Lake Crabtree County Park offers free boat rentals through Wake County Parks, Recreation & Open Space, operating Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and select holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day) from May 15 through September 7, 10am-6pm (rentals stop at 5pm). All rentals are free for 2 hours, first-come first-served, with a valid photo ID required.
Available boats include single kayaks, double kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats, with life vests and paddles provided. Renters must be at least 18 (or 16 with a parent/guardian on the water), and dogs are welcome aboard as long as they wear a life jacket too. Swimming isn’t permitted, and all fishing at the lake is catch-and-release only due to a longstanding PCB fish consumption advisory.
Beyond rentals, the park offers year-round public boat launch areas, including a two-lane ramp for trailered craft and a car-top canoe/kayak launch area (non-gasoline-powered motors only), along with a handicap-accessible fishing pier and a Tackle Loaner Program through the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
For families and paddlers near Cary/Morrisville looking for a genuinely free kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or pedal boat rental, Lake Crabtree County Park offers an accessible, well-run county park facility.
