Parks in Fayetteville, NC: Lake Rim, Splash Pads & Pools

The best-known parks in Fayetteville, NC are Lake Rim Park on Tar Kiln Drive, J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center on Sherman Drive and Mazarick Park on Belvedere Avenue. All three are run by Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation (FCPR). The same department operates 14 free splash pads, four public pools and two fenced dog parks across the city and county.

Details below come from the City of Fayetteville's Parks & Recreation pages and NC State Parks. They were checked on October 13, 2026.

Major Fayetteville parks at a glance

Park	Address	Hours	Highlights
Lake Rim Park	2214 Tar Kiln Dr	Mar-Oct 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Nov-Feb 7 a.m.-5 p.m.	One-mile wetland trail, playground, tennis, aquatic center
J. Bayard Clark Park & Nature Center	631 Sherman Dr	8 a.m. to dusk	Free nature center, animal feedings, Cape Fear River Trail trailhead
Mazarick Park	1400 Belvedere Ave	8 a.m. to dusk	Disc golf, lake with paved trails, fishing pier
Cross Creek Linear Park	324 Ray Ave	Not posted	2.8-mile greenway from Festival Park to Riverside Dog Park
Carvers Creek State Park	2505 Long Valley Rd, Spring Lake	Opens 8 a.m.; closing varies by month	Free day use, farm and Sandhills trails

Sources: Lake Rim Park, Clark Park, Mazarick Park, Parks & Trails directory and Carvers Creek State Park.

Lake Rim Park, Fayetteville, NC

The city's park page lists it at 2214 Tar Kiln Drive. It is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. from March through October and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. from November through February. The park office is staffed weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at (910) 433-1018.

What you will find there:

• A one-mile border trail through wetlands to Bones Creek
• Playground equipment, picnic shelters, green space and restrooms
• Tennis courts, outdoor volleyball, football/soccer fields and practice baseball/softball fields
• Pets are welcome on a leash and must stay under your control

The Lake Rim Aquatic Center sits next door at 2265 Tar Kiln Drive. According to the city's aquatics page, it has a wading pool with an in-water playground and a six-lane competitive pool with an 18-foot-high water slide. The separate Lake Rim Recreation Center at 1455 Hoke Loop Road has one of the free splash pads.

Entry to the park itself carries no posted fee. Pool admission is charged separately, as shown below. Families house-hunting west of town can compare nearby areas in our neighborhoods guide.

Clark Park and the nature center

J. Bayard Clark Park is the city's second-largest regional park and the best free rainy-day backup. The nature center is free. It is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. from March through October and Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. from November through February. Live-animal feedings, mostly native reptiles and amphibians, run Wednesdays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. from March through October.

Kids also get the Moses Mathis "Bicycle Man" playground, the Children's Loblolly Garden play area, a free StoryWalk along a paved path and a Kids in Parks brochure station. The park is a trailhead for the paved Cape Fear River Trail. Its semi-primitive campground rents March-October for $10 a day per family or individual, with out-of-county fees doubled. Our Cape Fear River Trail and parks guide covers the route itself.

Other city parks worth knowing

• Mazarick Park, 1400 Belvedere Ave: The city lists a disc golf course, picnic shelters, a playground, tennis courts, a baseball field and a lake with paved trails. Fishing is allowed from the pier only, and a state fishing license is required.
• Cross Creek Linear Park, downtown: This greenway spans 2.8 miles from Festival Park to Riverside Dog Park, passing historic sites along Cross Creek. It pairs well with a downtown Fayetteville visit.
• Arnette Park, 2165 Wilmington Hwy: The visitors bureau describes a 1-mile perimeter road used for biking and walking.
• Massey Hill Recreation Center, 1612 Camden Rd: A neighborhood recreation center with a free seasonal splash pad.

Splash pads in Fayetteville, NC

FCPR's 14 splash pads are free. In 2026 they opened May 1 and closed September 30. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 2-7 p.m. While school is in session, some open later: Gray's Creek, Lake Rim and Spivey at 3 p.m., and Honeycutt and Massey Hill at 3:30 p.m. Pads may be shut off after heavy rain to protect the filtration systems.

Splash pad	Address
Eastover Community Park	2721 Ball Park Rd
E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary	4665 Lakewood Dr
Gilmore Therapeutic Recreation Center	1600 Purdue Dr
Gray's Creek Park	5151 Celebration Dr
J.S. Spivey Recreation Center	500 Fisher St
Kiwanis Recreation Center	352 Devers St
Lake Rim Recreation Center	1455 Hoke Loop Rd
Linden Little River Community Park	5010 Loop Rd
Mable C. Smith Park	1367 Shadbush Ln
Massey Hill Recreation Center	1612 Camden Rd
Myers Recreation Center	1018 Rochester Dr
Spring Lake Recreation Center	245 Ruth St
Wade Community Park	4060 Church St
Willie J. Burnette Park (Godwin)	4924 Markham St

The Spring Lake and Gray's Creek locations are useful for families in Spring Lake and Hope Mills/Gray's Creek.

Public pools in Fayetteville, NC

Pool	Address	Phone	Features
Lake Rim Aquatic Center	2265 Tar Kiln Dr	(910) 433-1456	Wading pool with in-water playground, 6 lanes, 18-ft slide
Keith A. Bates, Sr. Pool	4945 Rosehill Rd	(910) 433-1382	Kiddie pool, 6 lanes, 24-ft enclosed slide
Westover Aquatic Center	266 Bonanza Dr	(910) 433-1383	8-lane pool, zero-entry wading pool, 12-ft slide
Ronnie "Chase" Chalmers Pool	1520 Slater Ave	See city page	6 lanes, zero-entry wading pool with water playground

Pool admission is $3 for residents 12 and under and $4 for residents 13 and up. Non-residents pay $6 and $8. Pool hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m. Only Coast Guard-approved flotation devices are allowed, so water wings and noodles stay home. The pools closed for 2026 after Labor Day and reopen on Memorial Day, May 31, 2027.

Dog parks in Fayetteville, NC

Dog park	Address	Hours
Riverside Dog Park	555 N. Eastern Blvd	Dawn to dusk daily
Westover Dog Park	267 Bonanza Dr	Dawn to dusk daily

Both Riverside and Westover have a small-dog enclosure for dogs under 25 pounds and a separate large-dog area. Dogs must be licensed and vaccinated, with tags attached, and owners must supervise them. Riverside connects to the Cape Fear River Trail and Cross Creek Linear Park, so a walk and off-leash time fit into one trip.

Beyond the city limits

• Carvers Creek State Park: NC State Parks charges no day-use fee. The Long Valley Farm Access is at 2505 Long Valley Road, Spring Lake, and the Sandhills Access is at 995 McCloskey Road. The park opens at 8 a.m., and closing time ranges from 6 to 9 p.m. depending on the month.
• Hope Mills Lake: The town's lakefront park. Heritage Park, across Lakeview Road, opened its first phase in late 2024.
• Fayetteville Rose Garden: A rose garden on the Fayetteville Technical Community College campus off Hull Road. Check with FTCC about current access before visiting.

For trail mileage and biking routes, see our hiking trails guide. For paid indoor options on rainy days, see kids attractions.