Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Hillside Park received a little extra love and care from two local organizations! On Saturday July 9, Climate Reality - Durham Chapter, coordinated by Rachel Owens and Dick’s Sporting Goods (New Hope Commons store), coordinated by Taariq Branch, spent the morning cleaning the park. Ten volunteers donated nearly 20 hours of their time serving Durham Parks and Recreation. The baseball field, pool, playground, picnic shelter areas, and the basketball courts were all cleaned by the volunteers resulting in 10 bags of trash being removed from the park. Our Adopt-a-Park/Trail program is designed to encourage the community to work hands-on to help keep our parks and trails clean and attractive. We have 65 parks in our park system and over 20 miles of trail available for adoption. Any civic-minded individual, group or organization can adopt a park or portion of a trail. If you are a Garden club, corporation, Scout group, student organization, social c...

By Caitlin Avinger, Recreation Coordinator for Cultural Heritage Programs Picture this - it’s a beautiful North Carolina summer day with blue skies, low humidity and birds chirping! Where do you want to spend it!? How about at West Point on the Eno! After all, people have enjoyed relaxing and playing there for centuries! West Point on the Eno, located at 5101 N Roxboro Street, has served as a gathering place for recreation and relaxation since the 1780s, when the Mill was founded, all the way up to today. During the West Point Mill’s heyday in the 1800s, people would bring their corn or wheat to be processed into flour or cornmeal. While they waited, they would enjoy a nice swim in the mill pond or catch up with friends over a picnic while children played games. In the early to mid-twentieth century, young folks would drive out to West Point for dances, camping trips, and for a scenic getaway from the quickly growing City of Durham. Today, West Point on the Eno has been a park for over...

Now is your chance to step up to the plate and hit a grand slam with Durham Park and Recreation's Fall 2022 athletics leagues and offerings! From Adult Basketball and Durham Girls Soccer to Co-Rec Softball and Tennis Lessons, participants of all ages are in for a season of fun! Don't sit on the bench - registration is in full swing! Here's everything you need to know for all things Athletics in the upcoming season... Adult Softball (Co-Rec & Men's) : Swing batter, batter swing! Join us for the adult softball league, playing this August through October. Men's and Co-Rec Divisions are available for ages 17 and up. Adult and Youth Tennis Lessons/Leagues : Whether you're learning how to swing a racquet or just playing for fun, we have plenty of opportunity to play tennis for both youth and adults this Fall! Adult Basketball : You got game? Join the Winter League, participate in the open gym or join fellow Mature Adults on the court. All skill levels are welcome ...

Attention Durham trail lovers! We’re excited to share the latest information on three trails – R. Kelly Bryant Bridge Trail, Third Fork Creek Extension Trail, and Downtown Durham Rail Trail - currently in design that we hope to open by 2025 and will add almost seven more miles to the City’s current 31-miles of greenway trail network. Visit our website for more information about Durham's existing greenways and trails. The R. Kelly Bryant Bridge Trail is an approximately three-mile trail planned for southeastern/eastern Durham. The southern termini is the intersection of Dakota Street and NC/55 Alston Avenue and the northern termini is Drew/Granby Park on Drew Street. The Trail will connect and provide safe transportation and recreation between the existing Rocky Creek Greenway, Elmira Park, N.C. Central University, Burton Park, the McDougald Terrace neighborhood, Burton Elementary School, the R. Kelly Bryant Pedestrian Bridge over NC 147, E. Main Street, Angier Avenue, the Eastway...

Fall is upon us and so is another Play More Guide! The wait is over because we've officially released the  September - December 2022 Play More Guide ! Start exploring the 57 pages of fun, interactive and educational programs and activities for all ages, intensity levels and interests. You can explore nature on the Frost Moon Midnight Hike and bump, set, spike at the Girls Volleyball Camp or discover ways to be healthy at the Health Expo and join us for a Mature Adult Trip, there is something for everyone! Registration is officially open in  ActiveNet  for these fall programs. Make sure to register and save your spot in these Fall programs before it is too late! How do I register for a program? We have an online registration portal, called  Active Net , that allows participants to register for most programs in the comfort of their own home. You can search for your favorite programs by keyword, age, day, time, location and more! Best of all, there are no registration f...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Teamwork and helping others are key tenets of TROSA’s recovery program. TROSA residents provided more than 125 volunteer hours assisting Durham Parks and Recreation with two of our annual events this year. With the return of Earth Day Celebration and the 52nd annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival in 2022, TROSA was instrumental in the success of the events. The volunteers weathered the heat, rain, and storms during the Bimbé Festival yet their commitment of service to others never wavered. They helped create memories for the thousands of people attending our events. Colleen Toomey, Recreation Manager with Durham Parks and Recreation wanted to share her gratitude and appreciation to the TROSA organization and the volunteers who helped with vendor setup during both Earth Day and Bimbé. She said, “They really did an amazing job, unattended, getting all of the vendors into place." Those assigned to setup worked so hard as well getting the stage s...

Dog parks can be a great resource for off-leash exercise for your canine companion, but there’s always risk in bringing unfamiliar dogs together. Following the rules of the dog park will go a long way to avoiding any incidents, but you can also keep these things in mind to help keep your dog safe at the dog park... Avoid Crowded Times As a group of dogs gets bigger, it gets more likely that there will be missed social cues or escalations leading to aggressive behavior. It’s best to avoid high traffic times at the dog park altogether. If you visit Piney Wood Dog Park, you may have another option! If you’re uncomfortable with the dogs in the main areas, consider moving to the program area. This space is free to use for people registered with the dog parks and can be a great alternative during busy times! Keep an Eye Out Always be actively watching your dog at the dog park. Keep an eye out for signs of stress such as: Whining or whimpering Holding their ears back Trying to hide Intervene...

Who's ready for a camping trip!? You don't have to go too far to experience a night under the stars and spend time living in nature! Durham Parks and Recreation offers year-round camping at the Lake Michie Recreation Area, located in Bahama at Spruce Pine Lodge and Archery Range Road. Specific driving direction can be found on Google Maps . Overlooking Lake Michie, this recreation area offers camping, boating (paved boat launch), fishing, and trail hiking. The area has 7 primitive campsites open year-round for groups and individuals. Each site has a tent pad, grill, and picnic table.  Some important things to note about these campsites: No electrical hookups are available Campers should bring water and other necessities Vehicular access to the campgrounds is limited Campsite Type Campsite Fees Group Sites Monday-Sunday (per night) City Resident: $20 Non-City Resident: $25 Individual Sites Monday-Sunday (per night) City Resident: $10 Non-City Resident: $12 Ready to reserve a sit...