I think that my favorite park is Durant Nature Park. The playground isn't huge, but it is shaded and not sweltering even in the summer. The bathroom is also right by the playground which is important. There is a great butterfly and bird garden in one part of the park. There are also trails, a lake to hunt for turtles and we often see deer. One of my favorite spots is the Secret Creek Trail which runs by a creek and makes you feel that you are in the middle of the mountains. My kids LOVE to play and splash in the creek in the summer. We can spend hours here. I like the the location is convienent, but you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.

There is also a similiar spot at Shelley Lake. I passed it by many times without knowing it was there. If you are taking the path from the playground to the lake, there is a small footpath on your left as you head down the hill. Go down the path and there is a pretty bridge and creek. Pretty and fun. This on is rockier so if you are going to let you kids play in it bring appropriate footwear.

My favorite BD party I ever had for one of my kids was at Lake Crabtree. We invited a few families, rented a couple of canoes, and the guests alternated between going out on the water, playing in the sand just like it was the beach, playing on the playground close by, and basically running around having a blast. I love bd parties where kids actually get to interact and play, instead of being propelled through scheduled activities (I'm getting off subject)but basically Lake Crabtree is such a fun place for families to play frisbee, run around, play in the sand, take out boats, etc. I'm all about picnic lunches and it's great for that as well!

In Northern Wake, I also like Blue Jay Point alot. There are two playground structures, a large sand area and clean bathrooms nearby. There is also a large field perfect for soccer, picnics and flying a kite. There are grills and LOTS of tables. There are also several trails where you can walk down to Falls Lake. Another one we like is Bailywick. This park has ALOT of playground equipment and swings (which seem to be rare) these days. There is a large shelter, bathrooms, and sandbox. There is also a Greenway Trail in case you want to go for a walk. I like parks where we can combine playing on equipment with a nature walk. Oh, and as you can probably tell, close and clean bathrooms are a HIGH priority to me. 

I mentioned this park before, but have you been to Kelly Road Park in Apex?

It isn't the usual generic setup and it think it's features invite imaginative play. (Though very hot in summer.)