Apex Community Park (Lake Trail Entrance) — Attraction in Apex

April 9, 2021 . . . Apex Community Park & Apex Lake offers up an Outdoor plethora of fun activities for all ages ! We enjoyed walking the 2 mile loop around the lake on a beautiful spring day! The Town of Apex started construction on this 50 acre lake with 160 acres of park land in 1990.

Some of the amenities include:

6 tennis courts 4 basketball courts 3 volleyball courts 1 soccer field Children’s playground Fishing dock Canoes, kayaks, sailboats allowed on lake Biking the asphalt loop is allowed 👀🚲 Restrooms

Only our 1st visit to the Apex Community Park & Lake . . . Friday mid morning wasn’t too crowded! I wonder about peak season, out of school? The asphalt loop allows all ages & ability levels access . . . I’m curious about the speed of some bicyclists whipping through these macadam trails with older folks & young kids on skates, etc. Maybe a suggestion is to have a line that offers lanes, for safety?

My wife spotted a variety of birds around the lake, as we walked. ( Not really a hike) She noticed 5 or 6 times Great Blue Herron standing along the shore “fishing”, 1 Herron swallowed a 6 or 7 inch fish in 2 gulps! Several parties of Mallard ducks swam. One scared little garden snake froze on the walkway, as we stepped over him/her! Mother Nature pushed trees to unfurl their new spring leaves. ( No spring leaves at home in Maine, in April)

There were a few folks on the lake in kayaks. The park regulations require a “vessel license” for any small craft on the lake. Likewise we noticed several docks extended on the water, for folks to fish. Park regulations require a “fishing license” for all ages to fish! I realize certain “user fees” are required for upkeep & expenses, but these fees limit disadvantaged folks in a community who struggle financially.

Open Year Round March - Oct. 6:30 am to 10 pm Nov. - Feb. 6:30 am to 8 pm

Thanks to the town of Apex, NC in recognizing the importance of protecting & utilizing “green spaces” for their public citizens & visitors who enjoy the outside. . . I rate this 4.5 stars! My only suggestion includes a waiver for “user fees” for disadvantaged citizens, a PARK should be enjoyed by ALL .

Historical Highlights of Apex, NC

Pre 1600’s - Cherokee Indians inhabited area 1854 - Railroad station built 1855 - Highest point on RR called APEX Salem Street APEX between . . . Neuse River & Cape Fear River 1800’s - Apex ship lumber, tar, turpentine 1900’s - Tobacco farming goes commercial 1905 - Fire destroys several town buildings 1911 - Fire again destroys business district 1912 - Town Hall built 1960’s - Origin of Research Triangle Park 1990 - APEX Community Park & Lake Project 2008 - Apex population at 34,000 2015 - Money Magazine APEX best city 2021 - Apex...

Beautiful natural setting with a 2-mile paved trail around the entire lake, benches strategically located for those who want to rest or just admire the scenery. Short, unpaved forest trails on the south side of the lake have picnic tables overlooking the water.

The park offers awesome lake views, lots of birds (herons, ducks, cormorants, geese, eagles, hawks, pileated woodpeckers, and more). On a recent walk early in the morning, a huge bald eagle flew across the lake, causing the birds floating in the middle to squak and scatter. Eagles dive-bomb into the lake to catch fish.

There are softball fields, a batting cage, a fishing pier, covered picnic areas, several playgrounds, basketball courts, several tennis courts, pickleball, free entry and free parking, plus restroom facilities.

At peak times (early evening and weekends) the small Lake Pine lot fills quickly, so best to use the Laura Duncan entrance.

Kayaks allowed but no swimming. Overall, well maintained.

A variety of pedestrians use the trail, including seniors, moms with baby carriages, adults walking dogs (leash required), families with young children, runners, joggers, and a small number of bike riders (NO e-bikes allowed).

Attention dog walkers: Free plastic "poop" bags are available near the entry points from the lots to the trail.

Sometimes bikers ride too fast and do not shout a warning as they approach. It is important for pedestrians to stay aware of bike traffic at all times.

Monitor what is coming towards you and what may be approaching from the rear. Watch for blind curves in the trail. Keep to the right (including your dog). Try not to block the path when walking...

Apex Community Park is a great property in Apex, but it's often underutilized. One use that I had for it after some knee and hip injuries was to run in grassy areas (e.g. baseball fields and soccer field) as opposed to the asphalt path (which is also a very nice path). However, baseball fields are closed between November and February, and in March, they're unavailable to the visiting public since baseball games are scheduled a few nights out of the week. That leaves three huge fields empty and inaccessible for about 80% of the week, though I do understand wanting to keep fields in tip-top shape. Soccer fields are usually well-occupied. I've started to go to the WakeMed soccer park, which is way out of the way for me, but has a ton of fields and an official cross-country course when I want to get a timed 5K. But for a few months when it was ultra-hot outside, I could go and run on grass at ACP. Better than nothing on that end, and it's a very nice set of courts, fields, etc. I just wish the fields were actually accessible for more than 2 months in summer, or perhaps some of the other grassy or forested areas were utilized for new fields (e.g. behind the large baseball field; forest next to the basketball...