Recreation & Fitness

Arnette Park sits on old Highway 87 about four miles south of downtown, where roughly 100 acres of woods slope toward the Cape Fear River. Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation keeps part of the land developed with picnic pavilions and restrooms and leaves the rest as natural woodland. Disc golfers know the park for its 18-hole course, established in 1996 and listed with the PDGA as Fayetteville Memorial DGC; it uses asphalt tees, charges no fee and threads through ravines and tight wooded fairways. Every December the park road becomes the route for Christmas in the Park, a drive-through holiday light display presented by the city with support from Fayetteville PWC. Schedules and any admission charge for the light show change from year to year, so check the city's events page before going. Pavilion reservations go through the parks office at (910) 433-1547.

Fayetteville, NC

Scenario paintball experience owned by combat veterans. Features tactical realism, hyperball courses, trenches, and wooded environments.

Fayetteville, NC

Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers beautiful walking trails, birdwatching areas, and seasonal flower displays across 80 acres along the Cape Fear River. A peaceful oasis in Fayetteville, the garden features native plants, themed gardens, educational programs, and special events throughout the year. Perfect for nature lovers, families, photographers, and anyone seeking a tranquil outdoor experience.

Fayetteville, North Carolina

A 7-mile paved multi-use path connecting the urban core with wild riverlands. Features boardwalks traversing wetlands, a covered bridge, and frequent wildlife sightings. Popular for runners, cyclists, and walkers.

Fayetteville, NC

The HealthPlex is the fitness and wellness center operated by Cape Fear Valley Health, the hospital system behind Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, on Skibo Road in west Fayetteville. It works as a membership gym with a clinical side. The 65,000-square-foot building holds two pools, a full-size basketball court, a pickleball court, an aerobics studio and a one-tenth-mile indoor walking and running track, plus a dry sauna, a steam room and a juice bar. The equipment floor has more than 140 cardio and strength machines, and the schedule lists over 100 group fitness classes a week, including group cycling. On the medical side, staff provide cardiac rehabilitation, aquatic therapy, exercise physiology and outpatient therapy, which suits members coming back from surgery or managing a heart condition. A play center offers childcare while parents work out. Memberships come in several levels with no contract, and members can cancel with notice. The center opens at 5 a.m. on weekdays and keeps shorter hours on weekends.

Fayetteville, NC

Protects over 4,000 acres of longleaf pine forest. Features the historic Rockefeller house and agricultural structures at Long Valley Farm access, a 100-acre millpond, and rugged multi-use trails at the Sandhills access.

Spring Lake, NC

Cross Creek Linear Park is a narrow downtown greenway that follows Cross Creek through the center of the city. The city lists the trail at about 2.8 miles, running from Festival Park on Ray Avenue toward the Riverside Dog Park near the Cape Fear River. Benches line the paved path, and the city tags the corridor for historical interest because it passes close to the older blocks of the central business district. Near Green Street the path reaches the Cross Creek Linear Park fountain. The route works well as a link between downtown attractions: walkers can start at a Festival Park event, follow the creek past picnic spots, and loop back toward the shops and restaurants. There is no admission charge, and the path is free for walkers, runners and strollers.

Fayetteville, NC

Offers miles of trails for ATVs and dirt bikes. Features mud bogs, sand drag strips, and wooded trails for off-roading enthusiasts.

Linden, NC

Festival Park is the 14-acre lawn at the corner of Ray Avenue and Rowan Street where downtown Fayetteville stages its largest outdoor gatherings. It opened in April 2007, and its centerpiece is a covered performance pavilion whose main stage the city lists at 40 by 66 feet, backed by dressing rooms and a loading dock. Audiences sit on the grass, and the grounds are wired with power and water hookups so vendors can set up booths without generators. The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival books its free weekend concerts on this stage each spring, and the city's Independence Day concert and fireworks show has been held here as well. Between events the park is open green space with restrooms, and walkways tie it into the Cross Creek trail that runs toward the river. Groups that want to rent the park call the parks office at (910) 433-1547 for fees and dates.

Fayetteville, NC

Gates Four Golf & Country Club sits on Irongate Drive in southwest Fayetteville. The club describes itself as a full-service private club, so tee times, the pool and the dining room are set up around members rather than the walk-in public. Its 18-hole championship course was laid out by Willard Byrd in 1967 and reworked by architect Kris Spence, whose renovation was completed in 2011. Course listings put it at par 72 and about 6,865 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 73.9 and a slope of 137. Away from golf, members use a swimming pool, tennis courts, a pavilion and social spaces for club events and receptions. Prospective members and anyone asking about event use can reach the clubhouse at (910) 425-2176.

Fayetteville, NC

Honeycutt Park shares its Devers Street grounds with the Kiwanis Recreation Center in west Fayetteville, and the two operate as one complex under Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation. In summer the main draw is the splash pad at the Kiwanis Recreation Center, one of more than a dozen free spray grounds the department runs. For the 2026 season the city scheduled its splash pads to run from May 1 through September 30, with standard hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, and it warns that pads can shut down for filtration problems after heavy rain. Outside splash season the playground equipment and green space stay in use, and the recreation center runs its own seasonal schedule of programs. Questions about programs or the pad's daily status go to the center at (910) 433-1568.

Fayetteville, NC

The recreational heart of Hope Mills, featuring a swimming beach, boat ramp, and waterfront park. A popular spot for summer picnics, paddling, and community events, with a scenic dam.

Hope Mills, NC

Hope Mills Municipal Park on Rockfish Road is the Town of Hope Mills' main sports and play complex. The town lists 1.8 miles of walking trails winding through the grounds, along with six lighted athletic fields. In 2023 the town replaced its aging playground with Reid's Journey Inclusive Playground, built on rubberized surfacing with ramps and transition decks so that more than 70 percent of its features are reachable by children who use wheelchairs. The money came mainly from $340,000 in state capital funds, started by a community fundraising challenge. Other facilities include a skate park, a dog park, tennis courts, a basketball court, two picnic shelters with charcoal grills, restrooms and a Veterans Memorial. One of the baseball fields has been leased to a summer collegiate team. Park questions go to Hope Mills Parks and Recreation at (910) 426-4109.

Hope Mills, NC

The city's second-largest regional park, preserving natural woodlands along the river. Features a Nature Center with live animal exhibits, ranger-led programs, and unpaved trails leading to a scenic river overlook and waterfall.

Fayetteville, NC

A comprehensive recreational facility centered around a beautiful lake, adjacent to a fish hatchery. Features a 1-mile border trail through wetlands, athletic fields, picnic shelters, and a playground.

Fayetteville, NC

Mazarick Park wraps around Glenville Lake on Belvedere Avenue in central Fayetteville. Paved paths follow the shoreline, and the Glenville Lake Pier gives anglers a spot to cast without a boat. The wooded ground between the lake and the road holds a disc golf course listed with the PDGA as Glenville Pines, so players share the park with walkers and families most afternoons. Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation also maintains tennis courts, a baseball field, playground equipment and a reservable picnic shelter here. The park building can be rented through the staff at nearby Clark Park. The city posts park hours as 8 a.m. to dusk, and shelter reservations are handled by phone through the parks office at (910) 433-1547. Entry to the grounds, trails and disc golf course is free.

Fayetteville, NC

Home to the largest vertical wind tunnel in the US. Offers indoor skydiving experiences for civilians and serves as a training facility for military and professionals.

Raeford, NC

Putt-Putt has deep roots in Fayetteville: Don Clayton opened the first Putt-Putt course here in 1954 and went on to promote miniature golf as a competitive sport. The current Fayetteville fun center sits on Footbridge Lane in southwest Fayetteville. Alongside two 18-hole Putt-Putt courses, the site runs go-karts, laser tag, bumper boats and a video and prize arcade, with a cafe counter for snacks. Private party rooms make it a regular stop for children's birthdays and youth group outings. Each attraction is paid separately or through package deals, and posted prices change, so check the location's page before budgeting a visit. The center opens at noon most days and at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, staying open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Fayetteville, NC

Round-A-Bout Skating Center on Skateway Drive is the western of the company's two Fayetteville rinks, sitting near 71st High School; the other is on Elm Street in the Eutaw area. The business traces its start to 1974, when it opened with a single location. The 71st rink runs public skate sessions rather than all-day hours, and its schedule is split: recent Google listings show no Monday session, evening-only sessions midweek, and separate afternoon and evening blocks on Fridays and Saturdays. Because of that pattern, it pays to call ahead before driving over. Schools book the rink for spirit skate nights, and the rink also takes birthday party reservations. For session times, admission and party bookings, call the rink directly at (910) 860-8900.

Fayetteville, NC

Rowan Park covers about 15 acres on West Rowan Street, just west of downtown, and the city's budget inventory lists it as a neighborhood park paired with an amphitheater. Its best-known feature is the Rowan Skate Park, an in-ground concrete design that opened on August 24, 2020, with a flow bowl and a multi-level street section meant to work for beginners and experienced riders alike. Skating is open daily from dawn to dusk at no charge. The same grounds hold pickleball courts, a picnic shelter and playground equipment, so parents can watch younger kids while teenagers ride the bowl. Groups can reserve the skate areas or the amphitheater through the parks administrative office on Lamon Street, which takes bookings up to a year ahead on a first-come basis. Rowan Park does not appear on the city's 2026 splash pad list, so families looking for water play should head to another site.

Fayetteville, NC

Downtown's premier vertical playground with over 20,000 square feet of climbing surface. Offers bouldering, top-rope, and lead climbing.

Fayetteville, NC

Massive indoor playground featuring wall-to-wall trampolines, warrior obstacle course, and 'Sky Rider' indoor coaster. Perfect for family active play.

Fayetteville, NC

Consistently ranked as a top aerial adventure park, ZipQuest utilizes the topography of Carver's Falls for a world-class ziplining experience. Features the 'Waterfall Expedition' with eight ziplines and suspension bridges, and 'NightQuest' for night zipping.

Fayetteville, NC