My husband and I snuck away during the workday today to bat around a couple of tennis balls get a little exercise and fresh air. We bought a couple of used tennis rackets and some tennis balls becaus8e we have a free, open to the public tennis court right across the street from our house in Liberty Park. It occurred to me how many parks are peppered all throughout Charlotte and how many free healthy activities they provide Charlotte residents.
Mecklenburg County has more than 21,000 acres of outdoor public space in a total of 210 parks. That’s not a typo! The county has 210 parks. Trust me, no matter where you live there is likely a park just a few minutes away.
Freedom Park is the Taj Mahal of Charlotte Parks. Often referred to as the Central Park of Charlotte, it’s 98 acres on East Boulevard in the Myers Park/Dilworth area. The miles of paved trails are surrounded by upscale residential homes. The seven-acre lake in the park’s center is a hub for joggers and cyclists and dog walkers. Freedom Park also has a bandshell for open-air concerts, baseball fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds. Freedom Park connects to the Little Sugar Greenway, which leads all the way Uptown. Need I say more?
Here are a few lesser-known favorites you can check out!
Chantilly Park: 222 Wyanoke Ave.
You won’t have to fight large crowds at Chantilly Park but it has plenty of amenities to enjoy including not one but two playgrounds. One is geared more for little kids, another for older kids. There is also beach volleyball, and a disc golf hole to practice on. Plus it’s the only park I know of, with ping pong!
Cordelia Park: 600 E. 24th Street
This is a popular park when you want or need to cool off. The 21-acre park features a sprayground, and outdoor pool. It’s located high on a hill with a pretty impressive view of Uptown.
Elon Park: 11401 Ardrey Kell Rd.
Once you’ve practiced your disc golf at Chantilly Park you can put your skills to use at this disc golfer heaven. Elon Park has both beginner and advanced disc golf courses. It’s a larger park with 118 acres to explore. Go fishing in the pond, or walk the trails, if you want a little time with nature. If you just need to burn off some energy or get in a good workout there’s a soccer field, softball field, and playground.
Davie Park: 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road
Dog lovers listen up! Davie Park is one of 6 dog parks in Mecklenburg County.
This article from Charlotte Axios ranks each one if you want more details on each one.
UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens : 9090 Craver Road
Finally, for a little change of pace, check out the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. It’s like strolling through the garden of your dreams only you don’t have to do any work on it… just enjoy the surroundings. It’s also a great place to learn about plants that thrive in our climate or just take a few good selfies.