Best Parks in Charlotte NC

Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city and one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, rightfully earns its nickname, the "Queen City." While the urban hustle and bustle and corporate activity define this Carolina Piedmont metropolis, visitors also have ample opportunities to escape to the city's leafy, green spaces. Charlotte boasts an extensive network of public parks, greenways, and nature preserves.

Read on to learn about some of the best parks in Charlotte as you plan your getaway to one of the great hubs of the American South.

Courtesy of Visit NC

This centrally situated greenspace, opened in 2013, is a recreational fixture of Uptown Charlotte and the Third Ward as well as a hotspot for summer festivals and other events. Among Charlotte's nicest parks, it’s named for the celebrated hometown artist Romare Howard Bearden (1911-1988), whose works you can explore at the nearby Mint Museum Uptown. From its garden landscapes and courtyard to the interactive Spiral Odyssey sculpture and multicolored-lit waterfall, Romare Bearden Park—a stone’s throw, mind you, from Truist Field and its baseball delights—is one of the indisputable stars in Charlotte’s parkland quilt!

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At nearly 17 acres in extent, Frazier Park—part of the Irwin Creek Greenway—is the largest park in Uptown Charlotte and a hub of outdoor activities and R&R. There’s a much-loved dog park, better than an acre in size and with distinct fenced-off partitions for large and small dogs, plus playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and creekside Greenway paths.

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A sprawling mix of developed parkland and mostly primitive backwoods, Reedy Creek Park and its adjoining nature preserve—collecting accounting for hundreds of acres—are another of Charlotte’s greenspace treasures. Take to the volleyball or basketball courses, indulge in a little disco golf, let the kids loose at the playground and the dogs get their energy out in the dog park. Extensive trails lead to landmarks such as Kingfisher and Dragonfly ponds as well as the enigmatic Revolutionary-era stone ruins of the John Robinson Rockhouse. And don’t miss the exhibits in the Reedy Creek Nature Center.

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Situated in Charlotte’s Second Ward in what once was the African American neighborhood of Brooklyn, Marshall Park offers handsome, shady landscaping for fresh-air relaxation and reflection that’s all anchored by an artificial lake bedecked with a fountain. Other highlights include a statue honoring the great civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as a Holocaust memorial and amphitheater. The park is named for a former city manager of Charlotte, James R. Marshall, who served from 1935 to 1940.

Courtesy of Visit NC

Set close to attractions such as ImagiOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center and UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building and Dubois Center, First Ward Park offers both play and serenity right in the heart of the city. Covering the better part of five acres, it includes gardens, public artwork, fitness equipment and a kid-friendly splash pad, plus a lawn host to the Sound of Summer concert series and other events.

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Despite its intimidating name, which simply pays homage to Charlotte's NBA team, Hornets Nest Park is a charming city park spanning over 100 acres. The park features several notable facilities, including an excellent 18-hole disc golf course and a popular BMX bike track. Additionally, Hornets Nest Park offers a tranquil lake with a serene fountain, as well as picnic shelters and playing fields.

Courtesy of VisitNC.com

Almost 100 acres in area, Freedom Park is another of Charlotte’s superstar greenspaces. It lies along the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, encompasses a seven-acre lake and offers basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer and tennis facilities along with plenty of inviting grassy lawns for picnicking and otherwise kicking back. Site of the multiday arts-and-music Festival in the Park in September, Freedom Park also affords easy access to a top Charlotte family destination: Discovery Place Nature, a center associated with Discovery Place Science that displays live critters and nature exhibits focused on native North Carolina and Piedmont ecology.

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The large McAlpine Creek Park encompasses one of the go-to dog parks in Charlotte as well as access to the wonderful McAlpine Creek Greenway (and the nearby Campbell Creek Greenway) as well as other extensive trail mileage. A pond (edged by footpaths) lies in the heart of the park, with a fishing pier available for those of the angling persuasion. Families enjoy the park for its playground.

Courtesy of Visit NC

Playful literary references help define the artwork and installations of this pocket-sized park close to a host of Downtown attractions, including the Charlotte Convention Center, the Levine Center for the Arts, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture. Among the most unique parks in Charlotte, the Green packs a lot into its compact urban domain: Delight in the Fish Fountains, study the globe-spanning mileage displayed in the “Charlotte—The Center of the Known World” sign and attend one of any number of summertime happenings.

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The oldest of the Queen City’s public parks, Independence Park has been giving city dwellers and visitors tranquility, outdoor enjoyment and Charlotte-skyline views since 1906. Bisected by Hawthorne Lane, the park includes a rose garden, gazebo, reflecting pool, walking paths and plentiful shade trees, plus more amped-up facilities such as a playground, volleyball courts and sports fields. Recipient of a multimillion-dollar revamp by the city in the early 2020s, Independence Park plays host to a number of annual events, among them the Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas.

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Beloved by residents of the lovely historic neighborhood of the Fourth Ward, this three-acre space—one of Charlotte's nicest parks—offers fetching gardens, shady paths and fountains as well as a playground and public artwork.

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