"The parking lot used for disc golf and fishing pond parking is currently closed while construction is underway." That line sits in bold on Wake County's project page for Harris Lake County Park. It explains more about the park this October than any photo on that page.
Wake County's renovation at Harris Lake costs approximately $5.2 million. It is funded by the $120 million parks, greenways, recreation and open space bond that voters passed in 2018. Construction started in fall 2025, and the county's target is to finish by fall 2026. That target season is now here, so for anyone in Holly Pointe the park has reached an uneven stage. The water side is finished and open. The Buckhorn Disc Golf and fishing pond side looks finished in the county's August photos, but you still walk in from a gravel field. Which side you're headed to decides where you park.
The lake side is finished
The county's project page puts it plainly: "New Cartop Boat Launch is now open!" This is the accessible launch at the day-use area, and it's for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. The day-use work also added an accessible loading zone for small non-motorized boats and 19 more parking spaces. The county's photos include a demonstration of how the accessible launch works. Wake's visitor information page notes that watercraft with motors or trailers cannot launch from inside the park. Those boaters are directed to the Holleman's Crossing or Cross Point Landing ramps run by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
For someone with a kayak on the roof rack, the lakefront is ready right now. Nothing on the project page says the day-use area is closed for construction.
The pond side is built but still walk-in only
The Disc Golf and Fishing Pond Area got the longest list of upgrades. According to the county, it includes:
- A comfort station with four single-occupancy restrooms, running water and flushing toilets
- A picnic shelter with four picnic tables
- A 9-hole junior disc golf course, built with the Capital Area Disc League, with an accessible tee pad, aimed at people new to the sport
- A canoe storage building for the park's program canoes and fishing gear, plus a new fishing platform at the pond
- An asphalt lot that adds 32 spaces for a total of 70, with accessible parking, open space for event organizers and hookups for food trucks
The county posted August 2026 photos of the paved lot at Buckhorn, the new restrooms and the water fountains at the comfort station. Even so, that lot is still listed as closed, and the county has not given an opening date for the junior course or the comfort station. Treat both as coming soon until Wake says they're open.
The 18-hole Buckhorn course and the fishing pond dam are still open to walkers. Here is the route the county gives:
- Park in the overflow parking field, which is the first gravel lot on your left after you enter the park.
- Take one of the two new access trails from that field.
- Follow the posted signs to the disc golf course or the pond dam.
- Stay out of anything marked as a construction zone.
Once that 70-space lot opens, the pond side changes. Right now it's a trailhead you reach from a gravel field. After the lot opens, it will have restrooms, a covered shelter and food-truck hookups next to the parking.
The Park Office is still between buildings
The Park Office got a 950-square-foot expansion and renovation, with more staff space and a dedicated classroom for educational programs. The work also includes a new pole barn and upgrades to the maintenance yard. The county posted August photos of the new reception area. The office is still closed for renovation, though, and staff are working out of a temporary office across the parking lot. Wake lists no set office hours while staff are in that temporary space.
The last piece is public art. Wake names artist Virginia Kistler, who "will be working" with the park to design and install one or more pieces. The county hasn't announced an installation date.
What runs no matter where the construction stands
Several parts of the park aren't tied to the renovation at all. The Peninsula Trail is four orange-blazed loops totaling nearly five miles. County materials don't list a closure for it, though the park does warn that parts of the grounds are under construction. The year-round orienteering course offers short and long routes, and the park also supports geocaching. In the Day Use area, the playground sits between the Loblolly and Longleaf shelters, and an open playfield and sand volleyball court are near the Loblolly Shelter.
The Hog Run mountain-bike system is less predictable. Wake describes it as 10.7 miles of loops built for every skill level. An October 3 trail report marked one piece of it, the Advanced Skills Line, "Closed / Red," and gave no reason. Trail status can change quickly, and Wake asks riders to check TriangleMTB or call the park before heading out.
The grounds are open from 8 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week. The park closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Sunset comes earlier every week from now through December, so the after-work window gets shorter as the season goes on.
The fall program calendar
Wake's public-program listing for Harris Lake has dated programs through Thanksgiving week. Most need advance registration, so the listing is the place to check before you go.
| Date | Program | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 8, 11 a.m.–noon | Kids Discover Nature: Pumpkin Circle | Ages 2–5 with an adult |
| Sun., Oct. 11, 1:30–3 p.m. | Smith and Holleman History Hike | Ages 10+, meets at Cypress Shelter, advance registration |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 9–11 a.m. | Harris Lake Outdoorsman Series: Fishing 101 | Ages 15+, gear and bait provided |
| Sun., Oct. 25, 1:30–3 p.m. | Harris Lake ecoEXPLORERS | Arachnid theme, ages 7+, children register with an adult |
| Oct. 29–31 | Theater in the Park | Full, waitlist only |
| Thu., Nov. 5, 11 a.m.–noon | Kids Discover Nature: Fall Leaves Fall | Ages 2–5 with an adult |
| Fri., Nov. 13, 3–5:45 p.m. | Friday Night Frights Wagon Rides | Rides grouped by age at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 25, 2–3 p.m. | Talkin' Turkey | All ages, meets at Cypress Shelter |
Fishing 101 has one requirement to sort out ahead of time. Anyone 16 or older needs a valid North Carolina inland fishing license. Theater in the Park has practice sessions from 1 to 4 p.m. on October 29 and 30, and the performance is from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on October 31. Wake lists it as full and points families to the waitlist.
Talkin' Turkey is the last listed program before the holiday closure. It runs Wednesday, November 25, and the park closes the next day for Thanksgiving.
None of the listed programs is a guided paddle or canoe outing. The current listing shows none for October or November, even though the new cartop launch is open. Wake's Buckhorn page also lists no fall disc golf tournament and asks players to check back for future events. So both new features are ready for people who show up on their own, but no fall programs use them yet.
One scheduling note for Saturday visits: the events calendar shows Dynamic Dogs using the playfield for training classes on October 17, 24 and 31 and November 7 and 14. If you were counting on an open field for a pickup game on one of those mornings, plan around it.
A stop on the way home
After a morning paddle or a History Hike, Oakview Commons is an easy breakfast stop. The Flying Biscuit Café opened at 161 Oakview Commons Dr. #105 on June 1, 2026, according to the franchise's announcement. Degree Wellness is in the same building at Suite 101.
The next change to watch for at Harris Lake is a notice from Wake County that the Disc Golf and Fishing Pond lot has reopened. Once that happens, the restrooms, shelter and junior course on the pond side should be usable straight from the parking lot. Until then, park in the first gravel field on the left.
If you're keeping track of how places like Harris Lake shape everyday life in Holly Springs, or want to talk about what's changing near your part of town, Debbie Goldstein is happy to share what she knows. Let's Connect.
