The playground at Baileywick Park was closed this past winter so we finally made a visit in late May. Baileywick Park is located in Northwest Raleigh at 9501 Baileywick Rd. Upon entering the park you pass access to the Baileywick greenway trail and eventually come to a large parking lot that provides access to all of the park’s amenities. We parked near the bathroom facilities and started with a visit to the playground.
The playground consists of an expansive jungle gym for ages 5-12, a smaller jungle gym for ages 2-5, four tot swings, four regular swings, a sand box with diggers, and several teeter totters. The base of the playground is covered in wood chips and there are several benches scattered around the playground. The playground for ages 5-12 has several slides that are of medium height, multiple climbing options, monkey bars, bridges and more. The tot playground has several slides, matching games, and a few different climbing ladders.
Adjacent to the playground is a large open field, restrooms, a large shelter with eight picnic tables, an area shaded with trees (no picnic tables though), a covered bench area, and two lighted baseball fields. A paved walking trail is also nearby, which leads to another shelter with two picnic tables and an open field. This park is also equipped with the Big Belly solar trash and recycling compactors, which has provided great savings for the city. These have been installed in several places throughout Raleigh and it’s great to see them at the parks. Learn more about the Big Belly solar compactors in this N&O article from earlier this year.
Thumbs up: open fields, numerous benches, several swings, climbing options on large playground, nearby walking trail, landscaping around playground (several hardwoods and crape myrtles)
Thumbs down: full-sun playground area is very hot
