Lake Crabtree County Park

This month (and all year long!) we're celebrating Wake County parks and preserves and the important role they play in our community. We've got so much going on for our 50th anniversary -- from a special traveling art exhibit to a fun challenge to a collaboration with our local libraries.

Get all the details at www.wake.gov/Parks50 !

After nearly 25 years, we will be saying goodbye and a happy retirement to our Park Manager Drew Cade!

Drew has been a dedicated steward of Lake Crabtree County Park, leaving a lasting impact on the park and the community it serves. Throughout his career, he has been known for his passion, dedication, and genuine connection to the community.

The staff at Lake Crabtree County Park will miss you Drew! Enjoy your well-deserved retirement 🌅🎉

We are approaching our last Boat Rental weekend of June, and we have already set records for this season! The record for boats rented was beaten this past Mother's Day and then again last Sunday on Father's Day 🏆

The number of visitors coming to Boat Rental is getting higher every weekend so here are some tips to make sure you have a great visit at Lake Crabtree:

🗓 Visit on a Friday! Fridays are typically the least busy, so if you have the best chance of getting a boat.

🕙 Arrive as early as possible! Boat rental opens as 10 a.m. and there is usually already a line at that point, so if you want to wait as little as possible plan on arriving before 9:45 a.m.

🛶 Know what type of boat you or your group wants! You can check out our website for a list of available boat types and how many people can be in each type. You also want to have some backups in case there is a waitlist for some of the boats.

🕔 Don't come too late! Rentals stop at 5 p.m. and there can be a waitlist for the whole day so plan accordingly.

Visit our website for more information about the Boat Rental season -->
https://www.wake.gov/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/lake-crabtree-county-park

Don't mind this lady, she's just acting a little "snappy" this morning 😉

It's always a treat to see common snapping turtles around the park, especially this female who recently got done laying eggs! Females trek up to a mile away from the water to lay 20 to 50 eggs. Even though it may not look like it, these large turtles are surprisingly agile on land so be extra careful if you ever see one🐢

Local art meets local parks.

Our En Plein Air Art Celebration traveling exhibit launches July 1 at Beech Bluff County Park! Come see the beauty of our parks through the eyes of artists.

Exhibit stops:
July 1–Aug. 2: Beech Bluff County Park
Aug. 7–Sept. 7: Historic Yates Mill County Park
Sept. 14–Oct. 11: Harris Lake County Park
Oct. 16–Nov. 22: Blue Jay Point County Park

Details: www.wake.gov/parks50/art

Happy ! Our will remain open today as we honor the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States and commemorates the American ideals of freedom, liberty, equality, and justice.

Have you ever been enjoying a nice summer lake day and a dragonfly decides to use you as a nice landing spot? That's just their way of bringing you good luck ✨

Today is National Dragonfly Day, a day to celebrate just how cool and unique these ancient insects are. The ancestors of modern dragonflies called Earth their home 100 million years before the dinosaurs and had a wingspan of over 2 feet!

The fully aquatic nymphs of dragonflies act as highly efficient pest control, feeding largely on young mosquitos, midges, and gnats. This also reduces the need for chemical pesticides to kill these nuisance insects. The nymphs also act as ecological indicators because they are sensitive to pollutants, like mercury and other heavy metals.

What cool dragonflies have you seen around Lake Crabtree? 🔎

With the closure of Black Creek Greenway from Weston Parkway to Old Reedy Creek Trailhead, we want to remind trailgoers that the section of the Lake Trail from Black Creek Greenway to Crabtree Creek Greenway is for foot traffic only 🥾

This section is unfortunately not made for bikes as there are wooden stairs at multiple points between the two greenways. Please keep yourself safe and protect our natural resources by keeping bikes off this section of trail.

For more information about the Black Creek Renovation Project visit the Town of Cary Greenway Detour website at https://carygreenwaydetour.com