What it is: I've been hearing about Northgate Park for a while now but haven't made it up there yet. So, I was glad to finally get a chance to check it out this weekend. Northgate Park has several play structures-one for the big kids full of completely unique climbing nets, poles, etc. and one for the littler ones with a small, fairly standard play structure. There are also some shelters and picnic tables as well as tennis courts and a dog park. One of the best parts was the bordering Ellerbe Creek and Ellerbe Creek Trail with a great bridge crossing the creek which was great for throwing sticks. The trail continues on for a distance which makes it great for little bike riders. To top it all off there's a huge dinosaur hiding on the side of the trail for toddler viewing pleasure.
What we liked: The park was wooded with beautiful tall trees for shade making it a great summer park. We loved the trail to explore with the hidden dinosaur and bridge. In addition, my son's favorite part was the unique play structure with all of the different things to climb and stand on.
What we would change: Turns out the dinosaur was about 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile away from the park, so it might be helpful to take your kids there via stroller because ours got a little tired on the way back. In addition, the big kids' play structure has a slide that looks pretty skinny and dangerous. I've seen similar slides at other playgrounds in the area, and the kids should probably be watched carefully when they try to slide down.
Website and other important information:
Website: http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/gis_apps/parkapp/park.cfm?ParkNam=Northgate+Park&selVal=park
Address: 300 WEST CLUB BOULEVARD 27704
Photos:
1. The smaller play structure
2. The bigger playground
3. A view of the creek from the bridge
2 comments:
To get to the dinosaur quicker, you could park at the Edison Johnson Rec Center directly across the street from the trail (there is also a great park at the Center) and just walk across the street to the trail.
This came at the perfect time. We have some great parks near our house, but none of them are shaded. While I wish the toddler play area was a little bigger, it's great to have a shady place to take my daughter. And I love that it's right along the Ellerbe Creek Walkway.
Post a Comment