Union County is lucky to have so many great parks and playgrounds for kids. My kids have swung, spun, and raced through many of them ... and definitely have their favorites! Now that the weather is getting warmer and we can be outside without freezing, it's time to explore and play.
Here’s a list of our family’s favorite parks and playgrounds and the reasons we love them:
Crooked Creek Park
5900 Oakwood Lane, Indian Trail
Features: playgrounds, splash pad (closed for the season), disc golf, walking trials, ball fields, ADA Playground, shelters with restrooms and vending machines.
What my kids love: The zip-line and splash pad are their favorite things at this amazing park.
What I love: The younger children's area is mostly fenced in, so they cannot easily escape; there's tons of shade and plenty to keep active kids playing. There are trails and pathways for walking or riding bikes and scooters all around plus fields for ball-play. On the other side of the drive in, there's a second play ground with more "traditional" playground equipment - as opposed to the nature-inspired play equipment featured in the photo above.
Cane Creek Park
5213 Harkey Rd, Waxhaw
Features: fishing, boating, hiking, picnic areas, canoe and rowboat rentals, ball fields, playgrounds, disc golf and mountain bike & horse trails. Fishing licenses can be purchased on-site.
What my kids love: So much to do and see with the lake, trails and playgrounds. In the summer, there's a beach you can play at, too!
What I love: I love that I don't have to drive up to Lake Norman or out to the beach to get a taste of the "Chicago Summers" I grew up with - beach play, lake play, parks.
Stallings Municipal Park
340 Stallings Road, Stallings
Features: 3 playground areas (one of which is fenced in for the wee ones), 2 tennis courts, picnic areas, Shelters with restrooms, large band shell, and a walking trail with a boardwalk overlooking the wetland area.
What my kids love: The boys love to make me chase them between the three playgrounds! But seriously, they love each for different reasons: sand box in the toddler section, spinning apparatus in the bigger kid section and a great climbing structure in the far playground. They also love running across the brige.
What I love: The younger children's area is fenced in; the large shelter is away from the chaos of the playgrounds and there are so many play areas from which my kids can choose.
Dogwood Park
Location: 121 Lester Davis Road, Waxhaw
Features: Brand-new, fully-fenced children's playground with multiple play structures and plenty of shade, paved and unpaved trails, picnic/grill sites, handicapped accessible fishing pier, dog park (separate sections for small and large dogs), little free library, geo-caching, amphitheater and portable restroom facilities
What my kids love: Walking the trails with our dogs and this new playground!
What I love: It's serene and great for family photos, walking the dogs or riding bikes. there are great paths and the kids can really just run and play. Our dogs love the dog park(s); but children under 12 are not allowed inside those areas. And, you can never go wrong with a fully-fenced, shaded playground!
Marvin Efird Park
121 Lester Davis Road, Waxhaw
Features: "The Barn", community gardening, one-of-a-kind redwood playground, restroom facilities, picnic areas, meadow and natural groomed walking trails
What my kids love: the redwood playground is pretty awesome and they are huge fans of the tire swings.
What I love: listening to my kids make up games in the playground "treehouse" structure - it is perfect to put their imaginations to work!
David G. Barnes Children's Park
West South Main Street, Downtown Waxhaw
Features: The David G. Barnes Children's Park is a one acre neighborhood park featuring playgrounds for toddler and school-aged children, bathrooms, video surveillance, a small picnic shelter, greenspace, benches and foliage. The park is located adjacent to the Waxhaw Skate Park and within walking distance of historic downtown Waxhaw.
What my kids love: The play structure is perfect for kids up to age 11 and my kids love to play, run and climb. They also love that the skate park is directly "next-door." The Skate Park is perfect for older kids who either love to board or are adept on scooters and bikes.
What I love: It's set back away from the street so they can't get into too much trouble and, when they've tired of playing on the playground, they can watch the skaters. I also love that there is no sandbox and only a couple swings!
Chestnut Square Park
320 Chestnut Parkway, Indian Trail
Features: Grill, Pavilion, Picnic Shelters, Playground, Restrooms, Sports Field, Tennis Court, Volleyball, Walking Track, Nature Trail
What my kids love: The play area has a buoyant surface that makes running and jumping more fun - also, softer landings when they jump from all of the structures. They love the new football/soccer field and the nature trails and the "activity" sidewalk is always a big hit!
What I love: There is plenty of shaded seating and cute areas to picnic. I don't love that the bathrooms are pretty far away from the playground, but we've never had too big of a problem with that either.
Belk Towanda Park
1821 Skyway Dr, Monroe
COMING SOON! A new Master Plan for this park was just completed and adopted by Monroe City Council in April 2019. At present, the city is undergoing design and permitting for the first phase of the plan, which will include new parking, signage and a new entrance off of Charlotte Avenue. The second phase will include a new shelter, splash pad, restroom and an outdoor fitness station along the greenway within the park. This will, hopefully, begin next fall.
