Wake Forest has 20-plus miles of greenways, 117-acre Joyner Park, Flaherty Park's dog park and courts, and a reservoir trail. Parks open dawn to dusk.

Updated Oct. 29: the Dunn Creek Greenway is closed between Juniper Avenue and Ailey Young Park, 800 E. Juniper Ave., from Thursday, Oct. 29, for maintenance and repairs by the town’s contractor, Crowder Construction. The town expects it to reopen by Friday, Nov. 6, and says signs and barricades mark the closure, according to its notice.

Updated Oct. 22: two park closures. The Joyner Park playground is closed from 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, for new mulch and maintenance, the town said. Flaherty Dog Park is closed Tuesday, Oct. 27, to Friday, Oct. 30, and should reopen by 3:30 p.m. Friday, the town said.

Last checked Oct. 29, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Town of Wake Forest’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department.

The Town of Wake Forest runs more than a dozen parks and more than 20 miles of greenways, with the first greenway built in 2003, according to its greenways page. Town parks are open daily from dawn to dusk. Alcohol and personal grills are banned, smoking is allowed only in parking areas, and dogs must be leashed.

Who to call

  • Flaherty Park Community Center: 919-554-6726, 1226 N. White St.
  • Alston-Massenburg Center: 919-554-6189, 416 N. Taylor St.
  • Find a greenway: the town’s interactive greenways map
  • Closures and repairs: the town’s closures page

The big parks

Park Address Size Highlights
E. Carroll Joyner Park 701 Harris Road 117 acres Restored farm buildings, pecan grove, 1,000-seat lawn amphitheater, 3 miles of paved trails, fishing
J.B. Flaherty Park 1100 N. White St. 100 acres Community center, dog park, eight lighted tennis and four lighted pickleball courts, three lighted ball fields, two fishing ponds, fitness court
Smith Creek Soccer Center 690 Heritage Lake Road 17 acres Three soccer fields, shelter, playground, Dunn Creek Greenway trailhead
Ailey Young Park 800 E. Juniper Ave. 15 acres Baseball field, basketball courts, playground, grills
Tyler Run Park 830 Pineview Drive 9 acres Baseball field, batting cage, basketball, bocce, playground for ages 2 to 5

Joyner Park opened in August 2009 and is the town’s largest, according to its park page. It has a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail with self-guided brochures for children. Its community center is an early voting site through Oct. 31, and its gym and track are closed until Nov. 2.

Flaherty Park has the town’s dog park, with a 5-foot fence, double-gated entry, water stations and cleanup stations. The large dog area reopened March 3 after new fencing and drainage. The pickleball courts closed Sept. 21 for resurfacing, the town announced.

Playgrounds and water play

  • Holding Park Inclusive Playground opened March 2, 2024, with fully ramped structures, sensory play, a rubber surface and a perimeter fence, according to the town’s Holding Park page.
  • Joey McCrea Wiggins Park, 416 N. Taylor St., formerly Taylor Street Park, reopened June 13 with a police-themed accessible playground and an upgraded sprayground. The Board of Commissioners renamed it in April 2026 for the late Wake Forest police officer. The sprayground closed for the season Sept. 20.
  • Holding Park Aquatic Center ran from May 23 through Labor Day this year with a six-lane pool, two slides and a children’s pool. It reopens next summer.
  • Kiwanis Park, next to the Wake Forest library, has playground pieces for children with special needs. Plummer Park, 965 Wynd Jones, is a half-acre neighborhood park in Crenshaw Manor.

Greenways and trails

Trail Where Length Surface
Smith Creek Greenway Burlington Mills Road south to the Neuse River Greenway 1.15 miles Paved
Dunn Creek Greenway Smith Creek Soccer Center north to the N.C. 98 Bypass 1 mile Paved and boardwalk
Sanford Creek Greenway End of Marshall Farm Road, Heritage South 0.85 mile Paved and boardwalk
Wake Forest Reservoir soft trail Boat ramp to Oak Grove Church Road 1.6 miles one way Natural surface

The Smith Creek Greenway links to the 33-mile Neuse River Greenway Trail, the town’s trail page says; parking is at WRAL Soccer Park, 7700 Perry Creek Road, among other spots.

The Wake Forest Reservoir came back to town ownership in September 2019. It has a concrete boat launch, fishing with a license, and a soft trail on the west side that the town estimates takes two to 3.5 hours, according to the reservoir trail page. Do not cross on the spillway; trails on the east side are not approved.

More to do

  • Disc golf: an 18-hole course on the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary campus, built with the town. Hole 1 is behind Carson Hall, 101 N. Wingate St. Free; open 4 p.m. to dusk weekdays and dawn to dusk weekends, the town’s disc golf page says.
  • H.L. Miller Park, 401 Elm Ave., is a two-acre wooded park behind Town Hall with paved paths.

What this means for you

  • The Smith Creek Greenway is the town’s link to the Neuse River Greenway Trail; start at WRAL Soccer Park.
  • Joyner Park’s gym and track are closed until Nov. 2 for early voting; the outdoor trails stay open.
  • Check the town’s closures page before you head to Flaherty for pickleball.

More guides: things to do this month and getting around Wake Forest.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest park in Wake Forest?

E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, at 117 acres. It has restored farm buildings, a pecan grove, a 1,000-seat lawn amphitheater and three miles of paved walking trails.

Does Wake Forest have a dog park?

Yes. Flaherty Dog Park is inside J.B. Flaherty Park, 1100 N. White St., with fenced areas, double-gated entries, water stations and cleanup stations.

How many miles of greenway does Wake Forest have?

More than 20 miles, the town says. Its first greenway opened in 2003. The Smith Creek Greenway connects to the Neuse River Greenway Trail, which runs about 33 miles.

What time do Wake Forest parks close?

Town parks are open daily from dawn to dusk. Alcohol is banned, smoking is allowed only in parking areas and dogs must be leashed outside the dog park.