Much of the park is forested, with ponds, a stone dam, and streams in the valleys; a few acres are open lawn area, suitable for informal recreation.

The trail system connects Sydney's Shipyard and South End neighbourhoods to Membertou First Nation and the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.

The Greenlink Trail System is a series of 2.5 to 3 metres (8 to 10 ft) wide crushed limestone paths suitable for walkers and cyclists.

[6] 2017 A nine-hole disc golf course was incorporated into the park in the summer of 2017, with an official unveiling on 25 October that year.

[7] The course lies in a mixed terrain of low hills, trees and open areas and part of the course shares a section of the off-leash dog park.

A 10" diameter cast iron transmission main was laid following the creek valley floor, carrying the water from the new reservoir to the City of Sydney, and a network of distribution and service lines were installed by Fall 1883 when the system went into full operation.

The park opened on 15 August 1956 through the collaboration and work of Rotarian volunteers, businesses, trade unions, and local citizens.

This was incorporated into the park as a swimming lake with diving platforms, a lifeguard stand, and a sand shoreline.

Through exchange and donation, the site was soon deeded to the City of Sydney under the protective term that "it remain a park".

[10] One feature of the park was a locally designed and constructed lookout tower which incorporated an ornate spiral staircase leading up to the viewing deck.

The proposed greenway project would include common spaces, mini-parks and playgrounds adjacent to neighbourhoods along the route.

[12] EDM consulting of Halifax completed a conceptual design for the project in December 1998 and the GreenLink Park Society introduced the proposal to the community.

[14] Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) conducted public consultations, and by spring of 2012 work on developing the trail system was underway.

While there had been an informal series of trails in Rotary Park, with some foot bridges and other amenities, these had generally fallen into disrepair.

Earlier work by the CBRM to install municipal infrastructure that passed through Rotary Park, such as a new sewer for the then new Cape Breton Regional Hospital, and a new water main for the city's water supply, had resulted in repairs and improvements to existing trails and creation of new access roads and a new stream crossing.

Green Gabion Baskets were placed along sections of the Shandwick Street trail to act as retaining walls where side slopes were steep.