Lake Johnson Park — Attraction in Raleigh

Oct. 3, 2020 - Down from Maine, visiting my Daughter and her boyfriend in NC . . . They spoke highly of Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh, it's worth your time for a relaxing outdoor experience! Started in 1952, this 500 acre (300 acres in another source) park hosts a variety of perks & outdoor pleasures! Park entrance is free ! There is amble parking, in several lots. The main parking lot fills up fast, so go on their website to locate the other parking lots. We parked over at the Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center, next to the Johnson Park Swimming Pool.

Here's a list of the Lake Johnson Park perks:

*5 miles of easy trails ( some paved) *Tree identification signs *Easy to read Trail Map *Boat rentals (seasonal) *Fishing ( NC regulations & licenses) *Picnic Tables and some charcoal grills *Pavillion available for events *Swimming Pool *Beautiful Lake ( no swimming) *Loads of trees for Bird Watchers *QR Fit Trail ( 6 stations) *Info Kiosk available & restrooms **Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center ( another review - located in park)

To sum it all up, this is a good half day well spent with family and/or friends outside on a day that's not too hot, you do need to cool off but not in this lake !

Note: You may notice a bit of an oily substance near the water's edge . . . Not to worry it's natural! As certain materials ( pine needles and iron, etc. ) decompose, there is at times slight oily surface....

This is one of my favorite places to walk! The only problem is that it is also everyone else's favorite places to walk, and there is not an abundance of parking. Do check the lot on Lake Dam Road, though.

The bridge is a nice place to stop and look out over the water, or fish like many of the other folks there. I really enjoy going to the visitor center and sitting in their rocking chairs. They also rent water craft, but I have not had the opportunity to get out on one yet. Maybe this summer!

There are several good paths to take depending on how much time you have and how much exercise you want. If you walk from the visitor center to the dam and back along the north shore, the path is pretty flat and easy to walk. It's a nice 20 or 30 minute stroll. Going all the way around is tougher - the south shore is very hilly. It takes about an hour to do the whole loop. Finally, there's an unpaved path on the west side of the lake. It's fairly hilly, and is more like a hike than a walk.

Do be careful of wildlife on the path. There are snakes and the like. North Carolina does have copperheads, and it's not outside the realm of possibility to encounter one here. Keep you eyes peeled, especially at dusk, and keep a cell phone on you...

This park has both natural and paved trails. My favorite is the side with natural trails that include multiple trails through the more densely wooded area west of the Lake. If you take the main natural trail (Shoreline Trail) that connects to the unpaved Greenway Trail that wraps around around the north end of the Lake (boardwalk) then back to Avent Ferry Road, across the footbridge to the south parking lot, I record a distance around 2 miles. However, if you become familiar with the many secondary (unnamed) trails in the wooded area around the Shoreline Trail, one can easily garner over 2 miles in that section alone. That is what I like to do when I walk our dog on this section of trail. I like the woods, hills, nice views of the lake, and water birds. The shade on the trail is especially nice in the summer. The dog likes the paw-cooling water of the streams we walk through. The paved trail sections around the east and south part of the Lake are nice and I do enjoy them as well. All in all, Lake Johnson has nice trails that can be enjoyed by cyclists, runners, walkers, and strollers...