Explore Lake Crabtree County Park – Sail, Fish, Bike, or Hike

Most recently updated September 21st, 2022

Lake Crabtree County Park is arguably the best in-town alternative to a trip to the beach for a quick fix of sand and time on the water.

View of the Observation Tower from the marina
View of the Observation Tower from the marina

In my opinion, any park where you can take your kids to paddle or even just watch the sun on the water is a big bonus – especially when you don’t have to drive more than 15-20 minutes to get there.

While Bond Lake and Symphony Lake are also centrally located, they don’t have nearly the size or water access afforded by Lake Crabtree.

Ice-sailing on White Bear Lake in Minnesota
Ice-sailing on White Bear Lake in Minnesota

I grew up on a large natural lake in Minnesota,  with sailboats in the summer and snowmobiles, skis and ice-fishing in the winter.

So lakes make me feel good  – and I logged a lot of hours on the Open Play field on the shore of  Lake Crabtree when my daughter was little.

These days I spend more time hiking the 6 mile Lake Trail loop than flying kites.  But you could do both!  

Located in a forested area between CaryMorrisville, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Lake Crabtree County Park offers visitors a 520-acre flood-control lake adjacent to a  215-acre wooded site, with 16-plus miles of trails, picnic areas that are perfect for outdoor games, boating, geocaching and catch-and-release fishing.

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