Apex Nature Park
Park
156 acres2 mi of trail
Holly Loop TrailPine Loop TrailFern Loop TrailBeaver Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Apex Nature Park
New Hill Historic District · Photo: KimWrenn · CC BY-SA 3.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Apex
Apex has 757 acres of parks, 11 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Apex Nature Park (2 mi). 83% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5.5 miles of mapped trail cross Apex, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #89 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
712 acres · of 27.2 sq mi of land
Trails
5.5 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
757 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
49 mi
5.2 mi lanes · 44 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Apex?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Apex have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Apex is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #89 of 290 in North Carolina. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Apex’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (757 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · NC 51% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 54%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 70%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Apex Nature Park, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Seymour Athletic Fields
Park
17 acres0.3 mi of trail
Apex Nature ParkPine Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pleasant Park
Managed by Town of Apex
89 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 25 parks & preserves
Apex Nature Park156 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsSeymour Athletic Fields17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsApex Community Park160 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsApex Town Campus15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPleasant Park89 acres · Town of Apex
DirectionsShepherd's Vineyard Recreation and Greenway46 acres
DirectionsDuke Energy: Harris Nuclear Plant28 acres
Kelly Road Park25 acres
DirectionsApex Jaycee Park20 acres
DirectionsSalem Pond Park13 acres · Town of Apex
DirectionsSeagroves Farm Neighborhood Park / Town of Apex10 acres
DirectionsHunter Street Park10 acres
DirectionsWalden Creek Property10 acres
C.C. Jones Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsAmerican Tobacco Trail4 acres
DirectionsWoodbury Nature Area2 acres
Kelly Glen Park2 acres
Vintage Grove Park2 acres
Senior Citizens Park2 acres
DirectionsApex Dog Park2 acres
DirectionsClairmont Park2 acres
Jordan Game Land1 acres · North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
White Oak Creek Greenway1 acres
Green at Scotts Mill1 acres
DirectionsWest Street Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
712 conserved acres
4% of Apex’s land. Who manages Apex’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city156 ac
State conservation64 ac
County33 ac
Private owners25 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits23 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)11 ac
Not recorded588 ac
Local Recreation Area · 576 acLocal Park · 109 acConservation Easement · 94 acState Other or Unknown · 64 acLocal Conservation Area · 51 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 34 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 36 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Apex Open Space - Apex Community Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 163 | Open |
| Town of Apex Open Space - Apex Nature Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 159 | Open |
| Pleasant Park Local Park | Town or city | 92 | Open |
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 63 | Restricted |
| Town of Apex Greenway Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 37 | Open |
| Wake County Open Space Land Local Recreation Area | County | 29 | Open |
| Town of Apex Open Space - Kelly Road Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 27 | Open |
| Wake County Game Lands Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 25 | Open |
| Harris Game Land Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
| Town of Apex Open Space - Jaycee Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
57 places to go in Apex
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Apex
Swimming PoolIn Vintage Grove Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Apex
Greenmoor Playground
DirectionsSalem Village Playground
DirectionsShepherds Vineyard PlaygroundIn Shepherd's Vineyard Recreation and Greenway
Directions50 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Apex
Apex Dog Park
DirectionsWoodbury Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Apex
Apex Community LakeIn Apex Community Park
DirectionsPlus 1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Apex
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.8 miUnpaved · 2.0 mi
Holly Loop Trail0.7 mi
Frisbee Loop0.6 mi
Pine Loop Trail0.5 mi
Fern Loop Trail0.4 mi
Sheetz Run0.2 mi
Beaver Creek Trail0.2 mi
Apex Nature Park0.1 mi
Biking & sports
49 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
44 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
49Tennis
22Baseball
16Basketball
13Soccer
12Pickleball
7Beach volleyball
6Football
4Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Apex: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 52 | 56 | 63 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 73 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Apex →
Next door
Apex and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 4% | 0.2 | 11 | 83% | B− |
| Cary | 9% | 0.7 | 19 | 90% | A− |
| Holly Springs | 10% | 0.6 | 27 | 87% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Apex
Where can I hike in Apex?
The longest trail networks: Apex Nature Park, 2 miles; Seymour Athletic Fields, 0.3 miles; Apex Community Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Apex is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 3% for a North Carolina town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Apex’s trails?
Apex Nature Park and Seymour Athletic Fields don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Apex?
49 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.2 of painted or protected lanes and 44 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Apex?
38,925 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Apex or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 757 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Apex have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #89 of 290 in North Carolina. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Apex neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →