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| City Park in Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
My family has visited City Park at 316 Lake Drive in Salisbury many times over the years and I'd have to say it's one of my top 10 favorite parks for all time. There is no entrance fee and no parking fee for this park, which makes it even more special to me. This is a great, relaxing park filled with several options for things to do.
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| Four Mallard Ducks at City Lake Park in Rowan County NC ©Katrena |
I remember feeding the ducks as a child when they had an island with a beautiful weeping willow in the middle of the lake, so yes, I go way back on this one. The island is no longer at the park, but it is still beautiful and peaceful.
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| Four Mallard Ducks at City Lake Park in Rowan County NC ©Katrena |
Salisbury's City Park is located adjacent to Rowan Regional Medical Center. For years, I thought if I ever got a job at the hospital that I would definitely want to walk the trails on lunch breaks. We sometimes see employees from the medical center taking advantage of some green spaces on their breaks in this park. Free parking is available in several different locations. We usually park by the playground unless it's really hot and sunny - on those days we usually park in the shade on the side of the road at Hurley Park.
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| Canada Goose at City Park Lake NearCanada Goose at City Park Lake Near Rowan Regional Medical Center Rowan Regional Medical Center ©Katrena |
The ducks and geese recognize us as we pull up because we usually bring some sunflower seeds for them. Years ago, my family used to feed the waterfowl bread, but we learned that this is not good for them, so we switched to seeds, corn, peas, grapes, or melon.
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| View of the playground from the parking lot at Salisbury City Park ©Katrena |
In addition to the mallards and Canada geese, we sometimes see one or two great blue herons. We named one of them Waldo, so as we walk around the lake, we look to see if we can find him or her. Some of the kids, pets, and even adults like to chase and scare the waterfowl. Several ducks have been injured by fishing lines, and one mallard lost a leg due to a fishing line wrapped around its leg. My family likes to respect the animals that call this beautiful park their home and we hope that others will too.
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| Bridge past the playground at City Park Near Spencer NC ©Katrena |
One of my favorite activities is walking outside in green spaces. Outdoor activities can provide great stress relief, and walking is an exercise that has been proven to help people to be healthier in countless studies. Walking in blue spaces, or walking near water, is correlated with positive health benefits as well, so I would highly recommend these walking trails.
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| Paved Walking Trail Around Lake in Salisbury is Accessible ©Katrena |
The paved walking trail around the lake is is 0.43 mile. It's pretty level and the sidewalk is smooth. A peer juts out near the center of the lake. The trail has been well maintained so far. Since ducks and geese live here, you will find yourself dodging some presents they leave behind as you walk, but for us, that is not a deal breaker and we really enjoy watching the lively antics as the waterfowl vie for food from each other, the fish, and perhaps a turtle or two. I've seen a few groundhogs and once my daughter and I saw an owl near the wooded part of the trail at the back.
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| Safety Equipment Like Life Preserver Rings at City Lake ©Katrena |
Life preserver rings are located at the corners of the lake, and bags for cleaning up after dogs are also available for those who did not bring their own. I believe most wheelchairs would be able to manage this trail around the lake without issue. Several benches and seating areas are scattered around the lake and on the pier. The lake is stocked with trout, and fishing is allowed with a permit.
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| Playground Slides at Free Park in Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
Flanking the lake on the left is a playground with swings, a small climbing wall, some slides, and a swing that sort of looks like a big tire that multiple people can enjoy at the same time. Pickleball courts are to the left of the playground area. If you enjoy playing pickleball, the people I have seen in the courts look like they enjoy it and come on a regular basis. The court gate requires an access card; instructions for obtaining a card are on the gate door.
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| Beautiful Flowers and Plants at Hurley Park in Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
To the left of the pickleball courts is the Veterans Memorial Concourse to honor Rowan County veterans from World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. I would highly recommend this concourse where you can learn about various local veterans, branches of the military, and more. The brick sculptures are detailed and interesting, so if you have an interest in history or art, this is a great place to take a leisurely walk while admiring the nice concourse. If someone in your group has mobility issues, you might choose to park closer to the concourse. You can walk by the ball courts to get there, but you'll have to navigate a few steps or opt to go up the road for access without stairs. This walking trail is like a very small paved track that is 0.16 miles and flat. A gazebo is adjacent to the trail if anyone needs to rest or just wants to listen to or watch the birds.
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| Hurley Park Walking Trail in Rowan County Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
If you go back to the lake, you'll notice a road that flanks the lake on the side that is opposite to the playground. You'll see the entrance for Hurley Park where Lake Drive and Annandale Drive intersect. This walking trail has natural terrain with some gravel, so it might be a bit more challenging for someone in a wheelchair or mobility issues, but it is fairly easy to navigate and also well maintained. It features a nice seating area beyond the pergola just past the sign. Most entrances to the Hurley Park trail have stairs, but the entrance to the right of the sign and one about halfway down Club Drive by the gazebo do not have any stairs. This walking trail is shaded nicely and offers benches, gazebos, and picnic tables for those who wish to rest or enjoy a snack or meal.
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| Great Photo Ops at Hurley Park on Bridge that Looks like Monet Painting ©Katrena |
The Hurley Park walking trail is one of my all-time favorites. The bridges are reminiscent of Claude Monet's Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies painting, minus the water lilies. Over the years, I've seen quite a few photographers takings shots along this trail because the design, architecture, foliage, and vibe is excellent. I have walked this trail every month of the year, and it does not disappoint. Each season provides ample opportunities to enjoy a nice array of plants and animals as you walk. The spring daffodils are particularly eye-catching! We regularly see squirrels, cardinals, robins, brown thrashers, sparrows, bluebirds, and more as we walk along this trail.
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| Learn about dedications and flora and fauna at Hurley Park in Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
Several small signs provide information about dedications while other signs offer interesting information about types of plants along the trail. I occasionally see ducks and turtles in the water near the entrance. A few water fountains are on the trail near the medical center, and one has a dog bowl and spigot. Although I could not find the distance for this trail on their site, I will say it is a little longer than the one at the lake, but it is a nice shaded walk. The side trail on the right at the split is fun because it offers a different variety of plants that you don't see on the main part of the trail.
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| Nice Greenway Walking Trail at Hurley Park in RoCo ©Katrena |
If you want to extend your walk, you can cross Annandale near the center gazebo and you'll see another trail with a bridge and gazebo over there. You can find some pretty flowers in this area as well. Near the bridge at the back of that trail, you might opt to try a more moderate trail with a higher grade along a heavily wooded area. This trail is not as wide and would not be accessible to some people, but I remember running some of these more rugged trails when I was training for cross country meets.
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| Gazebos and Benches at Hurley Park in Rowan County NC ©Katrena |
If you like the more challenging trails, you can find another one near the lake. If you walk straight past the playground away from the parking lot, you'll see that the sidewalk goes straight up the hill. The main trail is paved with a non-paved side trail on the left. My mom mentioned to me years ago that this park used to have a small train that ran in the woods on the right, but I think it was relocated to Dan Nicholas Park many years ago.
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| Dog Friendly Park in Salisbury NC Near Rowan Regional Medical Center ©Katrena |
Many people walk their dogs at the park. The park requests that dogs be on leashes and that owners clean up after their pets. Some people come to the park regularly and meet to talk or simply enjoy the serene atmosphere of nature. This fun group of people and their fur babies was kind enough to interrupt their walk to pose for a picture as I walked in June 2023.
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| Playground and More Walking Trails at City Park Lake ©Katrena |
At the top of the hill is a large covered picnic shelter. Lake Drive goes right by the shelter, so you would not have to navigate the hill if you had a group planning to use the shelter. An interesting peace pole featuring a variety of languages is located behind the picnic shelter. The park office is located a little ways past the shelter on Lake Drive.
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| Beautiful Flowers at Hurley Park in Salisbury Near Spencer ©Katrena |
I took a walk halfway around the lake, through Hurley Park, including the part on the other side of Annandale, back on the other half of the lake, past the playground and pickleball courts to take a lap around the memorial concourse and then back to my car in about one hour. I could easily spend a few hours at this park. The main drawback for this park is the bathroom facilities - they are portable and leave a bit to be desired, so I would recommend using facilities before your visit or would suggest to opt to eat at a restaurant, visit a museum, or shop at a store nearby and use those facilities.
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| Pretty Rock Wall at Hurley Park Greenway in Salisbury ©Katrena |
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| Beautiful Mallard Duck at City Park Lake in Salisbury NC ©Katrena |
Thanks for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog. You can find more of my articles at my site map, via my topics tabs, or type specific queries into my search bar. Here are a few of my other articles that you may also find interesting:
- Patriots Flag Concourse and Memorial in Salisbury City Park NC
- Catawba College Ecological Preserve - a Treasure Awaits!
- NC Museum of Dolls, Toys, and Miniatures Boasts an Amazing Variety
- Meet the Bears at Dan Nicholas Park Near Salisbury
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