My daughter and I were the first people at North Hills Park yesterday. I know this because we were there at 8 a.m. when the nice woman opened the gate.

And then I kind of freaked out. What was lurking around the bend of that long road that leads to the playground? Should I be here this early?

A few moments later, we were joined by a couple of tennis players, two bike riders and a city lawn mowing crew. And my daughter and I spent a pleasant hour playing.

The 32-acre park sits inside the North Hills neighborhood off Currituck Drive not too far from the North Hills complex of shops and restaurants. I've made this a stopping point before shopping at Target or dinner out.

The playground's setting actually is pretty beautiful. Tall hardwoods line the border. A handful of picnic tables sit under a shelter. It must be a great place for a birthday party.

But your kids aren't going to really care about the beauty of it. For them, the centerpiece is the giant metal play structure featuring about a half dozen slides, including some of those tube slides that are fully covered.

One slide is frightfully high - at least for me when I see my daughter up there. She was scared the first time she climbed up the steep staircase, but she was going down it like a champ yesterday morning.

Next to the play structure is a sand pit where people have left some plastic toys, including a couple of toy tool benches. And, of course, the forested area around the playground is a great place to explore.

The sand area is fully shaded, but the play structure is not. A sign warns that it can get pretty hot. So be careful.

Bathrooms are a short walk down a path, though pretty stinky yesterday morning. I didn't see a drinking fountain.

The park also includes a couple of ball fields, including one just down the hill from the playground, and tennis courts.

Directions to North Hills Park: Take Six Forks Road to North Hills shopping center and turn on Lassiter Mill Road. Turn right on Currituck (before you get to the bridge over the Beltline) and follow the signs to the park, which is on your left. Enter the park and follow the road to the very end where the tennis courts and playground is. Map

Every Thursday, TriangleMom2Mom offers information about new places and ways to play with your kids. See our other playground reviews.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!