In Kinston-Lenoir County, there's always plenty to do. Residents have easy access to community centers, fitness facilities, golf courses, parks and more, and can also enjoy a variety of local events.

Community Spirit

Open since 2011, the Pink Hill Wellness and Education Center includes two exercise rooms with treadmills, elliptical machines, recumbent bicycles and strength equipment, as well as a nursery, youth fitness room, classrooms for Lenoir Community College and more. Pink Hill also offers fitness classes, such as Zumba, kickboxing and yoga.

Fitness and Fun

In July 2012 Kinston residents welcomed the 53,000-square-foot Woodmen Community Center, which offers a fitness center, an aquatics center, a gymnasium that can be separated into two spaces, an elevated track for running and walking, and group fitness classes. In May 2013, the facility opened its Lions Water Adventure water park, which includes a 650-foot lazy river, three water slides and more.

Back to Nature

One of the county's top attractions, the Neuseway Nature Park is located on 55 acres along the Neuse River. It features hiking trails, stocked catfish ponds for fishing, canoes, an 18-foot wall for rock climbing and a saltwater “touch tank” where children can feel sea urchins, starfish and other creatures.

Batter Up

Kinston's historic Grainger Stadium hosts the Freedom Classic baseball tournament, an annual three-game event during which members of the United States Naval Academy and Air Force Academy come together to play ball. The tournament is an opportunity to bring the Kinston community together while honoring and remembering the area's military members. In 2013, the event's third year, nearly 4,000 fans attended the games.

Tee Time

North Carolina has a wealth of excellent golf venues, and Kinston is home to four of them. The city's courses – Falling Creek Country Club, Kinston Country Club, Bill Fay Park Golf Course and Cutter Creek Golf Club – challenge golfers of all skill levels.

Ready to Rev

Action has its place at Ironclad Motorsports. Located on the fairgrounds, Kinston's most extreme event center features a monstrous motocross track and flat dirt track for two types of racing. Several televised races at the track have earned Ironclad national exposure, bringing both pros and amateurs to try their hand there.

Disc Golf

Barnet Park’s nationally acclaimed 18-hole disc golf course winds through the woods around the scenic park, offering a great mix of wooded and open holes. An active roster of games and tournaments draws disc golf players to Kinston from around the nation.

Gone to the Dogs

The 32-acre Rotary Dog Park, just down the road from the Neuseway Nature Center, features large ponds, open areas and walking trails for dog training and exercise, and the Randall Family Pet Memorial Gardens.

Other Places to Play

Other recreation attractions include the annual Kinston 8000: Run for the River, an 8K race and one-mile fun run; Tull’s Millpond, a 200-acre millpond open to the public for fishing, kayaking and canoeing; and West Water Park, featuring five pools and a four-story water slide.

Read more on activities in Kinston, NC.