The Fayetteville Parks & Recreation Department in Fayetteville, North Carolina encompasses one of North Carolina’s most urban areas. In 2009, Fayetteville’s population was 168,033(U.S. Census estimate). The expanding population presents a challenge for the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Department to provide an adequate amount of parks, recreation opportunities, and open space areas for Fayetteville residents and visitors.
The Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department offers access to over 1,000 acres of public parkland found in over 100 park sites. The immaculate parks and lively recreation centers include small mini-parks, neighborhood parks, and larger community parks, all of which play an important role in providing recreation to Fayetteville, NC residents. In addition, the Douglas Byrd Middle School and Douglas Bird High School allow community residents to use their facilities, including baseball and softball fields, football and soccer fields, and outdoor basketball courts. Other schools within Fayetteville provide smaller neighborhood park space for residents to enjoy.
Two larger, regional parks are available for Fayetteville residents and visitors, and they are Arnette Park, a 100-acre park with security patrols, and the 76-acre J. Bayard Clark Park, which is devoted to preserving the environment and educating the public on native North Carolina plants and wildlife.
Greenways that are natural corridors along waterways are an import element to any park system. In Fayetteville, the Cape Fear River Trail provides residents the opportunity to walk, jog, or bicycle along the Cape Fear River. The trail is a 10-foot wide paved path that winds for nearly four miles through the green space along the Cape Fear River. In the interest of safety, security call boxes are provided intermittently along the trail, and the trail is actively patrolled. At one end of the Cape Fear River Trail is the J. Bayard Clark Park, where a 35-foot waterfall exists, reputedly the tallest waterfall on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The trail is designated as part of the East Coast Greenway, a series of urban trails and greenways that will eventually connect from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida.
In addition to traditional parks, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Department provides summer camps and sports camps that are held are held from mid-June to early July, as well as traditional youth league sports programs.
The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is part of the Parks & Recreation Department. The museum, housed in a Romanesque Revival train depot built in 1879, showcases all forms of transportation from Native American trails to steamboats and trains. The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum also outlines the development of the plank road system that connected Fayetteville to other towns throughout North Carolina.
There are a number of parks and recreation centers throughout the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Fayetteville has a number of scenic locations to commune with nature and recreation centers that provide a place for children and adults to engage in recreational activities. All of the parks in Fayetteville are made even more enjoyable by the beautiful year-round weather. The sun shines frequently throughout the summer months and the fall provides numerous chances to view colorful autumn foliage.
