I recently spent some time in Raleigh and was looking for somewhere to take a quick walk, about 2-3 miles. I took a look on Google Maps and found Lake Johnson Park, not far from downtown Raleigh. There are shorter loops that are about 2 miles, or you can make the walk longer by doing additional loops.

It is easy to get there, and there are several parking lots. Google Maps took me to the main parking lot, but there are several lots here for extra parking.

Parking is free, which is great. At the main part of the park, there is a building with bathrooms, restrooms, rentals, and more.

There was plenty of parking in the main lot, but you can always go to a different lot if there are no spots left here.

It is nice to have the main building here with bathrooms and more.

There is a trail kiosk here with information about Lake Johnson.

Depending on which trails you do here, there are about 2-5 miles of trails to check out. (Always check out the most recent maps online or at the park).

The trails are in great condition, with the majority of it being paved and wide.

There is a large, flat, open area that overlooks the lake.

There are some surprisingly steep areas on this trail. I was expecting it to be completely flat around the lake, and it is flat on one side, but it ended up being quite steep on the other. It gave me a nice little workout!

There is a lovely bridge going over the water near the waterfront center. This is such a pretty place to look out over the water.

The view of the lake is so lovely and relaxing, and there are even Adirondack rocking chairs out front to enjoy.

If you’re into water sports, there are rentals and other opportunities to enjoy time on the water.

I really enjoyed my time here with a variety of trails to choose from and plenty of facilities from parking to bathrooms. I would like to return and do some kayaking on the lake some time.

Check out this park online at the NC Parks website.