Reedy Creek Park is home to the area’s oldest disc golf course. Photo by Lee Pham

A cold breeze still whips across the lake from the cold of the winter months, but the sun shines warm from above. You can hear the laughter of kids playing, mixing in with the chatter of their parents. Birds and critters emerge to get a taste of fresh air. Disc golfers hit the trails that are dotted with hikers.  A group of elementary school students walk in single file towards the Nature Center behind their tour guide. Springtime has arrived again at Reedy Creek Park in Charlotte.

When outsiders think of Charlotte they may think of city life and NASCAR, but the city has a lot more to it. One of the best hidden treasures lies on the edge of University City, just eight miles from uptown and five miles from UNC Charlotte.

Looking at a map of Northwest Charlotte, the park is the largest chunk of greenspace in the area with over 800 acres of rolling hills (if you include the adjacent nature preserve) and recreation.

North Carolina’s immaculate beauty runs from coast to coast, and Reedy Creek Park shows off what the Piedmont region has to offer.  Located at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont literally means “foothill,” stemming from the Latin phrase “pes montium.” And when you’re in the park, you’re surrounded by rolling hills. The scenery captures you and makes you forget that you’re in an urban area. Components within the park such as basketball parks and playgrounds help classify it as an urban park.

“We need parks because it adds to the environment and community of the area,” said Ethan Creed, a Reedy Creek Park goer and UNC Charlotte civil engineering student. “We live in a very, very fast growing and developing area with masses of housing units. Those don’t give us the opportunities that a park does.

It’s for the public to use, just like roads. And we need it, just like roads and housing.” Creed frequently visits Reedy Creek Park with friends to play disc golf or just relax.

“Even sometimes when I’m bored I’ll come here by myself and just enjoy the scenery. It’s breath taking. I grew up playing outside so it was unbelievable when I first came to Reedy Creek. It made me feel like home,” said Creed, who recently took a class that discussed incorporating the natural environment into engineering.

“Parks are also built for safety reasons,” Creed said. “Would you rather have your kids playing outside in the street or in a park?”

The N.C. native recently visited New York City, but doesn’t think Central Park or its 843 acres compares to Reedy Creek.

“Central Park has nice green ways, but no parks in NYC compare to Reedy Creek’s rolling landscape,” he said.

Anyone can find an activity they enjoy at Reedy Creek Park, from children to adults.  The park holds free activities for kids on the weekends and occasionally during the week as well, particularly when it gets warmer. It is located adjacent to the nature preserve, which houses classrooms and exhibit halls filled with information waiting to be discovered. The building houses several local wildlife species, including the corn snake.

Reedy Creek Park inspires learning and community relations. The nature center belongs to the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers. They also support the Environmental Educators of North Carolina. Julia, a volunteer at the park, recognizes the importance of the park in local education.

“Charlotte has a large population of kids who are homeschooled,” she said. “The park offers homeschooling programs so that the kids can get together and interact. We offer programs for public schools as well, but homeschooled children can often be isolated from other kids, so the park gives them opportunities to grow in different ways.” Julia also enjoys the activities at the park. Whenever she gets the time, she attends the yoga class on Tuesday nights from 6:15 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. It costs $5 per class, but they do provide yoga mats. Some of the yogis get together before hand and hike.

The 10 miles of hiking trails show off the flowing landscape, but venturing off  from them will show you a side of Charlotte you never knew existed. Out here, you’ll find remains from the John Robinson Rockhouse, babbling brooks and hidden caverns. Adventurers say there’s a field of rocks where you can jump from one to the other, or just relax reptile style and feel the warmth of the sun while lounging on cool stone. However you enjoy Reedy Creek Park, it remains special to the Charlotte community.