Carolina Beach Lake Park — Attraction in Carolina Beach

UPDATE: there is now a playground, and it is pretty awesome. If your kid is a climber they will have a blast as there are plenty of climbing areas. It would have been nice to see some large slides available, but the playground is so unique compared to other local playgrounds in New Hanover County it's not a big deal. There is also an area for younger kids/toddlers to play which is always a plus especially if you have both a toddler and older child. I went in December on an unusually cold and windy day. While it's not unusual to have wind so close to the beach this wind was much more gusty than usual. This made finding parking easy. I appreciate that there was a parking lot for the playground that did not have meters. Especially considering parking rates at CB have gone up so significantly that I rarely visit. I've updated my rating from 4 to 5 stars for the new playground and attached parking lot. I doubt we'll be visiting during the fall, spring, and summer when the parking lot will probably rapidly fill up, but it's a nice place to visit during the off season for sure.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I love the lake Carolina Beach, but I may be partial because I grew up in Carolina Beach and it was a place we often visited. A lot has changed since I was a child, and the lake now has really nice walking paths with bridges, gazebos, and sitting areas. The lake hosts many different types of water fowl, and sometimes if you're lucky you might spot something rare for our area. My sister is an avid birder and loves this location. There are quite a few places to eat, or get ice cream or coffee or other treats in walking distance. There is a small area for riding scooters or skateboards. There are paddle boats available to take around the lake. I'm unsure of the price. There is a very small swing set (one regular swing and one baby swing). It would be amazing if there were an actual playground. It's such an ideal location, and with the farmers markets it would be awesome if there were an area for the kids to play. Other than no playground the other major downside is parking. Parking in Carolina Beach has gotten expensive and it didn't happen gradually. We used to visit often, but now rarely go because it's difficult to find parking close to where you're wanting to go, and then to add extra time to include the time it'll take to walk to your destination is just too much. I wish I could visit my hometown more often. Other than the lack of a playground and parking this really is...

In spite of the hurricane (or because of the hurricane) I really wanted to leave a review. I love this area, been in a 6 month rental (as often as I can get there) for about 5 months now on the lake. It's beautiful, peaceful and a great spot to rent if you're looking for a vacation by yourself or with family. It is both a short walk to the beach or town. During the warmer months you will find farmers market/ Craft offerings at the lake on weekends as well as family movie nights outdoors. In town there are fireworks and concerts on the boardwalk every Thursday. There is an amusement park for the children or young at heart as well as many local low key laid back spots to unwind and listen to some local musicians. You are also only about 20 minutes to Wilmington and/ or the Wilmington airport for easy access to Carolina Beach or additional entertainment in the downtown Wilmington area. They do move at a slower pace down there, keep that in mind, relax and...

I have to admit that the park has come a long way since last summer. It's no longer sludged out with construction equipment strewn about everywhere. I must admit that I will miss taking my god daughter to the playground there as it was torn down in the process of renovating the place, but the paddle boats are awesome, and the schedule for the free movies this summer looks better than ever. Hopefully this momentum will keep going and more and more improvements will keep coming. But as it is, it is certainly work...