Favorite Parks - Winston-Salem Area

By Rachel H and Katie M

Spring is in the air and so we continue our quest to find you the best parks in the area! Be sure to check out our list of Greensboro parks from last week which includes Triad Park, a great spot to play no matter where you live in the Triad. Today we have chosen our favorite 10 parks in the Winston-Salem area.

In no specific order:

1. Tanglewood Park
I just love the feeling I get when I pull into the entrance of Tanglewood. It is located in Clemmons, and is worth the drive for anyone who is not necessarily close by. Tanglewood has two playgrounds, both of which are terrific for all age ranges. Be warned – the playground “to the right of the train” can get very hot in the summer, but still has shaded areas to picnic. There are also clean restrooms right beside the playground area. The one “to the left of the train” has a nearby pond and most of the playground area is shaded. The old train itself is stationary and is great for the kids to play on. There are hiking trails, bike trails, and a horse stable that my kids love to walk by to see if we can spot any horses being taken out that day. There is also a golf course and tennis courts. In the summer, you can spend the day at the pool. It is $3-$4 depending on age, and children 2 & under are free. The pool has many fun water trinkets, slides, and diving boards. And of course in the winter, Tanglewood hosts the Festival of Lights, but we’ll talk about that when the time comes. Note: there is a $2 entrance fee to the park. You may also purchase a year-long pass for $25. - RH

2. Joanie Moser
This park is located in Lewisville, right off Highway 421. It has a terrific playground area as well as picnic shelters, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a softball field, horseshoe pits, and basketball courts. The playground area is only partially shaded. There is a great walking path that takes you back into the woods where my kids love to “explore”. There are restrooms here, which is a big plus! - RH

3. Horizons
I truly love this park! My husband and I used to play Frisbee Golf here when our son was in a stroller. We would push him around to each of the stations as we played. The disc golf course takes you throughout the park and into the woods. For those of you with dogs, Horizons is perfect because it has a 2-acre dog park. There are great nature trails that are not too long for the kids. They also have picnic tables with grills, sand volleyball, horseshoes, mountain bike trails, and a softball field. Their playground is perfect for the kids and it has the squishy ground underneath. (No idea what that stuff is called!) The playground area can get very hot in the summer though. One more plus – restrooms are available. To get to Horizons, it is a short trip up Hwy 52 toward Rural Hall. It is actually pretty close to the Sciworks exit. - RH

4. Hanes
Hanes Park is one of the most convenient parks in Winston-Salem for a lot of people (centrally located next to the Central YMCA and Wiley Middle School on Northwest Blvd) and it has something for everyone. The playground is great and I often stop there with the kids on the way home from the Y. The play area is not shaded, but there are picnic tables nearby that are shaded. This park also has walking trails, tennis courts (there is a fee to play), an outdoor track (part of R.J. Reynolds HS), soccer and baseball fields, and the web site says there is a volleyball court and restrooms but I have not ever seen them. - KM

5. Salem Lake
I think I mentioned in an earlier blog how feeding the ducks at Salem Lake is one of my favorite things to do in WS when the weather gets warm! There are a TON of ducks and geese that just hang out waiting for you and your bread – and they’re not too shy to take it right out of your hand! The kids just love it. Salem Lake is a 365-acre lake that is surrounded by nearly 7 miles of wooded walking, running and biking trails. The trails are packed down and the first mile or so is relatively flat and great for the kids’ bikes or big wheels. You can boat or sail on the lake, and you can also fish too (in a boat or off the pier) – although be sure you have your boating and fishing licenses up to date. The park also has a small playground (although not that great) and picnic areas. I’m not sure there are public restrooms, so be sure to plan accordingly! - KM

6. Reynolda Gardens
We visit Reynolda Gardens most sunny Sundays throughout the year. The grounds are just gorgeous. We like to fly kites in the open fields on windy days. We always take out-of-town visitors to the gardens when the flowers are in bloom. We love to follow the trail through the woods and count how many turtles we spot in the lake. We often take our walkie-talkies and let the kids run ahead to tell us what they have discovered. When the shops at Reynolda Village are open, we sometimes make a stop at Village Tavern, Simply Yummy, or Mayberry Ice Cream. Yum! I can’t say enough about how beautiful the grounds are here. Smarty Tip: The walking trail gets pretty long for little feet, so a jogger stroller or carrier of some sort might be useful. Restrooms are located close to the garden area by the shops, but I don’t think there are any others open when the shops are not open. - RH

7. Grandville
This park is a hidden gem! Located in West Salem, not that many people frequent it except mainly for those who live nearby, and it has a fantastic playground for kids of all ages. The “jungle gym” looks like a pretend castle and is fenced in on top of that rubber mulch I love so much. It’s three-stories high with slides and a rock-climbing wall, among other fun things. This park also has a water “mister” for the upcoming-hot days and just two benches for adults to sit on while the kids play. There is NO shade around the playground, but just outside the fence is a beautiful little shady park with walking trails, picnic tables and a shelter with BBQ pits. Bathrooms are available, although not sure how clean they are. - KM

8. Hathaway
This park is located off Country Club Road. It has a great playground area for the kiddos. There is also a big softball field where the kids love to run around. There are two tennis courts and a basketball court. There is NO shade over the play area in the summer, although there is a water “mister”, which the kids love, and the picnic tables are covered, too. Smarty Tip: Bathrooms are on the premises, but are sometimes locked. - RH

9. Miller
This is my all-time favorite park in Winston-Salem, and it just seems to get better every year. Located in the heart of Ardmore, Miller Park boasts two phenomenal playgrounds. The upper level playground has tons of blacktop for bikes, big wheels and sidewalk chalk and surrounds a huge “jungle gym” with slides. The lower park is currently under construction and I don’t know what the plans are. If any Smarty Moms out there know the scoop, please share below. Last year, the lower park featured a small slide for toddlers, two swing sets, and a mini rock-climbing structure. The upper playground is fenced in and has picnic tables and is pretty shady and cool during the hot summer days. Outside the playgrounds are lots of walking trails, streams and picnic shelters - all under shady trees. There are also tennis courts (you can play free and it’s first come, first served), a ball park, and restrooms (although not very clean and sometimes locked). - KM

10. Bolton
If you are ever looking for a park to fly a kite or one with lots of room to roam, Bolton is a great choice. This park has a huge playground area – all on top of sand (so be sure to bring the buckets and shovels) – and is situated next to a large shaded picnic shelter and a huge open field which is also nice for picnicking, laying in the grass, or running around. Besides the picnic shelter, this is one of the least shaded parks so be sure to keep that in mind when you visit. - KM

Honorable Mentions: Stratford Park (perfect for a picnic under the trees), Polo Park (lots of shade and cute play houses) & Washington Park (huge park with playground, walking trails, a dog park, and baseball park).

Just writing about these parks makes us excited for warm weather! Get your sunscreen, Frisbees, kites, soccer balls, and footballs and head on out with the family for a day of fun! Next week we'll profile parks in High Point so be sure to check back!

Tell us what you think of our list and please add your comments below!

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM