Forest Ridge Park is a 586-acre passive recreation park located on the southeastern shoreline of Falls Lake. The City has a long-term land lease from USACE and permitting was acquired through Wake County. The park includes a playground, shelters, a welcome center, and walking and biking trails. The playground features equipment from different manufacturers, as well as natural play elements including boulders, vegetation, a butterfly garden, and a hill slide with a ramping sidewalk.
Forest Ridge Park includes several historical and cultural sites. The overall objective was to preserve the park’s habitat and provide recreation opportunities to adjacent communities.
The design of the park included complex permitting with the US Army Corps, Wake County, and the City of Raleigh. Sensitivity to the site was paramount in the design as the park is on the shoreline of the water source for the City and an endangered bat required tree felling before the nesting season.