Sports Leagues and Green Spaces Abound Throughout Johnston County
parks, recreation, smithfield community park, smithfield recreation and aquatics center,
Johnston County communities offer an array of sports leagues and green spaces for families to enjoy, with numerous parks and fitness facilities throughout. A new option - the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center, scheduled for completion in January 2009 - will just add to the fun.
“It is essentially a joint project between us and Johnston County schools,” says Tim Johnson, director of Smithfield Parks and Recreation. “We will build it together, operate it together and use it together.”
The building will be adjacent to Smithfield Community Park and will include a suspended indoor walking track, a double gymnasium, two racquetball courts, a full-service health and fitness club, an aerobics and dance exercise area, banquet room and catering kitchen.
A main feature will be the aquatics area, with an eight-lane competition pool as well as a children’s splash-and-play pool with various water features and an indoor playground. Families will be able to enjoy the facility together, especially in conjunction with the park next door. Parents can take advantage of the track at the park while their children participate in a game on the courts, or they can all enjoy the pool area together.
“I think that the things we will offer in the center will draw families, just like the 40-acre park,” Johnson says. “We can have special events and tournaments there, and it’s going to be very affordable. Memberships and user fees will be a portion of what it will cost to be part of a private gym or health club.”
For families seeking a fun educational experience, the Clemmons Educational State Forest is a great place to visit. With pine stands, hardwoods, pleasant rolling terrain, streams and rock outcroppings, the beauty of North Carolina is front and center here. About 45,000 visitors each year stroll along the well-marked trails and check out the exhibits and displays about the forest’s ecology.
Some of the trees and rocks have recordings that make them sound like they’re talking - and that’s a big hit with kids.
“My parents took my son last week and he loved it,” Johnson says.
With so many options, residents can find plenty of different outdoor activities to keep them busy each weekend.
Story by Hollie Deese
Photo by Ian Curcio
