted to find a place to…read morestop for a bit and take a break from driving. This place came up in my search and so glad it did. The garden is very well maintained and extremely relaxing. Large pond with a number of different species of swans and geese. Great walking trails with lots of shade too. Well worth a visit. Wish I lived closer.

This park holds a very sentimental place to me. My mom used to bring me and my sisters here when we…read morewere kids. Also, we used to come here with several of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. So coming back here years after my mother's passing was a very bitter sweet moment. The park was as I remembered but also they have added things and made it more. The upkeep and maintenance of the park is great. Great for walking and justa relaxing atmosphere.

My kids love to play here! They have updated it fairly recently and there's a plethora of areas for…read morekids of all ages and abilities to play! They also added a splash pad which is fun in the summer.

Hope Mills Municipal Park was a huge part of my youth growing up very close by. I've lived in…read moreseveral different houses in or near Hope Mills and even volunteered at the library that sits beside this park. This little center of town makes up the perfect collection of services that make up an All-American place. There's the library I mentioned, fire station, police station, town hall and a park all wrapped up into one spot. The park itself is surrounded by a mostly paved one mile trail for walking, running or casual bike riding. Inside you can find plenty of parking, a few lit baseball fields, basketball court and even a couple football/soccer fields. There are picnic shelters, water fountains and bathroom. They even have concession stands for when the local games are played here. Last, and perhaps most important, there is a lightly attended recreation center here which I understand is free (or maybe just really cheap) to all residents of Hope Mills. In general, one would be remiss not to scope out this quiet and charming park.

This is one of my absolute favorite park to go to. It gives me such a calm feeling. I bring my pets…read morewith me when I visit. They just love the sounds of the birds and squirrels. My chihuahua can walks forever here he just loves it and they have bags please clean up after your pets and yourselves. There's wild animals in the area that could get sick off your trash. I can't say enough about the views. From the woods to the trails to the benches for lunch. There's is a small playground for the lil ones. If you want to get away from the bustle and hustle of the Fayetteville streets even if you only have a few minutes trust me come here and breath and take in the beauty.

This was a cute park to walk around. We got to Fayetteville early and were killing time before we…read morecould go to Cape Fear Botanical Garden so we went for a quick walk, it was pretty extensive.