The best parks in Cary

Cary spends money on parks and it shows. There is a 310-acre metro park with a boathouse and a ropes course, a seven-acre downtown park that opened in 2023 with a skywalk through the tree canopy, a stand of ice age hemlocks surviving hundreds of miles east of where they belong, and more than a hundred miles of paved greenway connecting much of it.

Two entries carry current closures and we flag them in place rather than leaving you to find out at the trailhead.

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

Fred G. Bond Metro Park

At 310 acres this is the largest park in Cary, built around Bond Lake with a boathouse renting boats. There is also the Sertoma Amphitheatre, a ropes and challenge course, the Lazy Daze Playground, a Compost Education Center and an orienteering course.

Hours: Gates open by 7:30 a.m. and close at sunset.

Address: 801 High House Rd., Cary, NC 27513

Why they made the list

• 310 acres, the largest park in Cary.
• Won best place for outdoor recreation in the 2026 Maggy Awards.
• A boathouse renting boats on Bond Lake, plus a challenge and ropes course.
• The Sertoma Amphitheatre and an orienteering course, neither of which any other Cary park has.

See the full directory listing

Downtown Cary Park

Seven acres that opened in November 2023 after more than twenty years of planning, and it reset what a downtown park can be in this county. A Great Lawn pavilion, a seventeen-foot Skywalk through the tree canopy, a splash pad, and a dog park with its own bar.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Barkyard dog park keeps the same hours.

Address: 327 S. Academy St., Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• Won best place for family fun in the 2026 Maggy Awards.
• Opened November 19, 2023 after more than twenty years of planning.
• The Skywalk runs seventeen feet up through the tree canopy, and The Nest play area has cardinal structures and a splash pad.
• The Barkyard dog park has the Bark Bar attached, and the park is open until 11 p.m.

See the full directory listing

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve

Eastern hemlocks and other mountain plants have survived here since the last ice age, hundreds of miles east of where they belong, clinging to north-facing bluffs above Swift Creek. About three miles of mulched trail with boardwalks, stairs and overlooks.

Hours: Preserve daily 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Stevens Nature Center Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun 1 to 5 p.m.

Address: 2616 Kildaire Farm Rd., Cary, NC 27518

Why they made the list

• Eastern hemlocks growing hundreds of miles east of their Appalachian range, surviving since the last ice age. That is the whole reason the preserve exists.
• About three miles of mulched nature trail with boardwalks, stairs and overlooks.
• The Stevens Nature Center at the entrance makes it the best Cary park for a first nature walk with young children.
• Entry outside the posted hours is prohibited, and the town enforces it.

See the full directory listing

Koka Booth Amphitheatre

A 7,000-capacity outdoor venue on the shore of Symphony Lake in Regency Park, opened in 2001 and named for the former Cary mayor. It is a park you can walk in and a concert venue on the nights it has a show.

Hours: Box office Wed-Fri 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grounds open by event only.

Address: 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary, NC 27518

Why they made the list

• A 7,000-capacity amphitheater on the shore of Symphony Lake, which no other Wake County park can offer.
• Opened in 2001 and named for Koka Booth, a former mayor of Cary.
• Listed by the North Carolina Symphony as one of its venues.
• Grounds open for events only, so check the calendar before driving out. The box office keeps short midweek hours.

See the full directory listing

Thomas Brooks Park

224 acres on Green Level Church Road and home to the USA Baseball National Training Complex. There are also four lighted ball fields, two lighted sand volleyball courts, two lighted basketball courts and a half-mile walking track.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset, extended to thirty minutes after an approved lighted activity ends.

Address: 9008 Green Level Church Rd., Cary, NC 27519

Why they made the list

• 224 acres, the second largest park in Cary.
• Home to the USA Baseball National Training Complex, which brings national tournaments to town.
• Two lighted sand volleyball courts and two lighted basketball courts alongside the ball fields.
• Important: the town's own page currently lists the baseball and softball complex as closed. Courts, fields, volleyball, playground and restrooms are open.

See the full directory listing

Marla Dorrel Park

The home of Kids Together Playground, a fully integrated multi-sensory playground built for children of all abilities around a dragon climbing structure named Katal. There is a misting garden too, and a pedestrian overpass across to MacDonald Woods Park.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset.

Address: 111 Thurston Dr., Cary, NC 27518

Why they made the list

• Kids Together Playground is a fully integrated multi-sensory playground designed for children of all abilities, not a standard playground with one accessible feature.
• Katal, the dragon climbing structure, is the landmark every Cary child knows.
• A misting garden for hot afternoons.
• A pedestrian overpass connects it to MacDonald Woods Park, so the two work as one visit.

See the full directory listing

Black Creek Greenway

7.1 paved miles running from Lake Crabtree in the north down to Fred G. Bond Metro Park, linking North Cary, Godbold and Bond parks along the way. It forms part of the East Coast Greenway, and Cary maintains more than a hundred miles of paved greenway in total.

Hours: Dawn to dusk.

Address: Trailhead at 316 N. Academy St., Cary, NC 27513, with multiple access points

Why they made the list

• 7.1 paved miles connecting three separate Cary parks end to end.
• Part of the East Coast Greenway, so it links into a route running the length of the seaboard.
• Fully paved, which makes it work for a stroller, a road bike or a wheelchair.
• Important: sections are under renovation and may be closed. Check carygreenwaydetour.com before setting out.

See the full directory listing

Jack Smith Park

Fifty acres of former farmland on Penny Road, with a splash pad of seven water features, a ten-foot climbing boulder, an off-leash dog park and commissioned sculptures by local artists: spinning whirligigs built from repurposed farm equipment and a grazing flock of sheep.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset.

Address: 9725 Penny Rd., Cary, NC 27606

Why they made the list

• Fifty acres of former farmland, and the art on site is about that history.
• A splash pad with seven separate water features.
• Commissioned local sculpture, including whirligigs made from repurposed farm equipment and a flock of sheep.
• An off-leash dog park, though a pass is required.

See the full directory listing

Robert V. Godbold Park

The home of Sk8-Cary Skate Park, alongside six lighted tennis courts, an off-leash dog park and a fitness trail with exercise stations. Named for Bob Godbold, a Cary councilmember from 1975 to 1989 and a firefighter.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset. Lighted areas run to thirty minutes after an approved activity ends, or 11 p.m., whichever comes first.

Address: 2050 NW Maynard Rd., Cary, NC 27513

Why they made the list

• Sk8-Cary Skate Park, the town's skate facility, which no other park here has.
• Six lighted tennis courts, so evening play is possible.
• An off-leash dog park and a fitness trail with exercise stations.
• Named for Bob Godbold, a councilmember from 1975 to 1989 and a firefighter.

See the full directory listing

North Cary Park

Four sand volleyball courts, which is more than any other park in Cary, plus a climbing boulder, a soccer field, two basketball slabs and trails. The town calls it one of the most popular parks in town and the volleyball is why.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset. Lighted areas run to thirty minutes after an approved activity ends, or 11 p.m., whichever comes first.

Address: 1100 Norwell Blvd., Cary, NC 27513

Why they made the list

• Four sand volleyball courts, the most of any park in Cary.
• The town describes it as one of the most popular parks in town.
• A climbing boulder, a soccer field, two basketball slabs and walking trails alongside the volleyball.
• On the Black Creek Greenway route, so you can arrive on foot or by bike.

See the full directory listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest park in Cary, NC?

Fred G. Bond Metro Park at 801 High House Road covers 310 acres, built around Bond Lake with a boathouse renting boats, the Sertoma Amphitheatre, a ropes and challenge course and an orienteering course. It won best place for outdoor recreation in the 2026 Maggy Awards. Thomas Brooks Park is second at 224 acres.

Is Downtown Cary Park worth visiting?

It won best place for family fun in the 2026 Maggy Awards. The seven-acre park opened in November 2023 after more than twenty years of planning and includes a seventeen-foot Skywalk through the tree canopy, The Nest play area with a splash pad, the Great Lawn pavilion and the Barkyard dog park with its own bar. Open daily until 11 p.m.

Where can I hike in Cary?

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve on Kildaire Farm Road has about three miles of mulched trail with boardwalks, stairs and overlooks through a stand of eastern hemlocks that have survived since the last ice age. Black Creek Greenway runs 7.1 paved miles, though sections are currently closed for renovation.

Which Cary park is best for young children?

Marla Dorrel Park on Thurston Drive, home of Kids Together Playground, a fully integrated multi-sensory playground built for children of all abilities around a dragon climbing structure named Katal. Jack Smith Park has a splash pad with seven water features, and Downtown Cary Park has The Nest.

Is Black Creek Greenway open?

Partly. The Town of Cary lists sections as under renovation and closed, with detours posted at carygreenwaydetour.com. The full route runs 7.1 paved miles from Lake Crabtree to Fred G. Bond Metro Park. White Oak Creek Greenway, Cary's longest at 7.4 miles, is also listed as closed.