975 Buffaloe Road, Garner, NC 27529
Lake Benson Park in Garner is a large 64 acre park that has a lot of open space to hold town events. In my opinion, the host one of the best 4th of July Fireworks shows in the area, which includes the NC symphony playing live at the park. Unfortunately that event was cancelled this year, but it will continue to be our annual tradition once it resumes!
Lake Benson Park also contains the Garner Veterans Memorial, a dog park, playground, 1.8 miles of walking trails, picnic shelters, and of course the lake with boat rentals and a dock for fishing.
Playground
We visited the park this past winter to attend a Tinkergarten Class, and I was able to snap a few pictures of the playground and picnic shelter. It’s a nice playground with shade sails and a mulch surface. It’s adjacent to the picnic shelter, so this could be a great place to host a birthday party!
The playground is separated into two structures, one for older kids and one for younger kids. It’s made out of a plastic composite material, so it’s different than the metal structures we usually see. I loved that the stairs were easy to climb and there weren’t any spots where the kids could fall off.
The playground area also contains a separate structure for swings that is in direct sun. This wasn’t a problem while we were there in winter, but I bet it gets hot in the summer!
Picnic Shelter
The adjacent picnic shelter can accommodate up to 150 guests and it has grills and restrooms. It’s right near the parking lot so very accessible!
Boat Rentals
I’m excited to go back to Lake Benson and check out the boat rentals, which currently ARE open as of June 30, 2020. The boathouse only accepts cash and renters must be at least 16 years old. You can choose from solo kayaks, tandem kayaks, jon boats, or canoes. Get more information here.
Other lakes in the area include Lake Johnson, Falls Lake, Harris Lake, Lake Crabtree, and Jordan Lake.