Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park

Colonel Francis J. Beatty Community Park tends to occupy a lot of my recreation time.  Again this is mostly because of its proximity to where I live.  That does not take away from the quality of this park.  This is an excellent park to enjoy the outdoors that is not too far outside of Charlotte.



It is located in the Charlotte suburb of Matthews, NC and is approximately 15 miles East of Uptown Charlotte.  The park is 265 acres and includes 5.75 miles of trails that can be used for walking, mountain biking or trail running.   It includes basketball courts, tennis courts, lighted soccer fields, horseshoe pits, indoor/outdoor picnic shelters, a playground for kids, and restrooms.  There is a put-in for canoes and kayaks near one of the parking areas that makes the large pond a perfect area for a quick afternoon paddle or to practice your roll.

I was introduced to this park at a company picnic.  Since then I have used it mostly for trail running and mountain biking.  On the trail there are a decent amount of tree roots.  While running they add an extra obstacle that you constantly have to look out for.  That is what is great about running on trail as opposed to on the road.  On the trail you have to slow down a bit and pay attention to the obstacles.  On the road it is easier to zone out and keep going forward over and over again.  Plus running on trails is much better on the joints.

A great way to first enjoy these trails is on mountain bike.  This way you can cover a greater amount of the trail system in a shorter time.  This will allow you to get familiar with the trails before you set out on foot.  On a mountain bike the trails can make for a bit of a bumpy ride in some parts.  Maintaining a good speed and hitting the roots straight on is the best way to deal with the bumps.   Always be aware of other people on the trail so you do not run in to other walkers or joggers.  Especially people with kids or walking their dog.

Many people enjoy this for hiking or walking their dog.  You could walk on these trails around a small lake or through the woods.  You could spend as little as 15 minutes or as long as three hours  exploring the trail system of this park.


My favorite way to enjoy this park is for trail running.  There is a loop that covers the entire trail system.  Usually I just take off back in to the woods and not worry about which trail I am on.  When I get tired I head back in the direction of my car.  If I get lost I just find one of the roads that run through the park.  You seem to never be too far from the park roads anywhere in this park, which means you have little worry about getting lost.  When running it is always best to run the opposite direction of bicycles so that you can make eye contact and you both have the opportunity to see each other.  This way there are no surprises.

This is another trail system that was built and maintained by the Tarheel Trailblazers.  The Tarheel Trailblazers and Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department do a great job of providing opportunities for free recreation in the Charlotte Region.  If you see them while visiting these parks please take the time to thank them.  Always remember to not litter and share the trail with others.  The next time you have an afternoon and need something to do check out this great park east of Charlotte, NC.








For further research in to this park and how to help take care of it you can search the following links:


http://www.charmeck.org

http://www.tarheeltrailblazers.com

www.imba.com

www.lnt.org