The best parks in Raleigh

Raleigh's park system is genuinely good and most people use two or three of it. This list covers the ten worth knowing, from a 308-acre former hospital campus being turned into the city's Central Park to a four-acre downtown square that has been public land since 1792.

Gate hours are the practical thing here. Several of these change their closing time every single month, and two are sunrise-to-sunset rather than gated. All of it is listed below.

Hours below were taken from each business's own published information and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Dorothea Dix Park

308 acres on a hill south of downtown with the best skyline view in the city, and the 18.5-acre Gipson Play Plaza opened inside it with playgrounds, gardens and public art. The sunflower field in summer is the thing people photograph, and the Rocky Branch Greenway runs off it.

Hours: Daily sunrise to sunset. Gipson Play Plaza playground 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., water features from 10 a.m. Visitor center at the Gatekeeper's Cottage Sat-Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address: 1030 Richardson Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603

Why they made the list

• 308 acres, the largest park in the city, and the long-term plan is to make it Raleigh's Central Park.
• The Gipson Play Plaza is 18.5 acres on its own, with water features running from 10 a.m.
• The seasonal sunflower field, which is one of the few genuine annual events in a Raleigh park.
• Connects to the Rocky Branch Greenway, so you can leave on foot or by bike.

See the full directory listing

Pullen Park

66.4 acres next to NC State, and the historical heavyweight: the first public park in North Carolina and the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the country. An 1887 carousel, a train, and pedal boats on the lake.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 520 Ashe Ave., Raleigh, NC 27606

Why they made the list

• The first public park in North Carolina and the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the United States.
• An 1887 Gustav Dentzel carousel that still runs.
• A train, pedal boats and a kiddie boat ride, so young children get a full afternoon.
• Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the longest fixed hours of any park on this list.

See the full directory listing

Lake Johnson Park

500 acres around a 150-acre lake in Southwest Raleigh, with a 2.8-mile paved greenway on the east loop, 1.5 miles of natural-surface trail on the west side, and kayak and paddleboard rentals at the Waterfront Center.

Hours: Park and trails daily sunrise to sunset. Waterfront Center Apr-Sep 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mar and Oct 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Nov-Feb 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 4601 Avent Ferry Road, Raleigh, NC 27606

Why they made the list

• Kayak and paddleboard rentals on site, which only this and Lake Wheeler offer.
• Paved and unpaved trail in one park, so it suits a stroller and a trail run equally.
• A 700-foot boardwalk straight across the lake.
• Waterfront Center hours change four times a year, so check the season before planning a paddle.

See the full directory listing

Shelley Lake Park

144.8 acres in North Raleigh with a two-mile paved loop around the lake that is the most-walked circuit in the city, plus a fishing pier and the Sertoma Arts Center on site. Gate hours shift three times a year.

Hours: Apr-Sep daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mar and Oct daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov-Feb daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 1400 West Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27614

Why they made the list

• A flat two-mile paved loop, which makes it the easiest real walk in Raleigh for almost any fitness level.
• The Sertoma Arts Center is on site, so there is a class or a gallery attached to the walk.
• A fishing pier with lake access.
• Part of the Capital Area Greenway, so you can extend the loop into a longer route.

See the full directory listing

Durant Nature Preserve

237 acres in North Raleigh with five miles of mostly unpaved trail looping two lakes, one of them twelve acres. It was a Boy Scout camp until the city bought it in 1979, which is why it feels less landscaped than the rest of this list.

Hours: Opens daily 7 a.m. Closes by month: Jan 6 p.m., Feb 6:30, Mar 7, Apr 8, May 8:30, Jun-Jul 9, Aug 8:30, Sep 8, Oct 7, Nov-Dec 5:30 p.m.

Address: 8305 Camp Durant Road, Raleigh, NC 27614

Why they made the list

• Five miles of mostly natural-surface trail, the most unpaved mileage of any park on this list.
• Two lakes inside one preserve.
• A former Boy Scout camp, bought by the city in 1979, so the landscape was never developed.
• Closing time changes every single month, so check before an evening visit.

See the full directory listing

Lake Wheeler Park

800 acres in total, 650 of it water. The lake was built in 1956 and is now part of Raleigh's water supply, which is why the park is quieter than its size suggests. Kayak and paddleboard rentals, and the earliest opening hours in the city in summer.

Hours: May-Aug daily 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Apr and Sep 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mar and Oct 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb and Nov 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec-Jan 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 6404 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh, NC 27603

Why they made the list

• 650 acres of water, by far the largest lake in the Raleigh park system.
• Opens at 6 a.m. May through August, earlier than any other park here.
• Kayak and paddleboard rentals plus boat ramps for your own craft.
• The city has posted low water level alerts here, so check conditions before hauling a boat out.

See the full directory listing

Neuse River Greenway Trail

27.5 miles of paved trail running from Falls Lake Dam to the Johnston County line, with long boardwalk stretches over wetlands. It is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and it connects Wake Forest to Raleigh and Knightdale without a road crossing for miles at a time.

Hours: Daily dawn to dusk.

Address: Main trailhead at Anderson Point Park, 20 Anderson Point Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610

Why they made the list

• 27.5 continuous paved miles, the longest greenway in the Raleigh system.
• Part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, so it links into a statewide route.
• Boardwalk sections carry the trail over wetlands you could not otherwise walk into.
• Five main access lots. Check the city's greenway alerts page first, because closures get posted there.

See the full directory listing

John Chavis Memorial Park

28.87 acres in Southeast Raleigh built around an Allan Herschell carousel from about 1923 that the city bought in 1937 for four thousand dollars. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 and the carousel still turns.

Hours: Park-wide gate hours are not published. Community center Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sun 1 to 6 p.m. Carousel Tue-Sat 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun 2 to 6 p.m., closed Monday. Splash pad daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 505 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601

Why they made the list

• Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
• A circa-1923 Allan Herschell carousel, bought by the city in 1937 for four thousand dollars, still operating.
• A splash pad open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the longest water hours in the city.
• Central to Southeast Raleigh's history, and the restoration is the reason it is on this list.

See the full directory listing

Moore Square

Four acres downtown that have been a public gathering place since 1792, rebuilt with a splash pad, a natural play area and giant lawn games. Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., which makes it the only park here you can legally sit in at ten at night.

Hours: Daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., extended for special events. Restrooms and info kiosk daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitor center Tue-Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 201 S. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Why they made the list

• A public square since 1792, one of the two original squares in Raleigh's city plan.
• Open until 11 p.m. daily, the latest of any park on this list.
• Splash pad, natural play area and giant lawn games in four downtown acres.
• Surrounded by restaurants, so it works as the middle of an evening rather than the whole of one.

See the full directory listing

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve

146 acres wrapped by the Neuse River on three sides, designated a Significant Natural Heritage Area, and the closest thing on this list to Wake Forest. The Meadow Loop runs 0.9 miles, the River Walk 0.6, and a paved connector joins the Neuse River greenway.

Hours: Opens daily 7 a.m. Closes by month: Jan 6 p.m., Feb 6:30, Mar 7, Apr 8, May 8:30, Jun-Jul 9, Aug 8:30, Sep 8, Oct 7, Nov-Dec 5:30 p.m. Historic farmhouse open the second Sunday of the month, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Address: 2900 Horseshoe Farm Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587

Why they made the list

• Designated a Significant Natural Heritage Area, a state-level conservation status no other park here holds.
• The Neuse River wraps it on three sides, which is where the name comes from.
• A City of Raleigh preserve with a Wake Forest address, so it is the one on this list our readers can reach in ten minutes.
• The historic farmhouse opens only on the second Sunday of the month.

See the full directory listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest park in Raleigh?

Dorothea Dix Park at 1030 Richardson Drive covers 308 acres, making it the largest park in the city. It includes the 18.5-acre Gipson Play Plaza, a seasonal sunflower field and the best skyline view in Raleigh.

What is the oldest park in Raleigh?

Pullen Park at 520 Ashe Avenue was the first public park in North Carolina and is the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the United States. Its carousel dates to 1887. Moore Square has been public land since 1792 but was not a park in the modern sense until much later.

Which Raleigh parks have kayak or paddleboard rentals?

Lake Johnson Park on Avent Ferry Road and Lake Wheeler Park on Lake Wheeler Road both rent kayaks and paddleboards in season. Lake Wheeler also has boat ramps for your own craft, though the city has posted low water level alerts there.

What park in Raleigh is closest to Wake Forest?

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve at 2900 Horseshoe Farm Road has a Wake Forest address even though it is a City of Raleigh preserve. It covers 146 acres wrapped by the Neuse River on three sides and is a designated Significant Natural Heritage Area.

Which Raleigh park is open latest?

Moore Square downtown is open until 11 p.m. daily, later than any other park in the city. Pullen Park runs to 9 p.m. and most of the rest close at sunset or on a monthly schedule.