Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park
Park
22 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Fvman · Public domainC+Outdoors
Outdoors in Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina has 389 acres of parks, 9.6 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park (0.7 mi). 2.7 miles of mapped trail cross Fuquay-Varina, 0.1 per square mile of land. 2% of Fuquay-Varina’s land is conserved, about 238 acres.
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns · #156 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
238 acres · of 19.8 sq mi of land
Trails
2.7 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
389 ac
9.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
68%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
28 mi
5.8 mi lanes · 23 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fuquay-Varina have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fuquay-Varina is ahead of 38% of U.S. towns, #156 of 290 in North Carolina. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fuquay-Varina’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land9.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (389 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home68% 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 38%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 46%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be C+. 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 Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
South Park
Park
23 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve
Managed by Town of Fuquay-Varina
75 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fleming Loop Recreational Park
Park
31 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park22 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mineral Spring Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHoneycutt Road Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve75 acres · Town of Fuquay-Varina
DirectionsFleming Loop Recreational Park31 acres
Ballentine School Park17 acres · Town of Fuquay-Varina
DirectionsAction Park16 acres
Fuquay-Varina Elementary Park10 acres · Wake County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsFalcon Park5 acres
Alston Ridge Park3 acres
DirectionsParker Pointe2 acres
Dr. William Freeman Park2 acres
James A. Campbell Park1 acres
Who protects it
238 conserved acres
2% of Fuquay-Varina’s land. Who manages Fuquay-Varina’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city37 ac
County2 ac
State conservation2 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Not recorded215 ac
Local Recreation Area · 217 acLocal Park · 29 acLocal Conservation Area · 9 acConservation Easement · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 28 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Fleming Loop Recreational Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 36 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - South Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 24 | Open |
| Wake County Open Space - OS-087 Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 24 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Honeycutt Road Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Carroll Howard Johnson Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 20 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Action Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Banks Road Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 13 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
| Town of Fuquay-Varina Open Space - Raychem Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
40 places to go in Fuquay-Varina
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Fuquay-Varina
Alston Ridge Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Fuquay-Varina
Alston Ridge Park PlaygroundIn Alston Ridge Park
DirectionsFleming Loop ParkIn Fleming Loop Recreational Park
DirectionsSonoma Springs Community Playground
DirectionsPlus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 9 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Fuquay-Varina
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Fuquay-Varina
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Fuquay-Varina Spring Park Walking Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
23 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
18Tennis
14Baseball
8Soccer
8Pickleball
4Basketball
4Beach volleyball
3Cricket
2Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fuquay Mineral SpringSite · listed 1986
About itJones-Johnson-Ballentine Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itVarina Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itJ. Beale Johnson HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itFuquay Springs Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itBen-Wiley HotelBuilding · listed 1997
About itFuquay Springs High SchoolBuilding · listed 2002
About itFuquay Springs TeacherageBuilding · listed 2005
About itFuquay-Varina Woman's Club ClubhouseBuilding · listed 2007
About itWayland H. and Mamie Burt Stevens HouseBuilding · listed 2014
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Fuquay-Varina: 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 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 52 | 56 | 63 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 73 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.1 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Fuquay-Varina →
Next door
Fuquay-Varina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuquay-Varina | 2% | 0.1 | 10 | 68% | C+ |
| Holly Springs | 10% | 0.6 | 27 | 87% | A− |
| Garner | 7% | 0.6 | 27 | 82% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fuquay-Varina
Where can I hike in Fuquay-Varina?
The longest trail networks: Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park, 0.7 miles; South Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fuquay-Varina is conserved land?
2% 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 Fuquay-Varina’s trails?
Caroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park and South Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fuquay-Varina?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.8 of painted or protected lanes and 23 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Fuquay-Varina?
29,583 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fuquay-Varina or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 389 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Fuquay-Varina have?
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #156 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 Fuquay-Varina 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 →