Parks are kind of a thing right now in Charlotte. After years, OK maybe centuries, of green space getting a back seat to things like new condos or bank highrises, the city is now pouring money and attention into improving and adding parks. All those efforts led Charlotte to rise eight spots on the Trust for Public Land’s list of cities with the best park system (up to, um, 83rd out of 100). Not only is that an improvement, but better things are coming, thanks to $50 million being spent by Mecklenburg County to add new parks and another $7 million going to fixing up the ones already there. There’s even talk of building a new, massive green space on a former Uptown rail yard that could be the city’s version of Central Park. All that attention to parks means the city is dotted with spots of green worthy of your Saturday afternoon.
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Named as a tribute to the African-American artist, downtown Charlotte’s main park is the city’s most popular spot to take in the outdoors. That’s thanks in part to the concerts and festivals that pop up most weekends in warmer months, but the centerpiece fountain that lights up with multicolored lights is also a quintessential Charlotte backdrop.
Reedy Creek's 125 acres might already sound impressive, but you can essentially add another 737 acres of untouched forest to that with the neighboring nature preserve. Spread out on all that space are lots of trails and pretty much any park-y activity you want to take on, from cricket to a fishing pier. The adventurous should follow the trails to the ruins of a 1780s rock home so deep in the forest you’ll wonder how the early inhabitants ever found a good espresso.
Freedom Park’s stone bridges that date to the park's founding in 1948 are among the pretty sights in this 98-acre space. There are sports fields where kids' leagues meet for weekend games, but the everyday draw here is for runners and cyclists, who take in the views of the park's lake from paved and unpaved trails that include a section of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.
A dog run with a clever name, Fetching Meadow, is probably why you've made your way to Charlotte's southeast corner. But McAlpine also boasts 12 miles of trails that pass a lake, lots of benches and a playground along a greenway that spreads well past the park’s boundaries.
Look, we're going to come clean right quick that this preserve isn't technically in the city of Charlotte. But just a short drive south of the city pays off in a green space that feels worlds away, with nature trails and picnic spots with picturesque views of Lake Wylie. It'd be hard to find a better spot to take in fall foliage, but the canopy provided by the thick forest here also makes for a good piece of wilderness on a hot Piedmont summer day.
The parentals know this park for its playground that brings a chill to a hot summer day (and maybe a few chill hours from the kids later). There are also 19 acres of green space with basketball and tennis courts frequented by those in the highrises that surround it.
The city's newest park dropped 4.6 acres of green space in the middle of the city, meaning you'll see the reflection of highrises in the signature fountain, with its dramatic sweeping pergola overhead. Large-scale public art is a big draw here, but the park is also neighbors to 7th Street Public Market food hall, meaning there are drinks and eats not far away.
Secluded and underused are things you'll hear regularly about this 11-acre spot on the south side of town. This is good news for those who want to find a little spot of green to themselves, or just don't want to wait for others to finish up at the volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and baseball fields. Covered shelters would be a sweet spot for that next birthday party, with views out to a duck pond known for its abundance of turtles lazily hanging on fallen trees.
Once a spot known mostly for cruising at night, Hornets Nest is now a 140-acre home to tons of activities, including playgrounds, picnic shelters, disc golf and the city's busiest BMX bike park. Hornets Nest is also home to the Picnic Barn, a country-themed venue that serves as a fine spot for birthday parties.
Civic-minded Charlotteans know Frazier Park as the spot to protest the latest dumb-foolery of our government, but those without picket signs will find lots to do in this 12-acre spread, like soccer fields, basketball courts, playgrounds and greenway trails that follow Irwin Creek.
Opened in 1906, Charlotte's first park is currently undergoing a $5.9 million facelift to add a new trail system and playground equipment, along with landscaping throughout to upgrade this 24-acre neighborhood green space into a bonafide destination. (Temporarily closed)
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