Roanoke Parks and Recreation

The City of Roanoke’s Department of Parks and Recreation (PLAY Roanoke) is a full-service, nationally accredited municipal agency that maintains nearly 13,000 acres of public land and provides the Roanoke Valley with thousands of recreational opportunities each year. The Department currently employs 70 full-time employees and approximately 160 part-time and seasonal employees to manage 69 public properties including 51 parks, eight plazas, seven greenways, two outdoor swimming pools, eight recreation centers, and more than 100 miles of paved and natural surface trails. Read More

PLAY Magazine

Winter 2025 Activity Guide

Recent Park Improvements

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New playground surface installed at Elmwood Park

An Eagle Scout candidate installed a new technical trail feature on Little Bell at Carvins Cove

Highland Park Disc Golf Course was updated with new mulch around baskets and signage

2 new goals were installed at River’s Edge Park

Recent Blog Posts

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PLAY Roanoke’s Seasonal Survival Guide
Winter doesn’t officially begin until December 21, but as the trees lose their leaves and…
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Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update Approved
On Monday, October 20, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update was unanimously approved by…
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Roanoke Hosts Inspiring 2025 VRPS Annual Conference
To cap off a busy month, from October 26-29 Roanoke proudly hosted over 400 park…
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Explore a Neighborhood Park for National Walk to a Park Day!
Friday, October 10 is National Walk to a Park Day. Celebrate the occasion by exploring…
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Parents’ Guide to the 2025 GO Outside Festival
When it comes to outdoor family fun, the Anthem GO Outside Festival (or simply GO…
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See Iceland’s Northern Lights and Discover Canyon Country on a PLAY Roanoke Tour!
Get ready for big adventure because PLAY Roanoke is going global! We are very excited to…
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Help us find a new home for our Pump Track!
When the new asphalt pump track at Wasena Park opens, the previous one will be…
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September is for Outdoor Adventure!
The temperatures are beginning to cool off, leaves are starting to change, and your September…
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