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Marla Dorrel Park
111 Thurston Dr, Cary, NC 27518, United States
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Ch
Review №1

A very large and beautifully landscaped oasis for children! There are multiple amazing playgrounds here for children ages 0-12. Tons of interactive equipment, sandboxes, bike trails, and more. The landscaping and art decorating the park is beautiful. There is a trail that connects to a greater greenway and go another playground (ideal for younger kids). Great for bike riding, exploring, and playing. Parents will appreciate the shaded seating and clean bathrooms!

Li
Review №2

A very nice park with awesome varieties of playgrounds and play areas. It’s shaded and well maintained. My three year old had a lot of choices and had a great time.

D.
Review №3

There are three playgrounds to suit all age ranges, and accessible equipment available throughout. This playground is extraordinary! Its well maintained, with spacious restrooms and plenty of tables for picnics. I highly recommend it!

To
Review №4

Very clean park nicely set up and the trail is also clear and an easy walk or bike ride for toddlers

Ma
Review №5

Really awesome playground! As parents with two toddlers, I can confidently call this the BEST playground in wake county. So great for kids of ALL ages!

De
Review №6

Great place for kids, so not as nice for adults without kids. Kids is who its really meant for, I would love it if I had little ones.

Am
Review №7

We love this park! Theres something for every age and the tree cover keeps it from getting too hot in the summer.

Yo
Review №8

Awesome place for the family during non coviddays... not safe now

Hu
Review №9

The park is big and in the middle of trees. Well made and maintained play sets. Sand pits are fun for smaller kids. Nice landscaping mixed with the play sets. Even it is big, it is safe for kids to run around freely since there are steel fences around the whole park, so that kids won’t wander off the limit. Restrooms are located right at the park entrance with picnic and bbq furnitures, very nice. There is dragon or alligator sculpture lurking beside the bathrooms building, where kids like to play a bit always. Water fountains are scattered through out the whole park area, so the kids can get water anytime close by. A kids paradise, that is why the park is also called “the kids together park”.

Ni
Review №10

I can’t say enough how beautiful this park was! So much to see and do, if you have little ones this is a must do in Cary.

Ir
Review №11

Very creative play areas. Beautifully landscaped. Mist section for hot days. Lots of fun for kids. Bathrooms could use updating

Ga
Review №12

Cute little park with brightly colored and cleverly designed play area.

Ro
Review №13

This is the best playground in this area. Big interesting climbing structures, a rocking boat, lots of swings, sand pit, water misters, a big dragon, and nice bathrooms.

so
Review №14

Nice and shady for the adults with plenty of places to sit and relax

Ha
Review №15

This is my kids favorite park. It is big enough for them to never get bored and there are so many cool features for them to explore. It is also connected to a Greenway that crosses over US 1 which my kids LOVE. The bathrooms are always clean, the park is always well cared for, and accessible for all kids.

Wr
Review №16

Its a great park, full of fun and creative play equipment! And it has a full sized dragon that kids can climb on! (Its half buried in a hill like its sleeping, and super fun looking.) Definitely a great park. My 2 year old loves going there!

Ja
Review №17

My kids have a blast every time we go. And so much to do. Also the walking trails are fun. Not the best parking though if its busy

Jo
Review №18

Theres so many attractions here to keep kids of all ages interested. From what I gathered, all playgrounds are soft touch material. 3-4 year olds especially will have plenty of fun. This playground is one of the nicer ones. Theres also a few trails for walking.

Ma
Review №19

Great park for kids. Two separate play areas, a big dragon to climb on. Clean facilities. Lots of shade when its hot out plus misters to help cool down.

St
Review №20

Hands down, the best park in town! Right up there with Pullen. Excellent for a wide range of ages. Has a big sand area, lots of swings, 3 major playsets and a magical dragon statue that kids gravitate to. Highly recommended!

Lo
Review №21

Amazing park. Surrounded by trees and a small Creek. Tons of room with so many areas for creative play. My family really loves this place.

Ji
Review №22

Amazing park, three sections for all different ages!! Clean, has picnic tables and restrooms!

Ge
Review №23

My son loves this park! There are so many areas to play, climb, and swing. The park seems well maintained and there are always children here which is good because my son is an only child. The play areas are broken down by age, but typically all ages are everywhere. From sandboxes to swings, slides to the shakey boat kids get a lot to stimulate fine and gross motor skills while having loads of fun.

Mr
Review №24

Pretty unbelievable playground for kids. Just massive in size and truly a 5 star playground. Ive personally never seen anything this massive before. A sand area for the kids to play in coupled with what is basically multiple playgrounds put together and a pavilion for parties. Often times theres an Ice Cream truck out front. Seriously 5 star plus playground area. There really is nothing else like it for the little ones.

La
Review №25

Beautiful place.

Ma
Review №26

My kids and I love this park. It is big enough that even on busy days there is room to play and enough equipment that the children arent waiting for a turn. There is lots of shade and seating available through out the park and bathrooms are convenient. We love that the Greenway is accessible too.

Da
Review №27

Great, great play area. Play structures, swings, slides, sand areas and all well kept. There is a squishy dragon kids can crawl around on and they installed a mist area for summer months. Picnic shelter and clean restrooms. Been here more than Ive got fingers & toes. Great place.

Ma
Review №28

This my first time at the park and I absolutely loved it. Beautiful trees that provide tons of shade. 3 different playgrounds with enough games for the kids plus a big shelter. I would definitely recommend it to any family or just to spend couple hours relaxing outdoors.

Ky
Review №29

This park is wonderful! The play structures are great and have a good variety of things to do. It also had a misters area, was very shady, and very pretty and well maintained.

An
Review №30

The park is actually very nice!! I walked around the park and everything seemed clean and well kept. They have different playgrounds and trails. They also have a bridge that goes over the interstate.

MI
Review №31

Fun Park not that busy. Lots to do. Spread out so its not to busy..

Ja
Review №32

Really nice park, nice landscaping and nice childrens playground

Ma
Review №33

The new sprinklers are very powerful . Id recommend either putting the children into water clothes / shoes or having dry clothes after for the ride home. Its a very heavy spray. Lots of fun tho.

Pr
Review №34

Very popular park with lots of families visiting on weekends. Parking is limited so ve prepared to park on Street and walk. Plenty of trees to provide shade on hot days. Lots of benches and picnic tables. Separate play areas for kids of all ages. Great place to host birthday parties because the shelter is in close proximity to driveway.

bh
Review №35

Cary has great parks but nothing beats kids together. It had something for all ages.

Jo
Review №36

The park is clean and well kept but every play area save one has SAND. I will not return on my own because of that, but we do go once a year or so for a school event. My kids loved the water spout thing and soaked themselves. Be aware that there is no signal in the covered picnic area/bathrooms (probably a good thing).

Je
Review №37

Excellent park for young children with good playgrounds and also a good connection to the Cary Greenway.

Fe
Review №38

My kids live this playground. The play areas are pretty well shaded. There is a mister for cooling off in the summer heat.The sandboxes are big. There are several picnic spaces. We almost always see a birthday party going on.My kids love to take off their shoes and run around, so I have to keep them away from the end with all the gum trees and the spikey fruit on the ground.Other than that, we visit this park regularly and would recommend.

Al
Review №39

Absolutely fantastic park for kids of all ages! 4 play areas and a misting area. Preschool section is mostly fenced. Sensory area has lots of crawling tubes, lots of sand at this park so be prepared with the right shoes... Bathroom with several (3) stalls, air dryer.

Sa
Review №40

It is super clean. Very pretty. And very kid friendly!

Wh
Review №41

Lots to do, very pretty. Water retention issues near the dragon, always muddy.

Tr
Review №42

Great park for children. Nice shade. Find a bench to sit on and let them run around with the new friends they meet. Parking is a little limited. Plenty of bike racks and a bathroom.

Si
Review №43

There are so many great things for kids to enjoy.

er
Review №44

We love the inclusive sensory experience! Even when the park is busy, it doesnt feel busy due to the open layout and different playscapes for different aged kids.

Ni
Review №45

This place is very nice. It has different playgrounds within the same area and there is something for every kid to do and enjoy.

Al
Review №46

They had the perfect conditions for kids to play

FI
Review №47

Play area great for kids.Lots of mature trees

Ma
Review №48

What a lovely little park for the children. Good job and well done Town of Cary. Very well done.

Ka
Review №49

Big playground for different ages of kids. Long gvhf bnfbhreenway. And beautiful place

Ce
Review №50

This park is an absolute delight. So creative, inclusive, textured - magical, even. Usually *lots* of kids here ... so great opportunities for little ones to interact with new, unknown people and play environments. Beautiful landscaping.The rest of the Greenway area is beautiful too - though I think some icky development is about to happen on land uphill from park, and that will materially change the fact that this place stays nice and cool because of that deep band of large trees in creek bottomland adjacent to park. Which is a crying shame - Ive seen wildflowers and native flora in woods off trail and meadow under power lines that have been lost in the rest of the Triangle. Photo is of cardinal flower, growing wild - have never seen a clump this size in Triangle area!

Di
Review №51

Very good place for children to play and very safe

Ed
Review №52

Great place to just walk around and play Pokemon Go.

Ka
Review №53

Currently the playground is closed until further notice it seems.

Da
Review №54

Beautiful park

Pe
Review №55

Lots of shaded areas, lots of area for the kids to run around. Dragon for the kids to climb on and a few separate jungle gym setups. By far, the favorite park of our 6 year old.

Be
Review №56

Beautiful park. Equipment for all ages and skill levels and gorgeous landscaping and trees throughout. One kid smelled like pee but that was my only complaint.

Ka
Review №57

Best park in cary my grandsons love this place

Am
Review №58

We took our granddaughter and she had a great time. Lots of things to do for all ages. Well planned and well maintained.

Ja
Review №59

Great park for the entire family to enjoy! Nice place to relax and have a picnic with the kids...

Er
Review №60

Hidden gem of a local park. Includes ramps for wheel chairs. Mist area cools everyone down. Good water fountains and bathrooms. Covered picnic tables

Bi
Review №61

I really love this park. plenty of shade, water play, sand area but they have a shower head and feet to wash off the sand. Basketball area by the entrance too.

Ma
Review №62

One of my favorite parks with three play areas for various ages. Shelter and tables for picnics and easy access to greenways for longer walks

Ch
Review №63

Great park. Wonderfully shaded. Well taken care off

Co
Review №64

Really awesome park. One of best in Cary. Great for kids. Held daughters birthday parties here. Great deal

Li
Review №65

Great place to take kids of all ages. Even when the park is full of kids there is still plenty of space!

Br
Review №66

This was a nice park. I love that it has different sections, like 3 or 4. Area is shaded. Bathrooms are clean, and has a large stall that helps when you have several children! There is an area that was still under construction, but its fenced off well. ..cant wait to see what it will be!

Ch
Review №67

Beautifully landscaped park. There are play structures for smaller and older children. There is a shelter for parties or small to medium size group functions. Bathrooms and water fountains are available. Parking at the park entrance is limited, fills up quickly during peak times, however there is a secondary lot within walking distance.

Gw
Review №68

The sections of this park are brilliant and the size of the park means theres something for everyone. My toddler isnt particularly interested in the toddler section but only because he learned to climb long before he learned how to walk. Even if this place is full theres still going to be a spot for you to play because of the sheer magnitude. Not to mention the colors, learning tools, and unique designs of all of the playground equipment. We love it here, my only complaint is that it isnt closer to where we live!

Lo
Review №69

I love this park I take my grandkids here

Le
Review №70

Love it! Lots of tree shades. Playground diversity. Awesome!

Jo
Review №71

This is one of our favorite parks in all of RDU! Plenty of shade when its hot outside.

Ra
Review №72

Great diverse options for different ages

Al
Review №73

Nice place to rest which kids

JV
Review №74

Excellent range of play areas. Equipment for toddlers all the way to teens. There is a pavilion, restrooms and trails. Trail with a bridge over US 1 and a dragons best are excellent.

to
Review №75

A safe and friendly place for the family

Sa
Review №76

Fun place for parents to play with their kids. Favorite Park so far in the Raleigh area. And its super convenient location made it painless to find a great place to eat with the kids nearby after our play time. We even went back for a little after we ate. Fun fun fun.

D.
Review №77

Best park in the area. There are 3 different playgrounds and a cool dragon climbing structure in the ground. Very well shaded and access to walking trails. Just an awesome park.

Br
Review №78

Kids are having a lot of fun here

De
Review №79

Great park and fun for the kids!

m
Review №80

Adding a small spray area, sweet!!

lu
Review №81

Nice place where even I can enjoy

Ry
Review №82

Great play areas for my 18month and 3yr old

Da
Review №83

Lots of shade, fun playground, places to hike.

Jo
Review №84

Great place to bring the family

St
Review №85

Great little park with some shade kids liked it which is always a plus

Co
Review №86

Fun playground and nice Greenway to bridge over US 1. F3 workout every Tuesday morning at 0530.

Pa
Review №87

This is a neat little park. My niece loved it.

pr
Review №88

Took my grandson for the first time. He is 4 and it was perfect for children that age group. It had shade trees, the equipment wasnt hot to touch. The splash pad wasnt what I thought it would be. The little one were not able to push the buttons for the most. That seemed to be an issue for most of the parents there who had other little ones that wanted to play elsewhere. The other issue was there was 2 tour buses that showed up filled with camp kids ages ranged from 8 and up. The counselors were not helpful with the camp kids from being pushy to the tiny tots. The kids were wild to say the least which ended up having those with small tots leaving. But Ill return again, just one a day when the camp kids arent there.

La
Review №89

Clean and big park ,my daughter has too much fun

Ch
Review №90

This is the best park in Cary, hands down! I recently moved out of the area, and will really miss taking my son here.

Ti
Review №91

Its just awesome

Ti
Review №92

Great park for children, and has 3 different playgrounds.

Ca
Review №93

This park is amazing. It’s almost like a theme park. It’s clean, beautiful, and has so many trails. We love the misters by the play equipment and the creative, fun, park design.

Ja
Review №94

One of the nicest parks in the triangle. Shade. It has shade!

Ko
Review №95

Playground was well installed with rubber munch and rubber type flooring. Also its not as high for the safety ise for kids.

Li
Review №96

One of my favorite parks in Cary theres a great trail to walk I love that there is more than one playground its very open spaced lovely greenery seating areas very pretty Park break for the kids

La
Review №97

Great play ground, our grandkids loved it!

Sh
Review №98

Nice park with all sorts of play areas for children of all ages. Plenty of trails. Picnic & grilling areas. Our only complaint was that the water fountains werent working on this very warm spring day. Would definitely recommend, but bring your water bottles.

bi
Review №99

Grandkids favorite the call it alligator Park

Am
Review №100

Fun park with playgrounds for all ages and abilities. Something for everyone here! Clean public restrooms with changing tables. Picnic tables. Nice walking trail

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.8 Rating
  • Address:111 Thurston Dr, Cary, NC 27518, United States
  • Site:http://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/parks-greenways-environment/parks/marla-dorrel-park
  • Phone:+1 919-469-4061
Categories
  • Tourist attraction
  • Park
Working hours
  • Monday:7am–9pm
  • Tuesday:7am–9pm
  • Wednesday:7am–9pm
  • Thursday:7am–9pm
  • Friday:7am–9pm
  • Saturday:7am–9pm
  • Sunday:7am–9pm
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
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