We visited again today after coming here back in 2021 and 2022. We mainly wanted to see the Harbor…read moreWay Gardens again. The parking is free for the first 2 hours, but you have to register your license plate. That's a great deal considering how much people can pay for parking in a beach town!

This is our favorite park because of the amazing playground--it's great for all ages. They recently…read moreredid the soft, rubbery ground under the equipment, which is so nice and safer for kiddos. The park is clean and well-maintained. They also host fun community events like outdoor movies, concerts and Easter egg hunts, which we love! There are also tennis and pickle ball courts, basketball and fields.

Visit d this location during a vacation in Wilmington. Not only does it have a park for kids to…read moreenjoy, the location has pickleball courts, kayaks, paddle boats and a walking trail that circles the beautiful lake. We hoped to see gators but missed them all. Tons of turtles though. The walking trail is 5 miles around the lake and easy with shaded spots, and various lookout locations with benches to rest or simple zen out. I wish I lived closer so I could walk this look weekly!

This is such a nice park. Wilmington has done a nice job up keeping this park. I love the 5 mile…read morewalk around Greenfield Lake, especially during azalea season. My kids enjoy the skate park and playgrounds. The trials are well kept. Lock your car and keep items out of view. This park is known for vagrants and we did see one person approach our car and try the doors. They scurried away quickly when they noticed we saw them. This could be because we have out of state plates but locals say this park is known for crime.

Our first time taking my toddler to a splash pad and quickly discovered this is going to be her new…read morefavorite summer activity! This one at Long Leaf Park is wonderful and very spacious, but I do wish they offered more seating for the parents/guardians! Only 2 benches and not an inch of shade around. Fine for the littles running and playing in the water, but a bit brutal for those of us just monitoring on the side. Some even resorted to just staying in their cars and watching from the parking lot just outside the fence/splash pad area. According to their website it is open through September. A great *free* summer activity. Restrooms are located nearby too which was convenient. The park also offers playgrounds, walking trails, sports courts, and picnic shelter. My daughter had a blast at both the splash pad and playground and that was the goal!

My friend and I came here and walked the big loop around the park. It's a great spot to walk as…read moreit's very flat and open. There were a lot of people here that day but it never felt too crowded. There are also clean restrooms available and there's plenty of space for parking.

Great playground park with tons of piers & boat ramps. Opens until midnight for fishing per my…read morebrother-in-law. The kiddos loved playing there & seeing all the boats go by. Had view of the bridge crossing over to the mainland. Very nice & safe. Plenty of parking available for the park use, street parking is pay to park option as well if it gets busy

A beautiful waterside park with a fun playground for children, fishing decks, picnic kiosks, and…read morewooden deck walking paths. There is also a separate kayak drop off parking area and kayak drop in area. Can't beat the view or the ocean breeze at this marvelous park on Topsail Island with is also a short walk to Surf City Beach. Park in the free land side lot adjacent to the traffic circle and walk over the high rise bridge to get to the park for an exhilarating experience and light exercise. This is an exceedingly safe park that is rarely packed but always has families at the playground and people fishing from the decks. Birdwatchers will love this park. There is free parking for boaters with a load in ramp that has a bathroom close by. There are several great restaurants and sweets shops within walking distance of this park as well as nearby beach supply and souvenirs shops. Please do not use this park solely for beach parking.

A tiny old park. Nothing to it really. A tennis court, a pavilion, a grassy area. Just a quiet…read morelittle reprieve tucked away in an old neighborhood.

This park is awesome! I visit often for disc golf and taking my pups on adventures! The park is…read morekept up nicely and has a lot of different activities. You can play tennis, basket ball, and they have recently renovated their playground. This course is challenging and beautiful and will allow for a good exercise! I highly recommend visiting especially for disc golf!

Such a beautiful place to visit! Cannot wait to go back! The Live Oaks are absolutely breathtaking…read moreand a very naturally romantic place to visit!

Airlie Gardens is one of those places that reminds you why folks used to put on a good pair of…read morewalking shoes and spend an afternoon outdoors instead of staring at a screen. The grounds are beautiful, peaceful, and rich with history. Even though only some of the flowers are blooming right now, there is still plenty to enjoy--towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss, winding paths, ponds, sculptures, and the feeling that you've stepped back into old Wilmington. The famous Airlie Oak and the historic chapel make it feel more like wandering through a living postcard than just another garden. Airlie dates back to the late 1800s and was created by Sarah and Pembroke Jones before becoming a public garden preserved for future generations. The gardens are well kept, easy to stroll through, and especially lovely this time of year with the Azalea Festival season beginning. It is the kind of place where you slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that nature did landscaping long before homeowners associations started issuing warning letters. The one drawback--and for us older folks it is a real one--is that there simply are not enough restrooms spread throughout the grounds. With so much walking involved, having a few more bathrooms around the gardens would make a tremendous difference and would make the experience more comfortable for seniors and families. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A beautiful, historic Wilmington treasure that is absolutely worth visiting, especially in the spring--just be sure to make a restroom stop before setting out on the trails.

What a lovely spot! Just discovered this one mile wooded trail and enjoyed hiking it with our dog…read more Dogs are supposed to be leashed. We did run into one entitled woman on speakerphone with her unneutered off leash lab who didn't even attempt to leash him (didn't look like she even owned a leash) but other than that it was a lovely walk and everyone else was polite.

Check the tides before you go if you plan to kayak. We went a little too close to low-tide and only…read moregot to paddle for 45ish minutes. We didn't know how low the water would get and didn't want to be stuck. We had never been here too so before we carried our kayaks out we decided to walk the trail without them first to check the path. It is about a half mile or more to the kayak drop-in. It's a nice path and would have been easier to have a kayak dolly. We carried ours and it was quite a workout but a beautiful walk. We saw lots of other walkers and while on the water it was very cool. Lots of oyster beds and birds. We plan to come back very soon when the water is higher! Great park for just a walk too.

I love taking my dog to the dog park but the whole park is really beautiful and spacious. Most of…read morethe people that I've encountered have been really nice. It's a nice clean park to take your family or just go on your own to get a little exercise. I would recommend to a friend.

The perfect suburban family hangout spot! They've got a skate park, dog park, 1 mile paved walking…read moreloop, soccer and baseball fields, basketball courts, picnic tables, a decent size pond filled with turtles and geese, tennis courts, pull up bars, and many benches with a view. The fact I lived in the area for over a year before checking this place out, severely disappoints me. It's beautiful! The loop has become a frequent running spot for me due to it's perfect one mile length and 90% sun to head ratio, along the way. It's always nice to have a breathe of fresh air, classy water features, and no lack of parking when pulling up to enjoy it all. Pretty much everywhere I've ever lived, the parks would not keep the nets on the soccer goal posts in fear someone would steal them or the weather would destroy them quickly. I am in positive shock each day when I arrive to see the nets still on all the goal posts, sandbags holding the bases, and knots tied tight - just like the pros! These soccer fields (located towards the backside of the park) are a casual, consistent futbol player's dream. I have to give props to the Ogden Parks & Rec for always keeping the premises in top notch condition. The trash cans are constantly emptied. Grass never seems to get anywhere close to out of hand. Tennis courts are swept and schedules are well organized. The goose and duck poops disappear almost as quick as they happened. And there's always someone riding around the area willing to help. The park is open from 8 am to 10 pm, daily. The skate park is only open 8 am to sunset, daily. The staff will lock all entry gates when closed. The dog park is an off-leash, fenced off dirt area, open from 8 am to 10pm. The park is available for hosting large events with an advanced request/payment. One event they've hosted annually here is the Food Truck Rodeo. Looking forward to attending other events in the future.

There's $2 fee to walk the pier. We stopped at the store and just took a pause and looked at the…read moreview from the entrance, which is also just fine since it was already close to 8 pm when we arrived. If I get out to the pier during the day, I'll have to go when there are surfers out since I'm usually looking up because I'm out on the water myself.

Great place for beginners to advance. Great forks and good eats. Been fishing this pier for over 20…read moreyears

This is a gorgeous park to walk dogs, ride bikes or jog. There is a nice paved path that goes…read morearound the lake and a reading tour with pages from kids books that you can stop and read. There's also a picnic shelter and a nature trail that is up off the lake, more wooded. Dogs are supposed to be leashed but have found that people use the nature trail and take dogs off leash up there, even though they're not supposed to. The lake trail does go close to the water's edge at several points and the dogs can take a quick dip - but no swimming for humans! There's also a boat launch and looks like a great place to go kayaking.

I can't believe I've never been to this park before! It was such a great spot for a walk around the…read morebeautiful lake and to play! The main path (1.3 miles) is paved with additional dirt trails on the sides. The playground is absolutely amazing and my kid loved it. The park was clean and there were lots of people out. The bathrooms were decent and there was picnic tables under shelter. Parking was filling up but it was a sunny day in February so I think people were out enjoying it. They have kayak launches that I'd love to come back to try!