Leaky Water Towers and Friday night lights. Ayden District Park offers a little something for everyone to have fun. You will want to check out their Dog Park Too!
Where is this, what is parking like, other travel considerations
The Ayden District park is located in spacious Ayden just south of Greenville. Even for the Greenville, area the park is a little out of the way. People in the area tend to gravitate to the parks around the tar river Town Common or the newer Wildwood Park.
The parking in this area is more than adequate as you might expect. That being said, if you come during one a sporting event, you may find the area packed with a small charge for parking. Unfortunately there are not many formal alternatives for parking in the area.
What did we do while there
I honestly did not realize there was a whole park here until after I put “Ayden Splash pad” into my phone GPS. We were looking for an option to cool off without going to an over crowded pool or without the 2-3 hour drive to get to the beach. Just a few minutes from the house made this a no-brainer.
The splash pad is a simple fenced off area open during the summer months like you might expect. I recommend checking posting on the website for current dates/times. What we found was nicely suited for toddlers to elementary aged kids. The space was not terribly large but it was a ball of fun. It was a 2$ charge per child to enter so bring some cash with you.
Oh and be sure to bring water shoes or something to keep on your feet. This is a requirement. The attendant at the gate does have shoes available if you want them but I am not a big fan of sharing shoes with strangers. There are some chairs provided around the perimeter for the convenience of parents but these go quick. Consider bringing a folding chair with you.
Madilyn was very shy around the water initially. After a while she was warmed up to it and became obsessed by this orange mushroom thing. Something about how the water hit her feet and hands was really interesting to her.
After a while we needed to get going but Madilyn wanted to check out the swings before we left. So we got changed and enjoyed the view for a little. The swings are a ways away from the rest of the playground for some reason but that did not stop Madilyn.
If you are making a whole outing, I recommend grabbing some ice cream at Simply Natural Creamer. Or if you are looking for something a little hardier, head over to Parker’s Barbeque or Skylight Inn for lunch.
Amenities
In addition to the splash pad is quite a few classic park amenaties. The ample playground is directly next to the infamous splash pad. One danger here is trying to prevent your wet kid from running around in the wood chips before you leave.
One thing that stuck out to me was that there is very little shade. This is the case for not just the playground but the whole park. The lack of shade jumped out after visiting the Town Common earlier that same day. If you plan on hanging out at the splash pad while the kids play, consider bringing an umbrella.
I almost did not notice it but there is a sizable dog park right near the entrance. Now again, no shade but a dog park all the same. The only other large dog park in the area in the Greenville Dog Park off of the greenway. My chief complaint about that dog park was it seemed overcrowded and over used. This suffered the opposite fate and likely due to the shade issue. Again, a simple umbrella will fix this issue for most.
What the community uses the park for frequently is also the major sports field. Well maintained and clearly the source of many proud parents through out the community. Not much else to say besides “Its a nice field”.
Tying all of this together is a loose series of walking paths of no major length. It is about the perfect length to meander while talking on the phone or to take a loved one for a
Something For Everyone
I surprised myself with how much there is to write about this park. Truly, the Ayden District Park has a little something for everyone in the family. The community has built something where many families will make simple yet fond memories with each other. That is something to be proud of.
Overall
The Ayden District Park is a generalist. Specializing in nothing in particular but providing adequate service in all area. We enjoyed coming and would be happy to visit again with another family or some friends.
If you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.
Want more? Subscribe! Or check out our Activity Map for more cool activities
We are now on Etsy! Come check out our store and support the site.
