18% of Lake Park’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 18% of Lake Park’s land is conserved, about 82 acres. 83 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns · #41 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Lake Park?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Lake Park have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lake Park is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns, #41 of 290 in North Carolina. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Russell Park
Veterans Park
Founders Park
All 5 parks & preserves
82 conserved acres
18% of Lake Park’s land. Who manages Lake Park’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Kirby Park Local Park | County | 18 | Open |
| Union County - Union County Recreational Complex Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 17 | Open |
| Russell Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Lake Charles Park & Pond Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Garden Pond Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Founders Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Alden Pond Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Veterans Pond Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Normandy Pond Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Versailles Pond Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
7 places to go in Lake Park
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 lakes & rivers
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The best walking months in Lake Park: 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 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 57 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 89 | 83 | 73 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.1 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Lake Park →
Lake Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Park | 18% | under 0.1 | 24 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Indian Trail | 1% | 0.3 | 5 | 47% | C |
| Hemby Bridge | 1% | 0.2 | 6 | 44% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lake Park
How much of Lake Park is conserved land?
18% 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 Lake Park’s trails?
Fred Kirby Park and Russell Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lake Park?
3,356 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lake Park or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 83 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lake Park have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #41 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 Lake Park neighbors.
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 →