If you drive down NC-43 from Ironwood this weekend for a long walk by the Tar River, which park do you pick? For now you still have to choose one. Wildwood Park on Blue Heron Drive and River Park North on Mumford Road are next to each other but have no trail between them. That link was funded this summer, but it will arrive in stages and in a smaller form than first described. It will not open this season.
The short version is this. Greenville City Council approved a 685-foot boardwalk joining the two parks on August 10, 2026. Construction is expected to start this fall and take 12 months. When it's done, about 16 miles of trail will run as one network. Before that, Wildwood gets a new west-side entrance, and one feature from the original plan has been dropped.
The Bids Came In High, So the Deck Was Cut
When WCTI first covered the project in July 2025, the plans included a Tar River overlook. The bids changed that. The Daily Reflector's coverage of the council agenda says the city received three construction bids. The lowest, from T.D. Eure Marine Construction, was $1.73 million. To bring the cost down to $1.5 million, the city removed the planned observation deck. Before the vote, T.D. Eure was the contractor the council was set to award. The city's own announcement afterward confirms the $1.5 million project passed unanimously.
That $230,000 gap is the difference between a boardwalk with a place to stop and look at the river and a boardwalk built to get you across. The money came partly from a $500,000 Great Trails State Grant the city received in February 2026. The connection itself is fully funded. The scenic stopping point is not part of the current plan.
If you saw the 2025 renderings and pictured a river overlook halfway across, adjust that picture. What's being built is a link.
The Order Things Arrive In
The council approved two projects that night, and they finish at different times. That timing decides what changes for park visitors first.
| Milestone | Timing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Great Trails State Grant received | February 2026 | City of Greenville |
| Bidding opens on the boardwalk package | April 14, 2026 | City bid manual |
| Bids due | May 14, 2026 | City bid manual |
| Council approves boardwalk and west-side project | August 10, 2026 | City of Greenville |
| Boardwalk construction expected to begin | Fall 2026 | City of Greenville |
| West-side parking and pier project expected complete | Early 2027 | City of Greenville |
| Boardwalk expected complete, based on a 12-month build | Roughly fall 2027 | City of Greenville |
| North-South Connector to Town Common | Future, no date announced | City of Greenville |
The city's bid package lists the boardwalk at 675 feet, and the August announcement says 685. The approved figure is the one the city published after the vote.
The west side comes first. The $498,808 Wildwood Park Westside Parking and Pier Project adds a driveway, a parking lot, picnic shelters, a fishing pier and a kayak launch on the side of the park where the boardwalk will start. According to the city, community partners helped fund it. Once it opens, likely by spring, that side of Wildwood will have its own parking and water access several months before the boardwalk gives it a route to River Park North.
The sequence makes sense. A trail connection needs parking at both ends, and early 2027 is when Wildwood's west end gets it.
As of today, nothing published after the city's August 11 announcement confirms that boardwalk work has started or that any trails are closed for it. The city's word is "fall," and fall has just begun. Expect fencing or detours on the west side of Wildwood once crews move in, and check the City of Greenville's Recreation and Parks updates before a trip planned around that area.
For Now, Plan Two Separate Trips
From the Ironwood Golf & Country Club at 200 Golf Club Wynd, Google Maps puts River Park North about 7.1 miles away by way of West 5th Street and NC-43 North. Wildwood is about 9.9 miles via NC-43 North. Both are a short drive, and right now they are two different outings.
Wildwood Park is at 3450 Blue Heron Drive, near Old Pactolus Road and Greenville Boulevard NE. It's the park for bikes and paddling. The Greenville-Pitt County visitors bureau lists these mountain bike and BMX trails:
- High Ground Loop
- Boardwalk Loop
- Wetlands Loop
- Cypress Loop
- Wildwood Trail
It also lists a pump track and a bicycle skills course. Walkers have the Natural Surface Trail and the Wildwood West Outer Loop Trail. The visitors bureau and the city's map give different lengths for some loops, so check the posted map at the trailhead before you plan a distance.
For paddlers, the city allows canoes, kayaks and paddleboards to launch from the accessible dock behind the pavilions, and fishing is allowed in the lake. The visitors bureau also lists kayak rentals on site, a floating dock, a sandy beach, fishing docks, camping platforms, a visitor center and a picnic shelter. The park is open dawn to dusk, and the city expects visitors to be out by sunset. With days getting shorter through October, that closing time comes earlier each week.
River Park North is at 1000 Mumford Road. Its fall hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from September 1 through October 31. Because its hours are set by the clock, a weekday evening visit through the end of October is easier to plan here than at Wildwood. After October 31, check the park's listing for winter hours.
When the boardwalk opens, a ride or walk can start at one park and finish at the other, with about 16 miles of trail between them. Until then, choose by what you want to do. Go to Wildwood for bikes or a paddle, and to River Park North for set evening hours and its fall programs.
Dates Worth Putting on the Calendar
The fall schedules at both parks already have specific events, and the Ironwood clubhouse has its own October lineup. These are listed by date so they're easy to plan around:
- Friday, October 16. Trivia Night at Ironwood Golf & Country Club.
- Thursday, October 22, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Creepy Crawly Fall Fest at River Park North. Kids can come in costume, roast marshmallows, trick-or-treat with park staff and meet a snake. Bring a carved pumpkin to display during the program. The fee is $7 per child, or $5 for Greenville residents, and it's for all ages with an adult. Questions go to (252) 329-4560.
- Saturday, October 24. Pickleball clinic at Ironwood.
- Friday, October 30. Murder Mystery Dinner at Ironwood.
- Saturday, October 31. Halloween Funfest at Ironwood. It's also the last day of River Park North's 7-to-7 fall hours.
- Saturday, November 7, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Wildwood Wander 5K, a trail race or ruck at Wildwood Park, 3450 Blue Heron Drive. The Greenville Police Department hosts it, and all proceeds go to the GPD CARE fund, a nonprofit that supports employee wellness events. Registration is $30 and closes November 6 at 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 21, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Leaf Pile Learn and Play at River Park North, with leaf-themed activities and crafts.
Club events can change, so confirm with Ironwood before you go. The Wildwood Wander has one more practical angle. It runs on the trails nearest the future boardwalk, possibly during the early weeks of construction. If crews are working on the west side by November 7, the course will show the park as it is now, before the link and the new parking are added.
What Next Fall Looks Like
If the city's 12-month estimate holds, the fall 2027 schedule at these two parks could take place on one connected trail system. You could run from the Wildwood trails to River Park North on foot, or park at the new west-side lot and paddle out from its kayak launch. The planned North-South Connector would later run from River Park North to the Greenville Town Common and the city's greenways. No date has been announced for that phase.
The boardwalk will open without the observation deck, the west side opens first, and the full 16 miles are about a year away. For this season, the parks are two good stops a short drive from Ironwood, each with its own reasons to visit.
I've helped buyers and sellers across Pitt County since 2001, and I follow projects like this one because they change how people use the north side of Greenville. If you'd like to know how the Wildwood and River Park North work could affect your plans in Ironwood or anywhere nearby, reach out to Kunny Brothers. Let's Connect.
