Upcoming Time Changes

On Monday, May 23rd, Lake Crabtree County Park will move our closing time to 9:00 pm. This will be our last time change through the end of summer. Remember that boats need to be off the water 30 minutes before the park closes.

Park Closure Notice

Lake Crabtree County Park will be closed to the public until 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 26th as we host the 2022 Valor Games Southeast celebration. 

Boat Rental Reopening!

We are very excited to announce that our boat rental facilities will be back open this summer. The park anticipates Boat Rental operations will resume later this month. Keep an eye out on our Facebook or Boat Rental Page for more details or announcements in the coming weeks.

April Showers bring May

Rain Barrel Workshops



We still have a few spots left for our rain barrel workshop on May 11th from 6-7 pm. Participants will be able to take home a fully functional 55-gallon rain barrel with installation kit for just $55. Sign up HERE!

Sign your Dragonfly Detective up for this awesome summer camp!

Explore the world of dragonflies at the Dragonfly Detectives Camp! This exciting summer camp is back again from Monday, July 18th to Thursday, July 21st, from 9 am to 2 pm each day. Learn about aquatic systems, animal migration, and dragonfly identification while participating in fun, scientific activities. Campers will help gather data on dragonfly migration and contribute to a citizen science project.

Each camper will receive a dragonfly field guide, insect net, activity guide, and water bottle to keep. Snacks will be provided each day. This camp is co-sponsored by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

Additional camp forms will be sent to registrants and must be completed and returned prior to camp.

Open to ages 9-13. The cost for this camp is $80.

Sign up here!

Crabtree Nature Crafts



Next time you bring the kids out to the park to enjoy the playgrounds, trails, or other facilities, be sure to stop by the Manager's Office for a free craft! Look for signs posted at the restrooms and playgrounds that the craft is available that day (generally Mondays through Thursdays from 10 am to noon). 

Each month we will feature a different craft and theme. This month's feature is CATERPILLARS! Stop by to make your very own caterpillar on a leaf craft.

Now hiring part- time positions at Lake Crabtree!

We currently have openings for part-time positions for both Park Operations and Boat Rental. Click HERE to view all of our current openings on our website.

UPCOMING PARK PROGRAMS

Come out to Lake Crabtree and discover more about the natural world while exploring the park. Click the links (program titles) for more details and to register. Spaces are limited to allow for social distancing at in-person programs, so register today. All programs are FREE!

Lake Crabtree also offers group programs! If your group is interested in booking a program, contact Colleen Bockhahn at colleen.bockhahn@wakegov.com.

In-Person Programs for Everyone

Big Bat Night

Thursday, May 5th from 6:30-7:30 pm

Bats play an important part in our ecosystems and our daily lives. This time of year is a great time to spot them swooping around hunting bugs in the late evening. Bats help control insect populations, especially mosquitoes. Some bats may eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in just one hour. Come to the Big Bat Night virtual program to learn more about our flying mammal friends. Open to ages 6 and up.

Nature Nerds: Vines and Grasses

Friday, May 6th from 1-2 pm

Expand your knowledge of our local flora and fauna by exploring a different area of the park each month. Join park staff as they "nerd out" over a different group of animals, plants, fungi or other living things each month. Help collect data for our Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist while increasing your own identification skills.

This month we will be focusing on plants, with a focus on vines and grasses. Learn how to identify some of our common species, and see what else we can find. Open to ages 10 and up.

Birding with Vernon

Saturday, May 7th from 8:30 am-10 am

Join our bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats. Bring your own binoculars and field guides if you have them. Beginners and experienced birdwatchers are welcome! Ages 8 and up.

Nature at Night

Friday, May 13th from 8-9:30 pm

Experience the sights and sounds of dusk and darkness. Learn more about the park's nocturnal animals and test your night vision. Come prepared with a flashlight and a sense of adventure!

Ages 6 and up.

Planting for Pollinators

Saturday, May 21st from 1-2:30 pm

Without pollinators, we wouldn't have many of the foods we know and love today. Learn about our backyard pollinators and how you can support them by selecting plants that will provide the most benefit. We will explore our native wildlife garden in search of these plants and see how many pollinators we can find! Ages 7 and up. 

Nature Nerds: Lakeshore Life

Friday, June 3rd from 1-2 pm

Expand your knowledge of our local flora and fauna by exploring a different area of the park each month. Join park staff as they "nerd out" over a different group of animals, plants, fungi or other living things each month. Help collect data for our Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist while increasing your own identification skills.

This month we will be focusing on the animals that live along the lakeshore. We will be exploring both on land and in the lake. Bring waders, rubber boots, or other shoes that can get wet and help us collect aquatic species! Ages 10 and up.

Teen and Adult Programs

Rain Barrel Workshop

Wednesday, May 11th from 6-7 pm

Build your own rain barrel! Participants in this workshop will take home a fully functional 55-gallon rain barrel with installation kit. These are the same rain barrels that retail for $99 and up! Workshops are limited to eight barrels, so reserve your spot now. One registration per barrel. Cost is $55 per barrel and participation is limited to two people per barrel. Open to ages 18 and up.

Storytime for Tots & Homeschool/Track-out Programs

Homeschool/Track-out: Butterflies and Moths

Wednesday, May 25th from 2-4 pm

What's the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Where do caterpillars come from? What is metamorphosis anyway? Come join park staff as we discover the answers to these questions and other fascinating facts about butterflies and moths. Learn how to identify some of our common species. All children must be registered, parents are welcome to stay or drop off. Open to ages 6-13.

Homeschool/Track-out: Bees and Blooms

Wednesday, June 8th from 1-3 pm

Join us as we take a closer look at bees and their relationship with flowers. We will discuss bee conservation, the wide range of bee species, and the differences between them. Come learn how to make your yard or garden friendly to these important pollinators, and how to build houses for native bees. All children must be registered, parents are welcome to stay or drop off. Open to ages 6-13.

WILD SIDE: Lovely Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths are some of our most colorful and popular insects. They are both under the order Lepidoptera. This order is the second largest order of insects with over 174,000 species identified as of 2007. Of these 174,000 plus species, around 18,000 of them are butterflies, all the rest are moths. Most of these species are found in the tropics where there is much higher biodiversity and no winter weather to worry about. The word Lepidoptera is derived from the Greek words for "scale" and "wing" referring to the small scales that rub off easily on their two pairs of wings. These scales help with insulation and thermoregulation to maintain body temperatures, as well as produce pheromones in males, aid in flight, and give them vivid and diverse color patterns. 

Butterflies and moths are well known for their distinct patterns and colors. Some have evolved to blend in with trees and shrubs, while others stand out with bright, bold colors. No matter their different approaches, they all share the same goal, survive to adulthood and pass on their genes. For brightly colored butterflies and moths, this coloration serves as a warning to predators that they are distasteful and toxic. There are numerous species that are not toxic but just want to LOOK like they are. This strategy is called mimicry. An example of this is with Monarch Butterflies. They are unpalatable to predators because they consume toxic milkweeds as larvae and so predators have learned don't eat orange and black butterflies. Then any other species of harmless butterfly that looks similar is less likely to be eaten as well. 

Our scaly winged friends are also very important to us as pollinators or silk producers. This month we have lots of ways to learn more about butterflies and moths. Our Planting for Pollinators program for all ages is on Saturday, May 21st. Then for our 6-13 year olds, we have our monthly Homeschool/Track-Out focused on Butterflies and Moths on Wednesday, May 25th. Check them out and come learn more about our lovely lepidoptera!