Martha Rivers Park great place to welcome autumn

Despite what the calendar tells us, "it" has not yet arrived.

But on a recent mid-morning visit to Gastonia's Martha Rivers Park, I could feel that "it" is very close.

"It," of course, is autumn and when the season does sweep into Gaston County I can think of no better place to welcome its arrival than at this sparkling showcase of a park on the city's southwest side.

I had not visited the park for years until my return there last week, but I was quickly reminded that it has all the ingredients to be a premiere destination for families -- walking trails of various lengths, immaculately landscaped grounds, and a children's playground area that is simply without parallel.

LOCATION: Martha Rivers Park is located at 1515 Neal Hawkins Road, just a few miles and a few minutes from downtown. From downtown, it's a straight shot down Union Road and then a quick left on Neal Hawkins. The park occupies nearly 60 acres.

HOURS: The entire park is open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. The lighted outdoor athletic fields operate independently when scheduled. Parking is abundant.

AMENITIES: Of prime importance to any family with children, a clean and well-lighted restroom facility is in the center of the park. The park also features four lighted soccer fields, three lighted youth baseball fields, a lighted youth softball field, two batting cages, and, when games are being played, a concessions stand.

Paved walking trails loop around the outer edge of the baseball fields, playground, and soccer fields, with several adjoining crossovers to vary distance and geography. Two large picnic shelters, other picnic tables within a grove of pine trees, a Fit-Trail with a series of exercise stations, a sand volleyball court, and two horseshoe courts are among the other highlights.

CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND: One thing that truly sets this park apart is Operation Playground -- a one-acre area designed by children and built by hundreds of community volunteers using thousands of privately-funded donations.

A largely wooden structure, known simply as "The Castle," consists of multiple levels and includes a fort, a ship, a race car, swings, slides, and a sand pit in which to dig "dinosaur bones," all connected by a series of ramps and catwalks above a safe, rubberized surface.

My own two grandsons, Diego and Nolan, would absolutely love this spot.

MY VERDICT: A great, safe, easily accessible place to enjoy the outdoors. A highlight for me was the four walking trails -- the playground loop at 0.32 of a mile, the baseball loop at 0.45, the soccer loop at 0.77, and the outer loop which is exactly one mile.

As noted above, all of these trails are connected, so a host of different options are available.

Very comfortable benches are spaced conveniently along the trails and the view from the eastern edge of the outer loop, looking back across the fields and woods, is simple outstanding.

I sat there upon a bench for a few minutes during my visit and just soaked it all in -- the walkers making their way around the track, the dogs who were pulling and jumping, the jets climbing upward from the Charlotte Airport, and the simple splendor of a sky mixed with blues and grays.

The only thing missing? The golden colors of autumn.

Bikes are permitted on each of these trails, but I would advise riders to keep it slow as the trails are heavily peopled with walkers and joggers and dogs of all ages and abilities. Martha Rivers Park is certainly not the place to be practicing for the Tour de France.

Bill Poteat, who would always rather be outside than in, may be reached at 704-869-1855.