Mint Hill finally has its first regional park, and it is not shy about showing off. Ezell Park, a 91-acre Mecklenburg County park, opened Thursday with a sprayground, a nature-themed playground and brand-new pickleball courts. The $8.5 million project preserves roughly 30 to 32 acres of woods and two ponds while adding paved trails, a multiuse field, restrooms and an expanded community garden.
County officials and park planners say the goal was to keep the site’s agrarian feel while giving Mint Hill a full-scale destination park. As reported by Axios Charlotte, Mecklenburg County acquired the former farm property in 2001, with the sale requiring the land to be used either for a park or a school.
What’s In The Park
Phase one of Ezell Park rolls out the headline amenities: four pickleball courts, a splash pad, a full basketball court, a nature-themed playground, a multiuse field, paved walking trails and new parking. The community garden also gets a boost with upgraded beds.
Those features match the amenities listed on the county’s project materials, which outline the first round of construction and layout details from Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. The site plan and amenity breakdown are available through Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.
How The Project Came Together
Designers say the park was laid out to balance active recreation with the site’s farm history. Open meadows and habitat areas are kept largely intact, while courts, fields and the playground are clustered so much of the land stays wooded and quiet.
The master plan by Stimmel Associates, along with county planning work, guided phased construction that began in 2024. Planning documents describe Ezell Park as part of Mecklenburg County’s broader effort to expand park access as the region grows, according to Stimmel.
Plan Your Visit
Ezell Park sits at the corner of Matthews-Mint Hill Road and Mintwood Drive. Mapping services list the site as 4155 Mintwood Dr and 4101 Mintwood Dr, which you will see if you plug it into Waze or MapQuest.
Hours and seasonal offerings can shift, and the splash pad is set to operate during warmer months, so it is worth checking local listings before you load up the car. If you are into public art, you can also look for the commissioned piece “Wings” by Meredith Connelly, documented in the Arts & Science Council’s community engagement notes at ASC.
