Great park! Tons to do at the playground, plus picnic area and trail nearby. Most of it is made…read moreof wood and seems to fit the mountain motif around here. The tire swing goes nice and high and the slides are slick. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because it is a little bit run down. I imagine this park 10 or 20 years ago was fantastic. This is still worth a visit, and the kids are sure to enjoy it!

Very nice park nestled in a lovely neighborhood. We walked on the fairly short trail and enjoyed…read moreit. Some of the trees are massively impressive! There is a structure for the kids to play on that looks really fun, kind of like a fort.

Hello, I hope that this will be taken seriously, in hopes that this never happens to anyone else…read more Since Helene destroyed our local Canton park we wanted to give the Waynesville Recreation pool. I called the day prior to get all the information I could gather, checked the website since we have not been in over a decade. The receptionist gave me all the information, dates, times, pricing, and and temperature of the pool. I asked if there was still a kiddy pool working with buckets, slides, splash area etc. and I was told yes. The next day we were very excited and happily payed our fee to enter.As we walked passed the 1st life guard posted at the shallow end of the deep pool we smiled and found a spot near the slide as we knew that was what our son was going to be the most excited about. We got our son in his swim vest for safety and goggles and off he went down the slide. All of a sudden I see a young blonde lifeguard running around the Side of the slide saying "NO NO NO!". My husband and I smiled and said "Its ok we are right here and he's safe (Thinking she was worried he was alone since we didn't even see her from where she was sitting)". My son was already coming down the slide when she was yelling at him, (He's autistic and doesn't always understand things or respond to others well). He made it down no problem and was swimming to get out when she said "we do not allow swim vest or life jackets on the slide!" I asked "why?" And she responded with "because of the bolts on the slide they can get hung up and get hurt." I Replied " so there are bolts sticking out on a toddlers waterslide? I think you should be more concerned with that cutting and hurting someone if thats the case, not be concerned with a protective swimming vest." She replied "Well he's to small to ride" I was confused since I called asked and check the website and the slide is on the kiddie pool. I said "ok" as my husband is trying to regulate our son and explain things to him but he just wants to slide. By this point there are only 2 life guards for both pools and my son won't stop trying to slide. I carry him over to her hoping if he hears it from someone else that he's not allowed it will help. It did not! I then am very upset that was the whole reason for coming and anyone with autistic children or any kids understand if you tell them something fun your going to do but then have to tell them they can not its never fun. I ask the girl if I can sign a waiver or anything to allow him to slide, she says"no" I ask can he take of his vest and slide and ill be at the bottom to help catch him if he needs it ( He's a very good swimmer for his age) to which she responded "parents are not allowed to stand at the bottom and help there child". I was blown away buy this since we have been going to canton pool, and Dollywood splash country where kids can wear the life jackets, swim vest, or floats on any slide and parents were always at the bottom to help catch them as well since its all about safety when around water! Well, expect here at Waynesville rec. center. I was upset by this point and asked her what and where are these rules since I was not informed.?" She says "its on the back of the slide". Again I was upset and said " well that a horrible place for rules against a back wall on a slide that not every sees until your back here, also I was not told this and just so you know for the future maybe you all could post your rules on the website and tell them when they call so this doesn't happen to other special needs family and regular families to! I could tell she was uncomfortable so I simply asked what would happen if he did go down the slide (as he can be a runner)? She said " I would ask you to leave" I said "ok" and walked away. So for reference and refresh you can call and check the website where these rules are NOT posted or come in pay inside change enter at the opposite side of the pool area walk always to the back wall behind the side, and on the back said you see this weird outdated slide rules. By this time I was wondering why no one was on the slide and its because you have to be 48 inch tall but not over a certain weight, no parents are allowed on the slide, parents cannot catch kids at the bottom, and no life jackets or vest are allowed. These rules do the opposite of keeping kids in the kiddie pool safe. And again you can go to canton pool, Dollywood splash country or many other water parks or pools and they encourage you to put vests on your child and stay close to your child in water. By this point there are a good amount of ;little kids in the kiddie pool I would say about 10 to 15 and more kids in the bigger pool about 10 as well and only 2 life guards. I'm sorry but I'm not going to rely on a lifeguard to see everything in a pool. But none the less we kept trying to explain it to our son and play in the kiddie pool and enjoy the best we can. Our son was having a melt down and other parents in the pool understood what was happe

We just moved to the area and took a tour of the recreation center here. We will be joining the gym…read moreafter Covid issues get better. They have the main staples of indoor pool, workout equipment, racket ball courts. It clean and people are very friendly. We use the outdoor grounds a lot. Our main use is the dog park. There is a small dog park and a large dog park. We are in the small dog area. The disc golf court runs past the dog areas which is cool. There is a great skateboard park that lots of young people use, even on bikes. Lots of paved pathways. I love that the pathways attract older and young people. And, the path runs alongside The bold creek. It is more like a small river. It is filled with trout should you want to fish. Definitely a major asset to our town!

Gorgeous place, easy parking on the side of the roads with multiple stopping areas. Dog friendly…read moreand people friendly. Able to swim and to walk around (very cautiously) on rocks. Relaxing to just lay on a massive rock and listen to the waterfall.

5-Stars for simply being a beautiful waterfall relatively close to town and located just a few…read moreshort steps from the road, no hiking required. There are 3 viewpoints: road level, mid-level down a short set of stairs, and at the base down a second set of stairs. This is a great option for people with little kids, people with limited mobility, or those just short on time. There is limited roadside parking. Free to visit. No restroom. Easy peasy.

Stumbled upon this cute little park area as we were driving around exploring side roads from Old…read moreFort to Asheville. What a gem! This little community center seems to have a lot to offer: - The playground is a lot of fun- both our kids, ages 4 & 7, loved it! A well-kept wooden playground with swings (3 regular & 1 baby swing), a seesaw, a tire swing, and a big plastic sea monster for climbing. - Short paved walking loop with some benches, picnic tables and grill, and 1 of those little exercise stops and a creek flowing by (great for kids to splash around in!) - Large grassy field - Basketball court (half court) - Community garden - Large picnic table area with covered pavilion - Leashed dogs allowed (please pick up after them - there are poop bags along the sidewalk) The community center appears to be closed right now and I haven't checked out the website yet but there's a board with some info by the playground. It seems like they offer yoga classes (Free maybe? Says "donations accepted"), there's an ad for reiki healing, and a whole calendar of events for children and adults. This center definitely seems to run on donations and volunteers. We were happy to contribute to the painted metal donation post by the playground. Peaceful, safe, beautiful park areas like this are hard to find these days. We're passing through, as we're just frequent vacationers to the area, but I hope the community keeps up this little local gem!

Its a long hot hike in the summer, but when you finally make it to the falls, the water is cold!…read more The climbing rope is not very safe, I slipped due to so many people being there and the rock being so slippery and had massive bruises on my knees for weeks. A little overcrowded in the summer.

Turtleback Falls was always so much fun. Everything in this area is spectacular. It is a giant…read morefalls shaped like a turtle's back and you can slide off of it! The rock surface is so smooth and when you slide off the turtle's back you fall 10-15 feet into freezing cold water. There is a hole on turtle back that you can slide into and lean your head back to find an air pocket. You can also swim behind the waterfall and just chill. On the opposite side of the catch pool (natural), you find a giant rock that you can jump off of. I'd say it's roughly 15-20 feet so you may want to wear shoes to assuage the impact on your feet.

This is a great park with lots of winding trails - some paved, some gravel. Pavilions for picnics…read moreand barbecues, a restroom, great place to take dogs. Beautiful scenery and lots of birds.

Love this playground for kids of ages 2-6 is awesome…read more Fun rock climbing, nets, and slides for all. Clean restrooms and picnic tables. Awesome walking trails Great parking

This has been our favourite walk forever. Do not let the couple of bad characters hinder you from…read morethis beautiful hike, because getting to the top is its own reward with sheer beauty. This property was donated to the state park and open to all. Very clean and well-kept trails, dog friendly, and a nice place to rest and relax, including restrooms at the science centre.

I discovered this place through my daughter. She has gone here twice- once through her middle…read moreschool, and once through a local camp. She raved about it, and we finally got a chance to check it out. So happy we did! Purchase Knob was generously donated by the McNeil-Gilmore family to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is 535 acres of land that rises ultimately to 5,086 feet at the knob. In the meadow below the knob, at 4,850 feet, there are two buildings housing offices, a lab, a classroom for fifty students, and housing for up to eight scientists. Views are 180 degrees. You can hit the Cataloochee Divide Trail here, too. A refurbished cabin originally from the 1870s is nearby, which I will get to in a bit. When you get to the park, you will be blocked by a gate with a sign to the left identifying the park. It is open once in a while for scheduled visits/field trip students. It is easy to get your vehicle locked within the park. (People cannot get locked in.) Park your car on the sides of the road. Just walk around the gate if it is locked. Bring water, and a jacket in the spring or fall. The 2.5 mile round trip trail is basically a wide, dirt road that will eventually lead up to the main buildings. It is well maintained. When you get a glimpse of the building at the top, you will also see a grass trail leading upwards. I would take that trail. It is a shortcut. If you like to walk, just keep going, and the road will eventually lead to the building as well. On the way up, you will see many types of wildflowers. We heard (up) and spotted a hawk (down). I got a photo of nightshade, all the while with my body centimeters from a hidden cliff edge. Be careful on grassy edges! The open areas and tree-filled areas were of equal beauty. In early September I saw purples, greens, grays, and yellows, all framed by a clear blue sky graced by fluffy clouds. Your soul will take this in, and it will hold on to it. When we got to the top, we relaxed. We did not go to the knob proper. We used the very clean bathrooms, and laid down in the field right in front of the buildings. There is a water fountain. You are allowed on the deck, but not in the buildings unless you are with a scheduled group. There are picnic tables grouped close together, and bear-proof trashcans and recycling bins. You can check out the outside of the weather station that is a bit away. I would not traipse around the adjacent fields. I saw tagged plants and left that area so that we would not screw up any data. If you decide to go to the actual knob, you have to blaze your own trail. As of two days ago, the footbridge leading to Cataloochee was out. There is a sign warning of that; be careful crossing creeks. Anyway, that trail is easy to find; just look for signs. Check out the bulletin board for lists of the types of birds and butterflies that you can see there. I saw (possibly) a Cloudless skipper. It was fluorescent yellow! My first. To get down to the restored Ferguson cabin, just leave via the "grass carpet" trail. Make an obvious right and hitch your horse, or kids. This right will lead you to the cabin. The Fergusons were the first farmers to have an elevated farm. Their apples are still there. Do not pick anything. Do not get in the boar trap. Do not get near bears. Do not bother the cow spirits. Call to make sure horses are indeed still allowed. Bears and boars can hurt you. We leave all snacks in the car. You never know. Call the general number to see if bear activity is intense before going to this park. Middle school and up teachers, call this number to schedule a visit: 828-926-6251. This park welcomes wimpy and tough hikers mid-March through November. Call if you have a desire to hike in the deep winter. Remember to check out the Purchase Knob WebCam online for weather and views. To get to this park, take Exit 20, stay on 276 South for five miles. Get on Hemphill Road and stay on Hemphill Road for four miles. This review is dedicated to my daughter Sophie, a quick, beautiful trailblazer.

This is my favorite Buncombe County River Park. Even though there are no restroom facilities here,…read morethe beauty and serenity of the location more than make up for it. In addition to the various natural dams and rocks in the River, someone has created a little kiddie pool to keep the little ones from floating downstream to Marshall. The river splits with part of it going down a channel to the right, forming walnut island. That little section of the river is just absolutely gorgeous, and the county maintains an easily traversed path the Full length of the island. It could be the perfect location for a small informal wedding, with the bride coming down the path from around the bend, a natural canopy complete with beautiful gurgling sounds of the river flowing over the rocks. The park is equipped with barbecue grills and picnic tables, although the tables look pretty uncomfortable. I suggest bringing your own canvas or folding chairs & blanket if you're going to be here for a while. There is plenty of gorgeous grass, and the park seems to be pretty well maintained. This morning, I saw two people fly fishing, in their waders, as well as a couple more people fishing from a small boat on the river. Really, an idyllic scene. No one else was in the park for the entire 30 minutes we were there, so if you want a little privacy and a gorgeous spot, Walnut Island River Park is the place to go. At least until it gets discovered by the masses.

Completely and utterly agree with Jamie S. Best park I've found in Asheville as of yet!…read moreWooden structures on small "islands" separated by shallow creeks flow through this gorgeous playground. We went on a family adventure to explore Black Mountain and saw this adorable playground. The boys begged to be let out of their seats (even if it was 50 out and melting snow on the ground) to go play. I'm so glad we found time because I will drive the 30 minutes to get to this park again. My toddler apparently loves slides because he went down the Tree House Island slide multiple times. Middle went down to the creek and found out how freezing cold winter creek water is. So many trees, beautiful structures, picnic tables, gazebo. Whoever designed this park is a genius. Even though there is a creek it is easy to keep new walkers away from the edges and occupied elsewhere (mine is so CLUMSY and gives me heart attacks often throughout the day) I cannot wait to visit here during the summer - best splash area ever - and maybe have a few birthday parties.

One of the larger parks in the area and quite fun for the kids, at least according to my 9, 6, and…read more2yr old. Spaced out with plenty of room to run, different playground sets for kids to run between, and even a creek running through the middle that the kids can safely play in!

Made this trek last year and was disappointed when the water was only dribbling. After our rainy…read moreFebruary we went back to see the grotto in all its glory. It felt like a 3/4 mile walk in. The trail has some elevation but stairs and plateaus make it manageable for most people. It's the icing on the cake after experiencing the majestic looking glass falls.

Great hike to a beautiful fall you can stand behind. Less than 1 more long. Moderately challenging.read more