Thanks to the Junior Naturalist Program, we made it all the way out to Harris Lake County Park! Living in North Raleigh, it was quite a drive, but the park had tons to offer so I’d say it was worth it!
The playground
As you drive through the entrance to the park, you will still need to drive quite a ways before you reach the playground and picnic shelters. I was surprised at how big this park was, but there are lots of signs to direct you to where you need to go.
The playground is closest to the parking lot, and situated right in between two of the picnic shelters. It would be a great place to host an event if you want a shelter close to a playground!
The surface was the flat rubber like you find at Abbott’s Creek in North Raleigh. They had your typical playground structure, but then also had a unique underground tunnel and climbing trees. Most of the kids there loved running up the hill that was over the tunnel so they could stand on the top. It reminded me of the game King of the Hill, except thankfully none of the toddlers were pushing each other off! They also had one of those saucer swings, which was also in high demand!
The bathroom is actually placed a little bit further back from the playground, but it has a great view of the lake! The facilities were nice and clean and there was a vending machine if you need one.
The Nature Play Space
After the bathrooms, there is a little nature play space for the kids. There was a sandbox, tunnel, wooden tee-pee, pollinator area that attracted lots of butterflies, small angled jumping platforms (the quintuple step if you watch American Ninja Warrior), pergola, and a circle of logs.
The Pond Habitat
If you walk back even further from there, you will get to the pond which has a nice little walking trail on a dam between the pond and the lake. You can see lots of wildlife there if you are quiet. We were doing a nature program and they told us that if you are quiet and walk close to the bank, the frogs that hang out there will jump into the water. There were about 8 different frogs that jumped in the water on our 5 minute walk! We also saw a giant spider, eagle, and snake skin.
Boating on the Lake
As for the lake, we obviously didn’t get in the water or anything, but I did see some speed boats out there! According to the park website there are canoe launches in the park, but all motorized boats must be launched at Holleman or Highway 42 Wildlife Resource Commission boat ramps, located in other areas of Harris Lake.
We also saw a disc golf course in the park. Although if you’re looking for one a little closer to North Raleigh, give Cedar Hills Park a try (review coming soon)!
Even though it’s pretty far away from us, I’m super glad the Junior Naturalist Program got us to go explore this new park! It’s awesome to know the park options on that side of town! Be sure to check it out if you’re out that way!
Pros
- rubber surface playground
- unique playground structures
- bathrooms onsite
- disc gold course
- pond habitat
- boating available
- park office with staff
- paved walking trails and pine needle hiking trails
cons
- Since the bathroom and play areas are a little spaced out, be prepared for the little ones to have to walk or you have to carry them!
- it’s quite a drive from the entrance to the playground