Kaplan Drive Park - Raleigh, NC
Kaplan Drive Park – Dog-Friendly Park in Raleigh, NC
Kaplan Drive Park, located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina, is a pet-friendly green space perfect for dog owners seeking a quieter, more intimate experience. This local park features a quarter-mile loop trail that’s popular with dog walkers and a spacious, sunny open field ideal for picnicking and play. Dog owners enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, scenic paths, and wheelchair accessibility, making it a convenient spot for all members of the community, including those with mobility needs.
While Kaplan Drive Park is not exclusively a dog park and lacks a dedicated fenced-in dog run, well-behaved dogs are commonly seen off-leash in the open field area. The park is known for its peaceful ambiance, making it a great option if you’re looking to escape busier parks in Raleigh. Benches are placed evenly throughout the park, and there are picnic tables available for visitors. Please note, however, that some maintenance issues have been mentioned in reviews, such as overgrown grass and uneven walking paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? Dogs are often seen off-leash in the open field, but owners should ensure their pets are well-behaved and under control, as the park is not fully fenced.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, Kaplan Drive Park has a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, there are rest benches spaced throughout the park and picnic tables available.
- Are picnics allowed? Yes, the park has open grassy areas and picnic tables for visitors.
- Are there playgrounds or activities for kids nearby? There is a playground available, making it a good option for families with children.
- Are walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, there is a quarter-mile loop trail suitable for walking dogs.
Reviews
Kaplan has rest benches fairly evenly spaced every 1/3 mile. It would be nice if the current “exercise modules” linked to the QR codes on the signs were outdoor specific, and potentially included local flora and fauna identification.
I’m sure Parks & Rec could QR code to the website with photos of the specific area, and label the plants seen from the vantage point.
It would also be fairly easy to have a QR code take visitors to videos of the park on YT.
In other words, I see great ideas beginning to bloom. I hope the ideas are explored to maximum fruition.
Unfortunately, current “exercises” demonstrated via the QR codes call for yoga mats and other props someone taking a walk in the park won’t be carrying, and zero identification of the trees or bushes (or mushrooms) right beside the signage.
I miss the signs of my youth with a picture of the bars next to the sign, and directions for various exercises specifically designed for that location.
I wanted to like this park But my daughter fell twice due to the roots coming through the side walk cracks so I had to give it a two star
Park is very nice and has a lot of potential but it needs to be bigger and more developed. A nice playground and some art would spruce this park up nicely. It’s nice but ur done with in 5 minutes. It needs more, at least a playground and something to draw you into the park. The surrounding neighborhood is beautiful and tranquil this park just needs a little work.
It’s ok, obviously not well taken care of since all the outdoor exercise/gym-kinda stations are totally broken down/falling apart. It’s still pretty though, it has a nice (albeit small/short) path to walk and a large sunny open grass area. I go often since it’s like the only smaller park near my house (lake johnson is nice but too popular for pandemic times).I don’t often run into people here, so that’s nice.
Quarter mile loop – good for walking dogs. Usually quiet so if they’re well-behaved, can let them off the leash. Nice open field too for picnicking, but not always maintained (took several weeks and at least three calls for them to come out and mow). Also some of the pics posted here are not from the park