The best park in Matthews is Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park on Weddington Road, and it does not appear on most Matthews park lists. Mecklenburg County records 19 amenities there, including a lake with boating and fishing, walking trails, mountain biking, a playground with swings, ball fields and tennis, against 10 for the best park inside the town limits, and it holds a 4.7 rating from 1,920 Google reviews, more than any other park with a Matthews address. It’s missing from those lists because the county files the record under Charlotte. Records read September 30, 2026.
The Short Answer
The best parks in Matthews NC are Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park for the lake and the sheer range of it, Squirrel Lake Park for the most complete park inside the town limits, and Stumptown Park for downtown events. Ranked on what the county records at each park, what the public rates it, and what the place is actually for. Records read September 30, 2026.
Key numbers, best parks in Matthews NC, records read September 30, 2026 (sources: Mecklenburg County park dataset, Google Places):
- Beatty Park: 19 recorded amenities, 450 parking spaces, 4.7 from 1,920 Google ratings
- Squirrel Lake Park: 10 amenities, 33 spaces, 4.7 from 1,327 ratings
- Stumptown Park: 7 amenities including one of two amphitheaters in town, 4.6 from 595 ratings
- 9 parks worth a drive: 8 from the 21 county records filed in Matthews, plus Beatty Park, which the county files under Charlotte
- Beatty Park is filed by the county under Charlotte, which is why most lists miss it
Below you get the nine parks worth your Saturday in order, what each one actually has on the county record, how the public rates it, and the filing quirk that keeps the best one off the lists. Then the greenways that reach the town limits, and a two minute check that tells you what you are driving to before you load the car.
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What This Story Covers
- The best parks in Matthews NC, ranked
- How the ranking works, in plain terms
- What each park actually has
- Why the county list leaves out the best one
- What else is in the 21 county records
- Which greenways reach Matthews town limits?
- How do you check a park before you drive there?
- Frequently asked questions
- About the author
- How we sourced this
The best parks in Matthews NC, ranked
Beatty Park first, Squirrel Lake second, Stumptown third, and the reason the order looks like that is worth thirty seconds of your time. This ranking reads three things together: what Mecklenburg County records at each park, how the public rates it on Google Places, and what the place is actually for, because a downtown events lawn and a 156 acre tournament complex aren’t competing at the same job. The order at the top reflects Steve’s judgment as the author, and where that departs from the numbers the entry says so.
The best parks in Matthews NC, ranked on recorded amenities, Google Places rating and review count, and what each park is for. Amenities and parking from Mecklenburg County park records; ratings from Google Places. Both read September 30, 2026.
| Rank and park | Recorded amenities | Parking spaces | Google rating | Operator on the record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park | 19 | 450 | 4.7 from 1,920 | Mecklenburg County |
| 2. Squirrel Lake Park | 10 | 33 | 4.7 from 1,327 | Matthews |
| 3. Stumptown Park | 7 | 30 | 4.6 from 595 | Matthews |
| 4. Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex | 10 | 1,232 | 4.7 from 1,088 | Mecklenburg County |
| 5. Purser-Hulsey Park | 4 across two records | 35 across two records | 4.7 from 224 | Matthews |
| 6. Matthews-Sardis Park | 7 | 10 | 4.5 from 168 | Matthews |
| 7. Windsor Park | 6 | 50 | 4.4 from 128 | Matthews |
| 8. Rice Park | 4 | 20 | 4.5 from 62 | Matthews |
| 9. Baucom Park | 5 | 3 | 4.3 from 29 | Matthews |
A word on what this ranking is and is not. It reads the county record and the public rating together, and neither one on its own would’ve got the order right. Beatty Park tops it on both and still fell off every published list I could find, because a city field on a database row said Charlotte.
Stumptown sits third on amenities and belongs there on what it’s for, because an events lawn and a tournament complex are not doing the same job. The numbers are the floor rather than the verdict, and what they’re genuinely good for is the question a list of names can’t answer: before you drive, is there a bathroom, is there anywhere to leave the car, and is there anything built on the site at all.
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How the ranking works, in plain terms
Every number in the order above comes from two public sources read on Wednesday, September 30, 2026: the Mecklenburg County park record for each park, and the Google Places listing for the same park. No park marketing and no town press release went into it. I read three things together, and then one judgment call sits on top of them.
First, what the county record says the park has. The county keeps an amenity flag on each park record, so a playground, a restroom, a boat ramp or a dog park is either on the record or it is not. I counted the flags. That count is the closest thing here to an objective measure of what you will find when you pull in, and it is why Beatty Park sits first with 19 flags against 10 for the next park on the list. It has a limit worth knowing: a flag says the county records the thing, not that it is new, large or in good repair.
Second, parking. The record carries a space count, and it tells you more than it looks like it does, because it is the county’s own read on how many people a park is built to hold at once. Beatty’s 450 spaces against Squirrel Lake’s 33 is not a quality gap, it is two different kinds of park. And zero spaces does not mean closed, it means you are walking in or parking on a street, which for the smallest parks in the ranking is the intended design.
Third, how the public rates it. Google Places carries a star rating and a review count for each park, and I used both, because a 4.7 from 1,920 reviews is a different statement than a 4.3 from 29. The rating breaks ties between parks that record the same amenities. The review count tells you how much weight that rating can carry.
Then, what the park is actually for. This is the judgment, and it is the one place the order departs from the numbers. The Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex has 1,232 parking spaces, more than the other eight parks put together, and it sits fourth, because it is a tournament complex rather than somewhere you take a Saturday morning. Stumptown Park is third on seven amenities and 30 spaces because a downtown events lawn does a job none of the bigger parks can. Where my order and the amenity count disagree, the entry for that park says so and tells you why.
What stayed out matters too. Acreage is not in the ranking, because 4 of the 21 county records carry no boundary polygon, so the number does not exist for every park and an order built on it would quietly be ranking the county’s record keeping instead of the parks. Trail mileage stayed out for the same reason. And nothing here scores how a park looks, because that is what the photographs and your own drive are for.
What each park actually has
1. Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park, 4330 Weddington Road
This is the one to drive to, and it isn’t close. Nineteen recorded amenities against ten for the best park inside the town limits: a lake with boating, fishing and a dock, walking trails and trail running, mountain biking, a playground with swings, ball fields, multi-purpose fields, basketball, tennis, volleyball, horseshoes, picnic tables, a picnic shelter, an indoor pavilion, restrooms and ADA access. It records 450 parking spaces and daylight hours seven days a week. The public agrees: 4.7 from 1,920 Google ratings, more reviews than any other park with a Matthews address. Lake Pointe Hall sits on the water here and takes up to 120 people, with a small full-service kitchen, restrooms and a grill.
What the record doesn’t carry is a disc golf course or a dog park, both of which turn up in third-party write-ups. For those two, see Squirrel Lake and Purser-Hulsey below.
2. Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Road
The most complete park inside Matthews town limits, and it’s the one to pick if you want a park rather than a venue. Ten recorded amenities on about 34 acres: fishing, a dock or pier, disc golf, a playground with swings, walking trails, greenway access, picnic tables, a picnic shelter and restrooms, with 33 parking spaces. It holds three things that appear on exactly one Matthews record each, and those are the fishing, the dock and the disc golf. Rated 4.7 from 1,327 Google ratings. One note on size: the Town of Matthews publishes 36 acres, so treat the county polygon figure of 34.45 as a measurement rather than the last word.
3. Stumptown Park, 120 South Trade Street
The downtown one, and the town gathering place rather than the biggest green space. Seven recorded amenities on 2.49 acres: an amphitheater, a playground, volleyball, an interpretive exhibit, open green space, picnic tables and restrooms, with 30 parking spaces. That amphitheater is one of only two on any Matthews park record, which is why the outdoor events calendar lives here. Rated 4.6 from 595 Google ratings. It sits fourth on the amenity count and third here for what it’s for, which is the thing a spreadsheet can’t see.
4. Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex, 2425 Sports Parkway
Read this one as a venue rather than a park. Ten amenities including multi-purpose fields, a playground with swings, walking trails, greenway access, a picnic shelter, meeting space, a concession stand, restrooms and ADA access, on 156.34 acres, with 1,232 parking spaces. That is more parking than every other park in Matthews put together, several times over. Its recorded hours are only “Varies”, so you’ll want to check before a casual visit. Rated 4.7 from 1,088 Google ratings. If your weekend involves a travel team, this is the address you’ll come to know.
5. Purser-Hulsey Park, two addresses
Two county records, one park, and the split matters more than it sounds like it should. The record at 13201 Phillips Road carries a botanical garden, mountain biking and walking trails with 15 spaces. The record at 3024 Matthews-Mint Hill Road carries the dog park with 20 spaces. Rated 4.7 from 224 Google ratings. It is the only dog park on any Matthews park record, so if that’s what you came for, go to the Matthews-Mint Hill Road side.
6. Matthews-Sardis Park, 9650 Sardis Road
Seven amenities on 2.95 acres: a playground with swings, walking trails, picnic tables, a picnic shelter, open green space and restrooms, with 10 parking spaces. Rated 4.5 from 168 Google ratings. A complete small neighborhood park, held back on a busy Saturday only by that parking count.
7. Windsor Park, 10150 Northeast Parkway
Six amenities on 4.60 acres: a playground with swings, walking trails, picnic tables, a picnic shelter and restrooms, with 50 parking spaces. That is the largest parking count of any park the town itself operates, so you’ll usually find room. Rated 4.4 from 128 Google ratings.
8. Rice Park, 2540 Rice Road
Four amenities on a comparatively large 9.53 acres: a playground with swings, walking trails and picnic tables, with 20 parking spaces and no restroom on file. Rated 4.5 from 62 Google ratings. Worth knowing about the restroom before a long visit with small children.
9. Baucom Park, 601 Sadie Drive
Five amenities on 0.82 acres: a playground with swings, walking trails, a picnic shelter and open green space. Three parking spaces. Three. Read it as a walk-to park for the streets around it rather than somewhere you’d drive. Rated 4.3 from 29 Google ratings.
Below those nine sit four more town records that are public spaces rather than destinations: Country Place Park and Fountain Rock Park on South Trade Street, KP Park on East Matthews Street and Town Green Park. None of them records any parking. They’re worth knowing if you live on those streets and they aren’t worth a drive.
Why the county list leaves out the best one
Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park has a lake, a playground with swings and more recorded amenities than anything else in the area, and it isn’t in the county Matthews park list. The county park record puts it at 4330 Weddington Road with a city value of Charlotte, typed as a regional park and operated by Mecklenburg County. Google addresses it as Matthews, NC 28105. The county’s own venue page for Lake Pointe Hall addresses it as Matthews. The park record says Charlotte.
Both things are true at once, which is the normal condition of any address near the Matthews line. A place can have a Matthews mailing address and sit outside Matthews town limits, and that’s the single most expensive piece of confusion in the whole Matthews market, because it decides your taxes, your schools and your trash pickup rather than just which park list a lake shows up on. We took that apart properly in what Matthews NC costs you.
The practical version, and it’s worth carrying with you: around here, check the town limits rather than the mailing address. A park list is the harmless version of that mistake. A tax bill is not.
What else is in the 21 county records
Mecklenburg County holds 21 park records inside Matthews town limits, and only 12 are places you can walk into today. The rest are worth knowing about before you plan a Saturday around a name on a map.
Three are bare land. Independence Pointe Park, Gander Cove Park and Williams-Olmstead Park each come back with a status of “Undeveloped” and operating hours of “Non-Operational”: zero recorded amenities, zero parking, 35.6 acres of open ground between them. They appear on park maps and they aren’t parks yet.
Five of the records are not parks. The Matthews Community Center, the McDowell Arts Center, the Crews Recreation Center, the Fullwood Community Garden and the Butler High School tennis courts all sit in the park dataset because the county tracks them as park department facilities. Useful places, and they’re not somewhere to take a picnic.
One park is entered twice. Purser-Hulsey Park appears under both 13201 Phillips Road and 3024 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, which is why a raw row count overstates the number of parks by one, and it’s why the dog park is easy to drive past.
The Purser-Hulsey split is the kind of thing I would not have found by walking the park, and it’s the reason I read the records rather than the roundups. What the records won’t do is tell you which park is worth the drive, and reading them as if they could is how Beatty Park, the park half the town would name first, ended up off the ranking above until now. Read the file for what is built and where you can park. Then ask somebody who’s actually been.
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Want to be able to walk to one of these?
Four of the 12 have no parking at all, which makes the streets around them worth knowing before you choose a house. I can show you which ones those are.
Book a 15-minute call →Which greenways reach Matthews town limits?
Five named active greenways touch the Matthews town line, and two that get named alongside them do not. I ran the county’s greenway layer against the town boundary polygon rather than a bounding box, which matters, because a box drawn around Matthews catches paths in Charlotte and Mint Hill that never cross into town. Inside the town line the layer returns 174 segments carrying five active named trails: Four Mile Creek Greenway, which is the longest and the one most people mean, plus Four Mile Creek Tributary Greenway, Irvins Creek Greenway, Heritage Trail and Four Mile Creek Urban Trail. Four Heritage Trail segments, 0.25 miles between them, are recorded as inactive.
McAlpine Creek Greenway and Campbell Creek Greenway both sit close enough that they show up in a wider search around Matthews, and neither crosses the town limits. That is not a knock on either one, and if you buy on the Charlotte side of the line you may well use McAlpine more than any greenway inside the town line. It is simply worth knowing which of the paths in a listing description are inside the town you are paying town taxes to.
Three of the 12 parks have greenway access on their record: the Sportsplex, Squirrel Lake Park and Fountain Rock Park. Fountain Rock is the interesting one, because greenway access is the only thing on its record. Treat it as the way onto Four Mile Creek rather than as a park you spend an afternoon in. If the greenway network is what sells you on Matthews, and for a lot of buyers it is, the town’s wider push on walking is a bigger story than the parks themselves, and we covered that in how Matthews is rebuilding itself for people on foot.
How do you check a park before you drive there?
You can rerun everything above in about two minutes per park, and it is worth doing, because the county edits these records on its own schedule and a status can move. Here is the order I would use.
Start on the county’s Find Parks map, which is the public face of the dataset behind this article, and click the park itself rather than reading a list. Read three fields in this order: the status, the operating hours and the parking count. A status of “Undeveloped” or hours of “Non-Operational” is your answer and you can stop there. Zero parking spaces does not mean closed, it means you are walking or parking on a street, which for the four smallest parks in the ranking is the intended design.
Then check the amenity you specifically came for, because the park-level list is where the surprises are. A bathroom is on 5 of the 12 records. A playground is on 7. A dog park is on exactly one. If the park has two records under one name, as Purser-Hulsey does, open both. And if what you find disagrees with what the town publishes, as it does on Squirrel Lake Park’s acreage, take the more recent of the two and treat the difference as a question rather than an error.
One last thing that has nothing to do with parks and everything to do with buying here. Confirm the parcel, not the mailing address. A Matthews address can sit in Charlotte, in unincorporated Union County, or inside the town, and the park list is the least of what changes with it. If you are working through a Matthews move and want the rest of the local record, our ranking of Matthews daycare by state records uses the same approach on a subject where the stakes are higher, and our regional look at which new parks are open tracks the built-versus-announced question across all of South Charlotte.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Parks in Matthews NC
What is the biggest park in Matthews NC?
Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park, at 264.55 acres on the county boundary layer, though the county files it under Charlotte rather than Matthews. Of the 21 park records filed inside Matthews town limits, the largest is the Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex at 156.34 acres, and the largest conventional town park is Squirrel Lake Park at 34.45 acres. Figures read from Mecklenburg County park boundary records on September 30, 2026.
Does Matthews NC have a dog park?
Yes, one. Of the 21 park records Mecklenburg County lists in Matthews, exactly one carries a dog park: Purser-Hulsey Park, on the record filed at 3024 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. The second Purser-Hulsey record, filed at 13201 Phillips Road, does not list the dog park, so check the address before you go. Read from county park records on September 30, 2026.
Which Matthews NC parks have a playground?
Seven of the 12 parks you can visit have a playground on the county record: Squirrel Lake Park, Windsor Park, Matthews-Sardis Park, Stumptown Park, Baucom Park, Rice Park and the Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex. Six of those seven also record playground swings. Counted from Mecklenburg County park records on September 30, 2026.
Is Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park in Matthews?
It depends which record you read, and both answers are defensible. Google gives the address as 4330 Weddington Road, Matthews, NC 28105, and so does the Mecklenburg County page for Lake Pointe Hall. The county park record for the same park carries a city value of Charlotte and lists Mecklenburg County as the operator, which is why it sits outside the 21 records filed inside Matthews. It is a county regional park rather than a Town of Matthews park either way. With 19 recorded amenities, 450 parking spaces and a 4.7 rating from 1,920 Google reviews, it is the best park most Matthews residents actually use, and it leads the ranking above.
Are there walking trails in Matthews NC?
Yes. Seven of the 12 parks you can visit record hiking or walking trails: Squirrel Lake Park, Windsor Park, Matthews-Sardis Park, Baucom Park, Rice Park, Purser-Hulsey Park and the Sportsplex. Separately, five named active greenways touch Matthews town limits, led by Four Mile Creek Greenway. Purser-Hulsey Park is the only Matthews park record listing mountain biking.
Which Matthews NC parks have a restroom?
Five of the 12: Squirrel Lake Park, Windsor Park, Matthews-Sardis Park, Stumptown Park and the Mecklenburg County Regional Sportsplex. Rice Park and Baucom Park both have playgrounds and no restroom on file, which is worth knowing before a long visit. Counted from Mecklenburg County park records on September 30, 2026.
About the South Charlotte Home Guide
The South Charlotte Home Guide is a local guide to the towns south of Charlotte, published since 2022. It covers daily life, parks, food and town news, and it ranks licensed local pros town by town through a panel of local professionals. No one pays to appear on a list.
Where our numbers come from explains how the guide sources and checks what it publishes.
How we sourced this
Every figure here comes from a Mecklenburg County record read on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and cross-checked against the Google Places API the same day. Park names, addresses, status, operating hours, parking counts, operator and the amenity flags come from the county’s park locations dataset, filtered to records with a city value of Matthews.
Acreage comes from the county’s park boundary layer, and 4 of the 21 records have no boundary polygon, which is noted in the table. Greenway names and status come from the county’s greenway layer, queried against the Matthews town boundary rather than a bounding box. The reader-facing version of all of it is the county’s Find Parks map and the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation parks pages, with its greenways pages and TrailLink’s Matthews trail maps for the paths.
Two things I could not confirm, named rather than papered over. The Town of Matthews publishes its own park pages, and no page we opened carries its acreage in a form we could re-check, so the town’s figure for Squirrel Lake Park, which it has published as 36 acres against the county’s 34.45, is not independently re-checked here and the county polygon is what the table carries.
And the three undeveloped records were last edited by the county between November 18, 2024 and May 23, 2025, so I can tell you what the county’s published status says and not whether anything has broken ground since. Amenity counts here are counts of the flags the county records, not a judgment about any park.
Last updated: September 30, 2026.