Run and Hike the Lake Pine Trail – Even if You Have Asthma!

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

The Lake Pine Trail is a paved loop that circles the lake in Apex Community Park, located near the dividing line between the towns of Cary and Apex, close to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Like nearby Bond Park, Lake Crabtree County Park, and Umstead State Park,  Apex Community Park has the benefit of being in town, plus the appeal of hosting a fairly large recreational lake.

Another nearby park with paved walking trails is the North Carolina Museum of Art Park – but they don’t have a lake, just a pond. 🙂

The Lake Pine Trail Loop

Lake Pine is a great trail for running or walking, is smooth and wide enough to use your stroller or baby jogger, too – and is good for all skill levels.

The trail runs between the lake and other natural areas, so there’s a good chance to see wildlife.

I’ve seen deer, otters, loons, cranes, turtles – and fish 🙂

Dogs are also allowed on this trail but must be kept on leash.

The loop is about 2 miles long, and you have the option to venture off the main path to other unpaved nature trails, too.

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There are also  several access ways from the nearby Camden apartment complex  to the the walkway.  There are also porto-potties and parking nearby.

Running The Lake Pine Trail

The Lake Pine loop is a flat trail that’s wide enough for passing foot traffic and bicyclists coming from both directions.

It’s a perfect trail for a nice easy walk or run.

In fact, the Lake Pine Trail at Apex Community Park is where I first tried running outdoors as an adult – even though I have pretty serious asthma.

I was on the Track team in Junior High, so I’d tried organized running before.  Back then I kept my asthma to myself until Coach found me turning blue and gasping for breath at practice after a 2-mile run.

He was not amused….so I finished the season on sprints, relays and long jump.

That’s okay – I rocked at those things –  but I always wanted to be able to run longer distances as effortlessly as everyone else seemed to do it.

Then about 15 years ago, a friend who also struggled with asthma encouraged me to get out and start trail running.  He said the running had actually improved his asthma, so I decided to give it a try.

He suggested the Lake Pine Trail for my first training runs – and for good reason!

Great for Beginning Runners or Hikers

Lake Pine is a great trail for beginners because it’s smooth, relatively flat and wide enough for passing.

Also, the length is perfect to start with – 2 miles once around, and then you can add more laps for a longer run or walk.

The only negative is that this trail gets really crowded sometimes.

I’ve found the trail to be most busy in the mornings into the early afternoons with joggers and walkers.

The best time I’ve found to go for less traffic is either very early in the morning, or around happy hour – as apparently priorities change as the day goes on 🙂

There’s pretty decent parking at the Lake Pine Road entrance, but in a pinch you could also park at the other entrance off of Laura Duncan Road and use the paved connector trail to get to Lake Pine.

You could even leave your car at Annie L Jones Park for a longer run – but more about that later.

Apex Community Park

The Lake Pine trail is part of the 160-acre Apex Community Park,  a centerpiece of Apex’s parks system.

Apex Community Park is a public, urban park in Apex, North Carolina.

Located on the eastern end of Apex, Apex Community Park is bordered by Laura Duncan Road on the West and Lake Pine Drive on the East.

I love the array of activities that are offered here, really catering to people and children of all ages.    It’s a great place to go any time of year whether you’re looking to play hoops, take a stroll or even fish.

With two playgrounds,  two miles of paved trails (Lake Pine),  a one-mile natural walking trail, a variety of athletic fields and courts,  batting cages; and the 50-acre Lake Pine with a boat launch and fishing pier, there’s plenty to do.

The jungle gym area is gated in, giving children the ability to run around freely while parents keep an eye on them.

100-person and 50-person picnic shelters are available at the back of the park before reaching the lake trailhead.

The lake is open to fishing, kayaking, and other non-motor watercraft.

Park Features:

160 acre Community Park, 3 ball fields and 2 batting cages
2 soccer fields, 3 sand volleyball courts
6 tennis courts, Elevate Fitness Course
4 basketball courts (1 fenced for roller hockey)
Child’s playground and swings (ages 2-12)
Restroom Facilities
Over 3 miles of nature and fitness trails (2 miles paved, 1 mile natural walking trail)
Picnic Areas, Grills
Outdoor courts for tennis and basketball, Fishing dock
Lake Pine (50+ acre lake)

Fishing

Apex residents (defined as those persons residing within the corporate limits,) whenever fishing, must have a Town fishing permit.

You can get a permit at the Apex Community Center free of charge upon showing proof of residency.

Non-residents must have a Town of Apex Fishing Permit which they may also get at the Apex Community Center.  (Non-resident permit fees vary depending on age.)

BOATING

Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, sailboards, john boats (not exceeding 14 ft in length) and rowing skulls are allowed on the lake, but must be launched from the designated launch site only.

Permits are available at the Community Center.

Park Info

Address:

2200 Laura Duncan Road (Park Entrance) or 1808 Lake Pine Drive (Lake Trail Entrance)

Hours of Operation:

6:30 am – 10:00 pm (March through October)

6:30 am – 8:00 pm (November through February)

Planned Park Improvements

The towns of Apex and Cary are working together to improve Lake Pine Drive from east of Pine Plaza Drive/MacGregor Plaza Drive to the Apex/Cary town limits (northeast of Versailles Drive).

The current section to be improved is a two-lane roadway that crosses Williams Creek and runs adjacent to land that is part of Apex Community Park.

The project will widen the roadway to a three-lane section similar to Lake Pine Drive on the Cary side and tie-in to the wider section southwest of the park in Apex.

As part of Cary’s greenway system, the project will also connect the sidewalks on the west side of the road near the park with a new 10-foot street-side trail on the east side.  They’ll also provide a high-visibility crosswalk at Versailles Drive.

Annie Jones Park and Greenway

I mentioned Annie L Jones Greenway and Park earlier in this article, as a way to lengthen your walk or run.

Especially if you live in the neighborhoods of Scottish Hills and Woodwinds, Colonial Townes, Applecross, or the Highlands you may find it more satisfying (and convenient) to park at Annie Jones Park, and run/walk the Annie Jones Greenway over to connect with the Lake Pine Trail.

If you live in the Camden complex or other neighborhood close to Lake Pine, you could start at the lake trail and go to Annie L Jones park and end up back at Lake Pine.

There are restrooms and water fountains at Annie L Jones Park, along with a kids playground, 6 lighted tennis courts, 1 lighted baseball/softball field, 2 basketball slabs, and picnic tables.

The Annie L Jones Park address is 1414 Tarbert Drive, Cary, NC, 27511

 

Trailhead parking is available at Annie Jones Park on Tarbert Drive.  Elsewhere, the only parking is on-street.

The ANNIE L JONES Greenway

Annie Jones Greenway consists of two branches. Both branches are paved except for an unpaved section from McCloud Court to Annie Jones Park.

The total greenway length is 1.2 miles, and except for the gravel section at McCloud Court, is 6-10 feet wide smooth pavement.

The west branch of the Annie Jones Greenway runs from McCloud Court through Annie Jones Park and across Tarbert Drive, ending at the east branch a few hundred feet from SW Cary Parkway.

The east branch of the greenway starts (or ends) at the intersection of Lake Pine Drive and Cary Parkway and ends at Gatehouse Drive.

This section features a playground and a small picnic area between Tarbert and Gatehouse Drive.

The last part of the east branch is where you would go to connect with the Lake Pine Trail.

ConnectING to THE Lake Pine TRAIL

Start at Annie Jones Park, and take either branch of the greenway all the way to where the  east branch ends at the Lake Pine/SW Cary Parkway intersection.

Go across SW Cary Parkway and continue along Lake Pine Dr on the sidewalk on the right side of the street.  (Be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen because there’s no shade on this section of the route.)

In about a mile, you’ll reach the Lake Pine entrance to Apex Community Park.  You can step onto the Lake Pine Trail right off of the sidewalk at Lake Pine Drive and start your loop around the lake.

Distance from Annie L Jones Park and down Lake Pine Drive is around 2 miles (one way), so going this route would add 4 miles in total to your walk or run.

If you only do 1 lap of the Lake Pine Trail, you’d get a respectable length of 6 miles total for your walk or run.

This is a nice mix of locations, and is all stroller friendly.

The only drawback to this route is the busy intersection at SW Cary Parkway – but it is well controlled with Walk signs and stoplights.