1st time here. Worth it! Nice shaded as well as sunny pathways. Beautiful views as you walk around the lake. Directional signs were very helpful.

Really really love this place! Love the 2 mile loop, the many different sceneries along the way, the shade, the animals we see .... I could go on.Lower parking lot can get pretty full. Upper parking lot can have a lot of cars but doesn’t seem to get full.The 2 mile paved path is PERFECT for walking or running. It’s not as great for biking as it is somewhat narrow and (with pandemic/good weather)more people using it. Love taking my 2 little ones on the trail. 2 hilly parts near the dam which makes it harder with a stroller but it’s totally doable.Bathrooms above the fishing dock and also picnic tables. Benches along the way. The little lookout is always fun for the little ones. This lake is really a winner!!!

I love the sights and the nature. Sometimes I take my son on his bicycle and we dodge off. I love this lake.

The trails around the lake is amazing!!!! Its a great way to get a walking, jogging, or biking workout and the park has spots along the trails you can do exercises like pull-ups, sit-ups, dips, etc.

Really great place to go on a walk, the lake is beautiful. Sometimes can be a bit crowded, but that should tell you how much people enjoy being there.

Nice pretty flat paved wide trails. Both walkers, runners and bikes were on the trial. Not crowded like other area parks.

For water-related or dry-land activity: this park seems to draw fresh air enthusiasts for all kinds of fun.Just waking the perimeter at a leisurely pace is a fine--and can be a largely shady--amble on a hot day. Families with small kids will find fascinating diversions along a stroll around the lake, like spotting plants, or watching turtles, fish, or water birds in the shallow fringes of the water from a low cross-over walkway or platform. *For little ones with water-puddle shoes there are opportunities to splash and stomp for joy in the puddles that appear along walkway margins after a rain.It will be better when all facilities are fully open, but even now its a great spot for all kinds of outdoor pursuits, including picnicking, running, or walking the dogs, at any energy level you choose.*(We wish we could do that, too).

The park is absolutely beautiful with lots of walking trails. My kids and I had a wonderful time. Also, seems like a great place to catch a few fish. However, be sure to wear some mosquito repellent.

I go here at least once a week and it is beautiful. Nice loop around the lake, good for biking, jogging, and walking.

Great view with a fairly easy walking/biking trail. Lots of ducks. Raleigh has some great parks.

Beautiful park. Very scenic.

Beautiful trail with plenty of benches, wildlife, a nice fishing pier and a fitness trail. Anything you wanna do at a lake short of swimming you can have a great time doing here.

Great 3 mile walk around the pond! Paved walkways and not overly crowded like Lake Lynn has gotten.

I love Shelley lake. Other people there are curtious and there is plenty of wildlife to see. Peaceful is what I need from a busy crazy life and this is where I get it.

2 mile loop around lake is great for running. Usually a decent amount of people there throughout the day which makes it a good safe trail, and many other off-shoot paths so you can train for all sorts of distances. Bathrooms are decent for a public greenway and there are open spaces to go throw a ball or fly a kite. There is a playground and basketball courts as well, so something for everyone :)

Many clean picnic tables and surrounding grounds. Good parking. I didnt try any trails.

Nice but sometimes you smell dead stuff. I guess thats nature! Also there are some loose blanks in some of the bridge areas. Everything else is beautiful and lots of shade in different areas. I dont think I got a single mosquito bite while I was there!

Nice park, with well maintained greenway. At just over 2 miles it makes for a good walk with the family. Its also connected to other trails in the system that go all over Raleigh. It does have public restrooms and a nice fishing pier.

Nice walk/run 2 mile loop around the lake. Bald eagles, heron, deer, and the occasional copperhead (in season). Pretty popular for runners and cyclists (a plus and minus).

Great place for an early evening walk. Only 2 miles around with nice tree clear view of the sky.

Beautiful scenic good walking trails with stops along the way. Water for humans and dogs

Absolutely beautiful park with great trails to walk.

I loved Shelly Lake!! My first time was April 21st 2018 and the nature is beautiful, you can see Bald Eagles, turtles, ducks, deer, squirrel, and geese. The nature was beautiful, I will be coming again!

Large mouth bass. Awesome day at park

This is a great place to bring your furry friend for a walk. Its a 2 mile walk on a paved trail around the lake. There are plenty of open areas and spots to take a stop, sit on a bench, and enjoy the day.

A great place to go to enjoy some fresh air. There is a trail which wraps around the lake which is nice for a walk, run, or bike ride. Also a great place to just relax and take in nature. You may see a bald eagle sighting if you visit.

Very nice walking paths! Clean, paced throughout, wide. Will definitely be returning.

Nice walking trail. Several runners and moms pushing baby carriages. Its just over 2 miles around the lake.

Always a spot to park. Plenty of room on the path even when its busy. Nice and shaded for most of its length.

A great park. A pleasant paved loop for walkers. Lots of wildlife. If you keep your eyes open you might catch a glimpse of the pair of bald eagles that live in the park. You might even spot one of the barred owls if youre lucky.

Nice and peaceful. Great outdoor feel also

Love it great lake to exercise run walk bike sit

Really lovely trail around the lake, very well kept, maintained and enjoyable.

Great park with nice views and plenty of shaded areas. The loop is about 2.4 miles around the lake. Parking at the front isnt great but theres additional parking in the art center further up the hill off milbrook. My only complaint is the occasional offensive smell of the water around the park.

Since there are always people here it feels like a safe place to walk around and visit the geese and ducks, have a picnic, fly a kite, etc. There is a fishing pier but the paddle boat rentals are gone. The picnic tables and playground are near the art center at the upper parking area. Sometimes you catch a glimpse of the bald eagles that have a nest nearby.

Love it, been going here for 6 years hasnt gotten old yet, it connects to many other trails.

Great views, air, and natural crossfit section with rocks, tires, tree branches, and pull up bars

Great park to walk in. Had a great day there visting with friends.

Great loop for walking, jogging, running, biking, or bringing a friend for exercise. Sometimes youll encounter deer who feed right at the edge of the greenway. Other times youll see snakes or eagles. Most days youll see ducks, geese heron, and egret. The art center at the entrance has several classes and exhibits, and your child can have fun at the playground. Its also a nice jumping off point for numerous other greenway trails.

Nice calming trails. Great views and natural atmosphere.

The outdoors was great and being at Shelly Lake Park was even greater. The spark was nice and clean and comfortable...

Went fishing with my buddy. Within 30 seconds of throwing in my line, I reeled in a channel catfish (my first one) and my buddy caught a bass.

Its about 6 miles total if you include the extentions from the main course. Very hilly making it both challenging & fun.

Fantastic place for walking and taking time off viewing the lake

Wonderful local park with a paved biking/walking trail. Pets allowed.

Very clean! Just wish they could enforce their feeding the wildlife policy better!

One of the best parks to go for evening walk.

This place is so beautiful I love going here for a walk with my dog. It is clean, peaceful, and safe. During my walks I’ve seen deer, bunnies, turtles, and birds.This place has bathrooms, which usually have toilet paper. There is also one water fountain by the bathrooms.The lake is accesible by a few trails, so you can walk here if you live in the area.There will be people walking, jogging, skating, or biking. A wonderful place!The only thing that is upsetting is that some people continue to feed the ducks despite signs asking them not to do so. I hate it when I see that, especially when it’s white bread

Very nice place for ride your bike and be in contact with the nature, well maintained and spacious trails

This is a pretty great place to walk or bike around. There are picnic tables where you can stop and have a little picnic with family. There is an adequate playground up near the arts center.

Very nice walking trail around the water. The lake is small, its more like a 4 or 5 acre pond from back home. It is pretty and a good place to unwind if necessary. The water is dirty/muddy, and there is some trash in the water which is disappointing. There are many different types of fowl located on or near the water including ducks. Other than what Ive mentioned, the park deserves a 4 star.

Nice place to walk..

A lot of people go to walk here. I never feel alone. Its so beautiful and clean.

Beautiful and relaxing. So much space to do a lot of stuff. Fly kites, Soccer, football, softball etc.

Great paved trails for walking, jogging, or biking.

Very nice.Work out people, there’s a pull up bar here.

A great place to bike, walk, or just sit and enjoy the scenery on one of the many benches.

Great park to run around, it is about a 2 mile loop. There is always lots of people and dogs out. I would not recommend going at night because there are no lights and it gets scary.

Nice park with beautiful views of the lake.

Such a nice trail! Areas of shade and instance markers. Love the view overlooking the water.

One of my favorite places - especially in a summer shower

Beautiful view. Nice place to take a walk/run.

Such a great place to enjoy the weather on a nice walk or bike ride. The trails are a good distance.

One of my favorite park. It is perfect park for hiking around the lake. It takes about 40 minutes. The view is very nice. Also not crowded playground.

I like the trail but the facilities at this place are absolutely disgusting. It looks like no one has cleaned the bathroom in weeks, the water fountain is out of order, and even the memo board at the front of the trail is run down. With all this worry and sickness going around, I would assume they would at least keep the bathrooms clean. I sent in a report but who knows what that will do. This is a nice park but it’s completely run down and filthy, I actually gagged when I went into the bathroom.

What a beautiful well-kept Trail. All of the people who were there were very friendly and my dog had a very good time. We sat and had a picnic overlooking the lake and saw a Luna Caterpillar. Ten out of ten would recommend.

Beautiful. Theres a Bald Eagle nest on the back corner of the lake. Mine Creek Trail around the lake is a very nice walk.

Great place to go for a walk, see deer and even a bald eagle nest. The frogs & crickets are quite loud at dusk lol!

Beautiful place to walk, 2 mile lake trail

This is a roughly 2 mile long loop with a wide paved trail that also connects to the Raleigh Greenway for a straight shot to NCMA or Umstead Park. The Shelly lake loop also has public restrooms and a playground for kids.

Very nice and shaded park, enjoy it here a lot

Great place for a walk all year round. Usually lots of people but never feels crowded.

Its a really nice trail.

Great place for a stroll, run, picnic, bird watching etc. Beautiful piece of nature.

We love Shelley lake. If there isn’t parking in the lot next to the road you can park at the arts center. Not recommended for bikes as there are usually a lot of walkers and runners

Lovely lake trail .. peaceful and calm

This is a nice, peaceful park. Going around the lake is only a couple miles so if youre on bike you might go around a few times. I have brought my dogs and they enjoyed trails and bird watching.

Nice relaxing Park area. Good for Im getting exercise or just enjoy a few minutes for lunch

We love this park and all of the Greenway. Its popular and enjoyable. There are great fields for running or playing fetch with your dog. The lake is peaceful and a scenic backdrop for photos.

Shelley Lake Park is great place for nice walks. You can bring your dog(s) as long as they are on a leash. You can also bike and run. And, youll find that bikers, walkers and runners all get along fine. There is also a playground in case your kiddos need to get some energy out. In the end, youll find that Shelley Lake Park is a nice, tranquil place in Raleigh to get the outdoor exercise of your choice.

Nice park. Really serene

It is a great place to go for a run or walk!

Best place to run in Raleigh! Peaceful and the trail is great.

A great communal walk. The point here isnt solitude but walking a paved trail with strangers and friends. Take a dog but keep it leashed. The loop is around 2 miles. Morning and evening are best. Hot now in the afternoon.

Lovely park with a nice walking/running trail around the lake. Well maintained. I love to walk my pooch, here.

Beautiful scenery and trails. I will come back again.

Shelley lake is very beautiful. I really only go for the fishing they have catfish and bass to my knowledge. I recently started walking the park which is around 2.1 miles a good speed walk. Watch out for the bikes and the skaters though. They have a playground which is kept clean also some cool birds and a area to grill

Great place to jog, walk or kick the ball and enjoy the nature

Well maintained path best for walking or jogging. Yes, you can bike, but it can be crowded for that. And you might see the eagles!

Always a great place for a walk or to see an animal you might not expect inside the city. There’s a community center, trails, playground, basketball, picnic and grill areas. Loads of open space and so much wildlife! Eagles nest there and storks and so many other neat birds and other four legged friends!

Beautiful shady trails. Great for sighting some Wildlife, fishing, bird watching, and even eagles nest. Biking, hiking, dog walking and photography all fun here. Doggy poop needs to be picked up. there are trash receptacles throughout trails. Beautiful lake to admire while you enjoy a picnic or snack. Just dont feed the wildlife.

Wonderful place to get out in nature and exercise.

Beautiful running trail. Best for training for 1/2 marathon distance

Nice place to run, walk, ride , all sorts of outdoor activities

Lovely park with great views and trails. My husband and I look forward to walks, hikes, and bike rides here!

Absolutely beautiful. Sunny but shaded on trail, cool breeze... perfect weather for a walk! Peaceful and serene. Always love walking here and visiting the ducks. Highly recommended!

Nice easy Walk or run

Great walk. Really cool to see the bald eagles.

This 2ish mile loop is the perfect location for a casual walk. Its completely paved (excluding bridges), and there are bathrooms with running water. It gets busy when the weather is nice and can seem a bit crowded at times. Youll never be totally in nature the way you are in other parks, but this loop does connect to other stretches of greenway if thats something youre looking for. The only thing that really bums me out here is that what is now the fishing pier used to be a place to rent a pedal or john boat, so I miss those being a seasonal option.

Good place to unwind and go walking.