R.S. "Dad" Dunham Park - Cary, NC

It’s really a testament to just how many parks there are in the Triangle that we’ve driven by this park literally hundreds of times - a park with dinosaur playground equipment no less - but 4 years in, we’re just now exploring and putting it on the page.

R.S. “Dad” Dunham Park is just a few minutes down Walnut Street from Cary Regional Library, which is how we ended up here the other day - looking for something to do after story time. We loved this sweet little park for both the aforementioned dinosaur-themed play equipment, and for the beautiful shade from the large oak and pine trees. There are also plenty of benches around the park to enjoy this shade and sit to watch your kids play.

Some logistics:

• This is a mulch and sandbox playground, so it might not be the best for the everything-in-the-mouth age crowd.

• The park also is right off Walnut, with only a sparse fence - and some area has no fence at all - separating the road from the park (see photo 4). The ground does slope up before the road, which I think helps deter kids from heading up there, but still it’s important to keep an eye out on that front.

• A fair amount of parking for a small park like this.

• Bathrooms and a water fountain right next to the play equipment.

• Basketball and tennis courts also available.

• A nice grassy area perfect for a picnic.

• Did we mention DINOSAUR equipment?? 🦕🦖 😂

Have you been to “Dad”'s Park? Let us know in the comments!

(Note: We're currently working on updating our website with our reviews. This review was originally posted on Instagram on October 4, 2023, and Facebook on May 21, 2024.)