outdoors
Beat the Heat !
Below, I’ve outlined a few family-friendly ways to beat the heat this summer. These places are all great fun!
Fantasy Lake
Fantasy Lake is located on a six-acre man-made lake in Hope Mills and is surrounded by white sand beaches. In addition to lots of room to swim, the facility offers dozens of special activities including:
- Trapeze Swings
- Water Slides - both enclosed slides and slower open slides
- Pedal Boats
- Drop Slides - featuring a free fall at the end
- Jump Tower
- Porch swings in the water
- Water Volleyball
Admission is $14 for adults (11+) and $10 for ages 3-10. Fantasy Lake is open 10 am - 6 pm throughout the season. More information: www.fantasylakewaterpark.com
Smith Lake
Located one mile outside of Ft. Bragg, Smith Lake Recreation Park offers a large lifeguarded beach from 12- 7 pm Thursday through Sunday throughout the summer. The park has volleyball, a playground and floating trampolines in the children’s swimming area.
Managed by Fort Bragg MWR, Smith Lake is open to the public. Admission is $5 for the public $4 for government ID holders and $2 for children 6-16. Mountain bike trails and Paintball Adventure Sports are available on-site for an additional fee. Camping is available for active duty personnel, military retirees and Department of Defense civilians. More information: www.fortbraggmwr.com/smithlake.php
Waldo’s Beach
A third place to beat the heat is Lake Waldo’s Beach in Hope Mills. Lake Waldo’s Beach has water slides, a lazy river, pool and lake swimming, picnic areas, playgrounds, a pet trail, fishing pier, boat ramp, fishing and paddle boat rental.
Open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $12 for ages (11+) and $10 for children under 10. Admission is ½ price Monday through Friday. Camping is also available. http://www.lakewaldosbeachcampground.com/
Splash Pad
The under 10-set love the Splash Pad at Christina Smith park. Admission is free. The Splash Pad features water guns, sprinklers, sprayers and cannons all under colorful arches. A shaded picnic area is just outside the fence and restrooms are nearby. Hours are 3-6 Monday through Friday; 10-6 Saturday and 1-6 on Sunday. http://www.fcpr.us/aquatics.aspx
Miles of Outdoor Adventure
Few would argue that spring has to be the prettiest time of year in southeastern North Carolina. The weather is mild, the dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom and we all do our best to spend as much time as possible outdoors.
Whether you want a relaxing Saturday evening stroll, a location where you can revel in nature, or a place to train for your next big race, greater Fayetteville has many, many places to choose to spend quality time outdoors.
The Cape Fear Botanical Garden is situated on 79 acres of land where the Cape Fear and Cross Creek meet. The Garden offers many specialty gardens - including a child’s garden based on Gulliver’s Travels, a Hosta garden and a Camelia garden. In addition to the specialty gardens, miles of shaded walking trails lead through an urban forest to the Cape Fear River.
The Cape Fear River Trail is a 4-mile, 10-ft. wide paved trail for walkers, joggers, and non-motorized transportation. Interpretive signage discusses the diverse wildlife and plants throughout the trail - over 700 types of trees and plants, and 150 types of birds are found along the trail region. The Cape Fear River Trail is part of the East Coast Greenway, a series of nature trails within urban areas. It is being developed as an urban alternative to the Appalachian Trail.
Jambbas Ranch is great for parents and kids. When you walk through the gate, animals will greet you; and kids have an opportunity to feed the animals. As you travel further from the entrance area, walk along an estimated 1.5 mile loop - larger animals are found grazing in large enclosed areas - including gazelle, deer, buffalo and many others. Jambbas Ranch also offers a picturesque swinging bridge over a small lake.
The All American Trail is a 10 to 15-ft. wide unpaved pathway designed for use by hikers, runners and bicyclers. The trail (currently 11 miles long) follows the perimeter boundary of Fort Bragg through North Carolina’s Sandhills Region. The terrain is mixed with sections ranging from nearly flat to fairly hilly. Interpretive signage identifies and describes the unique plants and wildlife. There are more than 1,500 species of plants and trees, and over 400 species of wildlife - including the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker- along the trail.
These are just a few places where to enjoy the beauty of spring in southeastern North Carolina. For a complete list of things to see and do in greater Fayetteville, visit www.VisitFayettevilleNC.com