By Jessica Thomas Lewis
Hidden off Reynolds Park Road in Winston-Salem, Quarry Park offers a nice place for passive activities and relaxation. The access road is next to the William Roscoe Anderson Jr. Recreation Center. Just minutes from downtown, this 228-acre park includes a 12-acre quarry with 130-foot bluffs that overlook waters that are so clear you can see dozens of feet below the surface.
The park includes open green space with walking/biking trails, overlooks and an observation platform over the quarry. Quarry Park also has an event lawn and lawn amphitheater. Winston-Salem's downtown skyline and the Sauratown mountains can be seen in the distance.
The park includes the Waughtown Greenway Connector, providing access from Reynolds Park and the Salem Creek Greenway. There is a greenway rest area with bike parking and several bike racks throughout the park.
Cool sculptures made for sitting adorn the walking trails and there are lots of metal benches for quiet moments and spectacular views. The metal benches were designed to resemble the screens once used to sort gravel in the old quarry. Water fountains and trash receptacles are placed along the trails and there are picnic tables.
There is a public restroom tucked under the observation platform. The walls to the restroom are made of large gravel, such as the gravel that was produced by the old quarry for use in the construction of Business 40 and US 52. The park is handicap accessible and is stroller and dog friendly.
Entry is free and there is plenty of parking. Quarry Park is perfect for a quiet afternoon outside.
