By Jeanni Ritchie
Some places are more than destinations. They’re part of our personal history, places where childhood memories become family traditions and new generations create memories of their own.
For me, Buhlow Lake in Pineville is one of those places.
I remember going to the lake as a child when my friend Susanna’s dad brought his sailboat for the annual regatta. Years later, I returned with my own children for picnics. I’ve enjoyed time on the water and attended special events, including the Purple Skye Festival, which honored the memory of a beloved child.
Now a familiar gathering place has a brand-new attraction.
The newly developed Fort Buhlow Recreation Area, located behind the Pineville Municipal Airport near Buhlow Lake, officially opened October 10 following a $4.5 million investment by the Red River Waterway Commission.
The project, which began in the planning stages in 2023, offers families an expanded outdoor recreation destination with something for almost every age.
Three separate playgrounds accommodate children from six months through 12 years old. Designed for different developmental stages, the playgrounds include accessible features for children with disabilities.
The improvements also include pickleball courts, walking trails, restrooms and water fountains. Along with the existing disc golf opportunities and other recreational facilities, the area offers plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors.
Even the playground equipment celebrates the community’s history. Design elements pay tribute to Pineville landmarks, including the old O.K. Allen Bridge and the city’s dairy barn.
For my son Cody, the transformation has been especially interesting.
An avid disc golfer, Cody has watched the playground take shape over the past two years while playing the course. Ironically, the new playground occupies the same area where he and his siblings once played kickball.
I suppose that’s one way to measure the passage of time. The children who once ran across those fields are grown, and now a new generation has a place to play.
Fort Buhlow has long offered picnic areas, trails, boating access and opportunities for outdoor recreation. The new additions give families even more reasons to visit.
Located at 201 Recreation Road in Pineville, the recreation area is operated by the Red River Waterway Commission. The newly opened park’s reported operating hours are 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily.
For families discovering Fort Buhlow for the first time, it offers a place to spend an afternoon outdoors.
For those of us who grew up making memories there, it’s a chance to return to a familiar place and see it through new eyes.
And perhaps that’s the best part of all. The landscape changes, the generations change, but the memories keep growing.
