Shelley Lake is a small lake in North Raleigh that is perfect for taking a leisurely walk along the water and seeing the friendly ducks and other wildlife. Enjoy the 2 miles of paved scenic greenway trails around the lake and if you’re up for a challenge, the trail also connects to Mine Creek Trail to be a 6.5 mile hiking path down to North Hills Park.
At our last visit we parked at the Sertoma Arts Center and entered the trail from there. In the past we usually parked at the side lot on Millbrook Road, but that lot can fill up fast. I was pleasantly surprised to see a brand new side of the park from behind the arts center, and I think this is actually a better spot to start at since you get to see the boardwalk and overlook tower.
The Boardwalk
The path around Shelley Lake varies from paved paths to an awesome boardwalk over the water. The boardwalk is where you will get some of the best views of the wildlife in the water below, including cranes, fish, ducks, and turtles!
A lot of people feed the ducks here, although I’ve read mixed reviews on if that is a wise thing to do or not. I don’t recall seeing any signs around the lake about not feeding the ducks, but if there are some please follow those guidelines over my advice!
From my research I’ve learned that bread should never be fed to ducks since it is bad for their digestion. “Healthy” foods to feed the ducks include:
- Grapes (cut in half to prevent choking – you know the drill!)
- Cooked rice or chopped lettuce
- Cracked corn, barley, oats, birdseed or other grains
- Frozen peas or corn kernels (defrosted first, but no need to cook)
- Duck feed pellets.
The Overlook Tower
Probably my favorite spot at Shelley Lake is this awesome overlook tower that acts as a kind of tree house for the kids to play on. My kids loved climbing up and down the stairs to the top. Funny thing is, I didn’t even know this was here for the longest time because we always started our walks at the other side of the lake and never made it around that far!
The Playground
Over by the Sertoma Arts Center there is a large sand-surface playground. It’s split into 2 sections and also has a lot of bouncers and diggers for the kids to play on as well. It’s the old metal style structure, but it looks like it can keep the kids occupied for quite a while (once it reopens after the pandemic)!
There are also some basketball courts onsite as well, although I didn’t get a picture.
Definitely swing by Shelley Lake if you’re looking for a new spot to switch up your daily walks. The ducks and wildlife made it more interesting for my kids and it was nice to have a wide paved path for them to explore. It’s completely stroller friendly, but it does get very busy. It might be hard if your kids haven’t learned trail etiquette yet, because there will constantly be people running or biking past you. If you aren’t ready to visit with the kids, this is also a great place go for a run all by yourself!