Bring your boat and stretch your legs. The Water Front Park is a small local park for a quaint water front community. Great when paired with any of the other local attractions and restaurants. No flashy amenities, this park focuses on simple beauty and relaxation for the everyday.
Welcome to Washington NC
The Washington water front Park is a marquee piece of downtown Washington. Washington is a very cute town just to the east of Greenville. Parking is a little bit odd but fully accessible. The same parking lot also serves the main downtown area just to the north of the park so it may be a little crowded depending on the day you visit.
River Front Stroll
The most charming thing about this park is it’s combination of river front access / docks with open green space. The very gorgeous walkway along the Pamlico riverfront monopolizes most photos you will see of the park and for good reason. This walk way is well maintained and right next to the water’s edge. The town has a fairly active sailing community and a small sailing school that makes the view that much better. all the small sailing boats matches the vibe of small town.
There is no shortage of benches, picnic tables and grassy spots. We took advantage of the beautiful day and enjoyed lunch at one of the tables. We do not spend much time around boats so Madilyn was barely able to eat while watchin the boats. Less than a half mile in all, the walk is a nice after meal stroll. I imagine, this would pair nicely after a date at one of the local restaurants in the evening.
The Boats
If you have a boat, you can dock a directly up at the waterfront / marina. With the rest of downtown shops and restaurants only steps away, this can be a big upside to you boaters out there. I do not personally boat but this seems like a great place to drive your boat for dinner, or casual shopping. The small sailing school had a few boats docked here
That being said the guardrail along the river walk has openings to allow people to walk onto the docks. Unfortunately, there are no gates on these openings. With a 2-year-old, I had to be very mindful of these openings as we walked down the river front. I’m a little surprised that they didn’t even have a rope or chain to deter people from accidentally walking into the water. Not a deal breaker for us but something to be aware of.
Everything Else
There is a cute little playground themed like a pirate ship in a gated off space . It also has Madilyn’s favorite items. Swings! Great for kids 12 and under. I appreciate that the space is gated off to help contain kids for parents. By no means the best playground ever but it checked all the basic boxes. One odd part about the playground/park is how close some run down buildings are (see pictures). The town was very means based for a long time and has recently become a touristy area. If these las few buildings get up to speed with the rest of the town, it would really help the image of the park.
There is a large green space and several gazebos in this area as well. This area is used for events and local festivals each year. The gazebos are set up so that they could also be stages with wheelchair access. The close proximity to the estuarium lays the ground work for some fun events. Madilyn enjoyed running around this area. Having flexible greenspace like this is crucial to have a great local park.
Like I mentioned, the park is directly adjacent to the estuarium and utilizes the same parking. Feel free to check out my article on the estuarium. If you are interested in some more nature trails and hiking, venture a little farther to Goose Creek State Park.
Overall
As far as city parks go Washington Water Front Park is not bad. Pair your visit with other local attractions to get the most bang for your buck. Most smaller towns like Washington become magical when you mix experiences. Great for Grandma, your date or you kids, come take a look
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