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"BRINGING THE BEST OF THE TRIANGLE TO YOUR NEXTDOOR".
WAKE COUNTY’S CROWDER COUNTY PARK
APEX, NORTH CAROLINA

A SMALLER COUNTY PARK WITH A LOT TO OFFER FOR ITS SIZE!


A graduate of NC State and a Wake County native, park manager Tim Lisk has worked with Wake County Parks since 1990. His assignment with Wake County PROS includes stops at Lake Crabtree County Park, Harris Lake County Park, the American Tobacco Trail, and the Wake County Open Space program. Currently Tim is a regional manager at Historic Yates Mill County Park and Crowder County Park and also oversees nearby open space properties.
Interviewing Tim Lisk today is Drew Ludlow, Associate Editor of the Regency Park Partnership and its Community Volunteer in Apex. He is the current President of Citizens Assisting Police in Apex (CAPA), a local non-profit. He is also a real estate advisor with Ludlow Real Estate Group. Drew lives in Apex with his wife, two boys and dog, Zeke. He is grateful that Crowder County Park is only a short drive away and offers so many ways to re-energize and re-focus.
Tim, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. Can we please start with your giving us some general information about Crowder County Park?
Drew, this is certainly a great place to start with. We are located on Ten-Ten Road in Apex, NC and we are very convenient to Cary, Holly Springs, Garner and Fuquay Varina. We have a total of 33 acres and opened in 1998. Lots of outdoor recreational and educational opportunities for everyone, recreational opportunities include walking, jogging, and picnicking.

You mentioned educational opportunities, can you explain in more detail?
We have a variety of educational programs that give visitors opportunities to learn about our natural world. We also have interpretive signs, and demonstration gardens.
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And our park staff offer interpretive, hands-on programs for all ages and interests, as well as outreach programs for organized community groups.
Tim, what about your recreational opportunities?

Perhaps Crowder is best known for its paved perimeter and pond loop trails. The perimeter trail is about 8/10 of a mile and is a wonderful scenic tour as you go by the bird garden, prairie garden and the shade garden near the Heron Shelter.
The paved pond loop trail circles Crowder Pond. This trail takes you across the pond boardwalk and by the observation deck near the pond dam. The pond loop is approximately 3/10 of a mile in length and is very popular and is a really great for viewing wildlife including turtles.
Actually, the pond loop trail is my favorite one. Tell us just a little more.
Actually the pond loop trail is one of my favorites too! The Crowder Pond is 2.7 acres in size.
We don’t know exactly how old the pond is, but based on Doris Crowder’s memories of her childhood, we think the pond is between 80 and 100 years old.


Drew, lets fast forward to 1996.
In early September of that year, Hurricane Fran badly damaged the pond about the same time that park construction had began.
But the Crowder Pond dam was successfully rebuilt, and today the pond still retains the same size and shape it always had.

Tim, can you please tell us how this property came to be a park? It seems that each county park has its own story of how it came to be. What can you tell us about how this land was originally preserved so that it would one day become the park that it is today?

Drew, Crowder County Park certainly has a very unique history just all Wake County parks do. And let me start by saying that without the generosity of Ms. Doris Crowder, we would not be talking here about what makes Crowder County Park so wonderful.
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​Like many areas in Wake County more than a century ago, the land that makes up Crowder was once farmland that was owned and farmed by Ms. Crowder’s father Arthur Colon Pierce, and her mother Lenna Utley Pierce. They farmed this land until Mr. Pierce’s death in 1955. Ms. Crowder fondly remembered spending much of her childhood playing among the fields and trees but particularly enjoying Crowder Pond.
Having no heirs and a strong desire to share the natural beauty of her property with others, in 1992 Ms. Crowder contacted Wake County about her donating this land for a public park. Wake County graciously accepted the donation and began park construction in 1996. When the construction was completed the new park was dedicated in memory of her parents.


Crowder opened to the public in September 1998, and of course the guest of honor for the dedication was Ms. Crowder.
At 84 years old, she was still able to tour the park and got to see firsthand what her incredible generosity made possible. She passed away just 18 months after the dedication, but her legacy of kindness lives on.
What a wonderful and touching story. I am sure that knowing about Ms. Crowder and her wonderful gift will make my next visit to the park even more special. I will think of her whenever I walk around Crowder Pond.
Now. it appears that each Wake County Park has unique features that are different from those of the other parks. Is this mostly by accident or something else entirely?
Some that frequent several of our county parks may not ever realize that we pride ourselves on designing and building parks that are notably different from each other. This is often done by utilizing the natural or cultural features of each park site, listening to the community on what they desire in a park, and researching existing other park amenities are in the area.
So what about Crower Park, what makes it different?
Good question.
Our special planning and design process for Crowder which in large part was influenced by Ms. Crowder's wishes resulted in a park with its own blend facilities and activities.

Part of this uniqueness is that it is a smaller park that is completely surrounded by residential communities that might make it feel more like a community park to some visitors. But Crowder has a much bigger feel to it when we consider that is on a 33-acre tract with forested boundaries. One may never realize that civilization is just over the next hill or valley.
We have also taken special care to insure that our picnic shelters, playgrounds and restrooms are spaced well, and each does not negatively impact the other. Even our walking trails are unique in that these weave their way through trees leading user to different areas of the park.
Tim, is there anything else on this topic that you want to tell us before we move on?
From my perspective, probably the most unique aspect of Crowder is how the park came to be, as it’s a rare occurrence for the land for one of our parks to be donated by an individual. Many of our county parks are actually built on land that is leased from another landowner/agency such as Duke Energy or NC State University.
A good example of this would be Harris Lake County Park about 15 miles away. The land there is actually owned by Duke Energy.

Do you offer any special of programs throughout the year?

Regrettably, since the pandemic, we have not been able to return to many of our larger events like Frog Fest, but we are all working to establish new events and programs. For example, we now partner with Wake County Libraries to host the Bookmobile, which means that visitors can experience Wake County Public Libraries in a new way — at the park!
Actually, Library on the Go brings the Bookmobile or pop-up library to other park locations as well. This fall, look for the Bookmobile not only at Crowder, but also at other county parks like Lake Crabtree and Historic Oak View.
And we know you have several other programs as well. Is there anything else that comes to mind?
Yes. We now partner with the Wake County Animal Shelter to host a pet adoption event at Crowder County Park this coming fall. This event will be called “Tails and Trails” event and will focus on resources for pet adoptions. all, 2024.
We plan to also have dog tricks, costume contests, and a variety of pet services on hand. Check out the Crowder web page for details as we get closer to Fall,
I also want to mention that for years Crowder County Park has offered its popular Tiny Tots (ages 6 and under) that includes a short story time and a fun craft for years. For 2024, we are now also offering Tiny Tots in Spanish! (You do not have to speak Spanish to attend.), and this is the first of its kind in our division to offer an educational program in Spanish

These sound like wonderful programs. What about organized school groups, are there programs available for these as well?
We do offer smaller, organized group programs, including for schools on a limited basis.
But unfortunatly we really do not have the staff to teach larger groups. For group programs that we do host, we cover a large range of topics like pond dip netting, sweep netting for insects, playing games about beavers, and discovering the world of the Crowder Pond turtles.

Families and individuals can also participate and learn through hands-on activities such as science experiments and can meet our park naturalists as well. A “Walk in the Woods”, “Crowder By Night", "Family Features", "Nature Families" and "Tiny Tots Story Time”, are just a sampling of the many public programs that are offered at Crowder

Almost all our public programs (other than summer camps) are free but pre-registration is required. And for those that want more group programming, I suggest nearby Historic Yates Mill County Park which has the classroom/auditorium facilities and the staff to handle larger groups.
Can you talk about some of the other opportunities at Crowder?

We have a few geocaches within Crowder County Park. This activity is self-guided by getting coordinates from Geocaching.com and bringing your own GPS unit.
And we are one of over 500 HotSpots across North Carolina.
ecoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is a community science program for children in grades K-8. Developed by The NC Arboretum, this program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in community science.
Your gardens are very nice too.
Yes our gardens abound at Crowder, the Piedmont Prairie, pollinator, bird, and shade gardens all serve as demonstration gardens that educate visitors as to what they could create in their own outdoor spaces.
The Piedmont Prairie is maintained by the Wake County Master Gardeners and is a wonderful displace of native flowering plants.

The Butterfly garden is made up of many different species of plants attractive to butterflies. And the Bird garden has bird feeders to attract birds into viewing range. Sitting quietly in the bird garden, park visitors will be entertained by our feathered friends. as the

vegetable garden is maintained by park staff.
And your playgrounds?
Yes, we actually have 3 different playgrounds! Some of the features include a rock wall, spinners, slides, musical instruments, play panels such as tic-tac-toe, lookout towers and monkey bars.

The largest is affectionally known as “the beast” is located in the upper part of our park. It was renovated in 2018 and remains one of the most popular spots in the park.

Two smaller playgrounds are located in the lower portion of the park near the Heron Shelter and the other near the Robin Shelter.
What about opportunities for observing wildlife?
I talked about Crowder Pond already, but want to also say that a variety of wildlife make their home in and around the pond and there is no better place to see wildlife than from the pond boardwalk and pond overlook.
One might observe yellow-bellied slider turtles, painted turtles, and snapping turtles. Look closely in the pond and you may see a catfish, largemouth bass or bluegill.
Fishing is not allowed. The entire park is home to many other animals such as barred owls, white tailed deer, copperhead snakes and grey squirrels just to name a few.
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​I need to stress that the protection of our native wildlife is of utmost importance. We strongly discourage feeding our wildlife and the collecting or releasing of any animal is prohibited.

(Photo Credit: Sam Ray)
Are there permanent exhibits in the buildings that will allow us to learn more?

When the office is open, stop in and say hello to “Popcorn” the corn snake, “Stinky” the musk turtle and “Scooter “the river cooter.
Park staff will be happy to introduce our most important park ambassadors. These critters are used in educational programs and go out in the community spreading the word about the importance of a clean environment and the importance of protecting their native habitat.
I also want to mention a recent upgrade to our exhibit in the upper pavilion which is near the large playground. Our staff has been working hard to create a wetland habitat mural which was completed this spring. Be sure to check out the upper pavilion, relax in one of the rocking chairs, enjoy the shade and check out the new mural!

Are there any fees at the park?
Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space makes a concerted effort to provide education and outdoor recreation for all without any barriers to participation. And several years ago, the decision to remove fees for most of its educational programs was enacted.
There are no entrance fees, and most educational programs are free. There is a fee for summer camps, and special use permits and if you want to reserve a picnic shelter, there is a fee with the amount depending on the capacity.
Any fees for taking photos?
No restrictions for general pictures, but for professional/client photography a free permit is required. Photographers can go to our website for more information.
Tim, I see where there is an on-line newsletter. What does this typically tell us and how can we sign up to receive it by email?

The monthly newsletter provides a program calendar and general news about what’s going on in the park such as special events, park construction, closing times, etc.… Contact us at 919-662-2850 or email us at crowder@wake.gov to get on the email list.
Visitors can also see what's happening on our social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
What can you tell us about your staff?
Drew, in 2010, the County combined the staffs at Crowder and Historic Yates Mill County Park. As they are only about eight miles apart. This involved materials, and equipment as well as staff. I can’t be more proud of all the Crowder and Yates Mill staff for working as a team during this transition and focusing on common goals while working at two very different parks.
We have three full time staff at Crowder - Patrick Lynch, Assistant Park Manager of Operations, Sarah Goldsmith, Park Technician of Education and Jonny Floyd, Park Technician of Operations. We also have four part time staff at the present time - Walt Fuller, Christian Cox, Seren Hatley and Gerry Carbonaro.
When visiting Crowder you will most likely encounter one of them as they carry out their duties. Make sure you allow time to stop and chat with them. They are very proud of their work and services they provide. This is part of the more personal touch I think you get when visiting Crowder. Whether providing an educational program, mulching a trail or something in between, the Crowder staff is top notch!

Tell us about the role volunteers play at your park.
We look at volunteers as extensions to our regular park staff providing services and programs that might not otherwise be offered.

Volunteers come from our local community, and they come in the form of girl scout troops, eagle scout candidates, Wake County Master Gardeners and individuals all with the desire to enhance our park.
Their work includes education gardens, bluebird box monitoring, landscaping and more.
Two of our more recent volunteer groups, South Wake Conservationists (pictured above) and Activate Good have quickly become our biggest volunteer groups. These groups have been a tremendous help establishing and maintaining the Crowder habitats by donating different bird houses, planting trees and flowering plants.
Our volunteer webpage has opportunities that you can sign up for. Otherwise, individuals or groups are welcome to contact us directly to see if we have volunteer opportunities available.
And what about Accessibility at Crowder?
Most of the facilities including the park office, restrooms, playgrounds, and picnic shelters are accessible. A portion of our paved perimeter trail is also accessible, particularly around the Crowder Pond and pond boardwalk.
Before we leave you to your duties, is there anything else you want to share with us?
Three words: “We are growing!” Expansion is in our future at Crowder.
The County recently purchased an additional 96 acres of land from the Mary Jackson Babb estate which is adjacent to the existing park. We’re working to masterplan and develop some of the newly acquired land.
This will be a collaborative effort working with our consultants and our neighbors. Look for more information through our website and social media as we start to design the next chapter at Crowder County Park.

Tim, thank you so much for sharing Crowder Park with all of us today. While I knew much about the peaceful trails and the wonderful pond there, I knew nothing about its rich and unique history, and the terrible damage that Hurricane Fran did there. Having this information now, will add a new perspective to my future visits. Thank you again!

CROWDER COUNTY PARK
ADDRESS: 4709 Ten-Ten Road, Apex, NC 27529
PARK HOURS: 8 a.m.–Sunset 7 days a week
PARK OFFICE: No set hours
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EMAIL: crowder@wake.gov
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PHONE: 919-662-2850
Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.