As 2022 has come to a close, we decided to welcome 2023 with a simple First Day Hike at Raven Rock State Park. Located in the Piedmont of North Carolina in Lillington about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh, I was not sure what to expect. I had noticed multiple dates when North Carolina State Parks would list this park as full on their website and on Facebook, so I was curious why the park seemed so popular. This is one of the many state parks that does not charge an admission or parking fee.
The drive to the park was pretty uneventful. The roads were not particularly curvy and the signage and GPS worked well for our crew. As we approached the gate around 3:45 p.m., I noticed one sign that said the wait would be around 45 minutes to an hour from that point. I was glad the line was not that long, but we did have to wait for about 10-15 minutes to get in the gate. A ranger was letting in vehicles as vehicles were leaving the park. Rarely have we ever been to a state park that is full to capacity, particularly in the winter; however, we were visiting on the first day of the year when many parks encourage people to start the year out with a First Day Hike, so the number of people visiting was probably higher than normal. Also, the temperatures were hovering in the 50s and 60s, which is just about perfect for hiking trails.
The park appeared quite small with one parking lot on the right and the visitor center parking lots a short distance beyond that on the main road, which could explain why the park fills to capacity frequently. We did not venture over to the campground area; I believe the campground is closed due to construction. We also did not hike to the Cape Fear River, which looks to be quite the scenic spot at this park.
We opted to go to the Visitor Center first. The person at the desk was friendly and helpful. North Carolina State Parks offers a free passport program where you can get a booklet stamped as you visit each park, and the welcome center is generally where you can get your passport stamped and get tips for enjoying your day at the park. The welcome center does have some taxidermy stuffed animals, so that might be helpful to know if you have a child who loves live animals and might find that upsetting.
The lobby contains several interesting displays with arrowheads and various types of hand hewn tools. Visitors can also learn about the local ecology, good stewardship, and conservation efforts by reading, watching a quick video, and interacting with the displays. Visitors can find a QR code and a printed trail map on the wall just outside of the front door of the welcome center. We usually pick up a printed map in case cell signals are not strong at the parks.
We noticed a sign in front of the welcome center that stated the bathrooms would close at 4:30, but we were told the bathrooms at the parking lot closer to the entrance stayed open until the park closed. I'm not sure if this is a daily policy, but you might plan bathroom breaks carefully, particularly if you are traveling with children and if both parking lots are full.
We opted to hike two trails on the day we visited: Longleaf Loop and American Beech.
The Longleaf Loop trail is classified as an easy hike accessible for those with special needs. The trail is very short, 0.2 mile, and is located directly behind the welcome center just a few steps past a fire pit at the end of a walkway. This trail remains almost in sight of the welcome center. The natural walking surface is not paved and has a few small roots and rocks, but it was easy to navigate. Below you can see a photo of the largest root on this trail on the day we hiked; the sides of the trail would allow people to go around that root. The trail appeared well maintained and easy to navigate. If the area had significant rain, I think the trail would have the potential to get muddy, which could pose a challenge if attempting to travel on it via wheelchair or stroller since it is not paved, but otherwise, this trail would work well for people of almost any physical ability.
The Longleaf Loop trail had several informational signs posted along the walk under the fitting canopy of several large longleaf pines. Since we were visiting in the winter, the deciduous trees had already lost their leaves, but the evergreens offered ample shade. Our group strolled leisurely while I snapped photos and we completed the loop in less than 15 minutes.
We drove to the other parking lot with a large picnic shelter that was closer to the entrance to access the American Beech Trail. Near the trailhead, a display with informational Track Trail Adventures pamphlets featured: Nature's Hide and Seek, Birds of the Piedmont, The Need for Trees, and Hikin' to Find Lichen. The colorful pamphlets featured nice pictures and interesting information that people could use on the trail along with a QR code for accessing the web site. North Carolina state parks has a different theme each year; 2022 marked the Year of the Tree, so if you are an educator or like to infuse environmental education with outdoor activities, you can find a wealth of pertinent information to go along with the brochures.
This loop trail had some areas with more rugged terrain and a slight grade going down to a small creek and returning back uphill. This trail would not have been accessible for those in wheelchairs or strollers, and I would not recommend it for someone who has problems with balance due to multiple natural roots along the trail. However, one of my daughters insisted on wearing flip flops for this hike and she was able to navigate this trail without any problems. The web site lists this short trail as one of those falling under easy in terms of difficulty.
The American Beech Trail was also shaded, and I thought the scenery was a bit more interesting since it had a feel of being more secluded than the Longleaf Loop trail. We walked a little ways to the right and behind the picnic shelter to find the trailhead. Soon after starting the hike, the trail began to meander downhill to a small creek. For me, listening to the sound of running water is always a welcome addition to hiking. Morning doves were calling back and forth throughout much of our New Year hike. We noticed one wooden bench near the creek on the side of the trail but opted not to rest since this trail was also pretty short.
As we approached the creek and crossed a small wooden bridge, we noticed that the trail got muddy with large puddles. I could see another small bridge just a few feet further down the creek, so I'm assuming we were very close to the far side of the loop. We opted to turn back and return to the parking lot the way we came. Yep, my crew did not want to get muddy shoes today! I would recommend wearing hiking boots or shoes you don't mind getting muddy if you hike this trail when it is wet. From what I could see, only a fairly small portion of this trail was wet. Total time to hike this trail was less than 20 minutes at a leisurely pace with multiple pauses for pictures.
Signage and upkeep for the American Beech Trail was also good. I never saw a piece of trash on either trail, which is a testament either to the hikers for adhering to the expectation to leave nothing but footprints and take nothing put photos and/or to the staff for regularly checking to ensure that the trails remain clean and enjoyable for everyone. Even on short trails, if you slow down and look around, you can find beautiful and simple pleasures, like a pine cone or holes that a bird left after looking for food along a tree trunk.
We only scratched the surface of this state park that offers 14 trails, ranging from 0.2 miles to 4.3 miles. Some trails welcome bikes and this park does have a few equestrian trails for those who have horses. In addition to hiking, biking, and equestrian riding, some visitors enjoy paddling and fishing at the Cape Fear River. Photos of the overlook online are quite beautiful! Visit the Raven Rock State Park page of the North Carolina State Parks web site for directions, trail status, park information, and more. If you are planning to visit the park, I would recommend checking the web site and/or Facebook to ensure they are not beyond capacity. If you did arrive to find a long line, you might try visiting nearby Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Haw River State Park, or the NC Zoo.
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The Longleaf Loop trail is classified as an easy hike accessible for those with special needs. The trail is very short, 0.2 mile, and is located directly behind the welcome center just a few steps past a fire pit at the end of a walkway. This trail remains almost in sight of the welcome center. The natural walking surface is not paved and has a few small roots and rocks, but it was easy to navigate. Below you can see a photo of the largest root on this trail on the day we hiked; the sides of the trail would allow people to go around that root. The trail appeared well maintained and easy to navigate. If the area had significant rain, I think the trail would have the potential to get muddy, which could pose a challenge if attempting to travel on it via wheelchair or stroller since it is not paved, but otherwise, this trail would work well for people of almost any physical ability.
The Longleaf Loop trail had several informational signs posted along the walk under the fitting canopy of several large longleaf pines. Since we were visiting in the winter, the deciduous trees had already lost their leaves, but the evergreens offered ample shade. Our group strolled leisurely while I snapped photos and we completed the loop in less than 15 minutes.
We drove to the other parking lot with a large picnic shelter that was closer to the entrance to access the American Beech Trail. Near the trailhead, a display with informational Track Trail Adventures pamphlets featured: Nature's Hide and Seek, Birds of the Piedmont, The Need for Trees, and Hikin' to Find Lichen. The colorful pamphlets featured nice pictures and interesting information that people could use on the trail along with a QR code for accessing the web site. North Carolina state parks has a different theme each year; 2022 marked the Year of the Tree, so if you are an educator or like to infuse environmental education with outdoor activities, you can find a wealth of pertinent information to go along with the brochures.
This loop trail had some areas with more rugged terrain and a slight grade going down to a small creek and returning back uphill. This trail would not have been accessible for those in wheelchairs or strollers, and I would not recommend it for someone who has problems with balance due to multiple natural roots along the trail. However, one of my daughters insisted on wearing flip flops for this hike and she was able to navigate this trail without any problems. The web site lists this short trail as one of those falling under easy in terms of difficulty.
The American Beech Trail was also shaded, and I thought the scenery was a bit more interesting since it had a feel of being more secluded than the Longleaf Loop trail. We walked a little ways to the right and behind the picnic shelter to find the trailhead. Soon after starting the hike, the trail began to meander downhill to a small creek. For me, listening to the sound of running water is always a welcome addition to hiking. Morning doves were calling back and forth throughout much of our New Year hike. We noticed one wooden bench near the creek on the side of the trail but opted not to rest since this trail was also pretty short.
As we approached the creek and crossed a small wooden bridge, we noticed that the trail got muddy with large puddles. I could see another small bridge just a few feet further down the creek, so I'm assuming we were very close to the far side of the loop. We opted to turn back and return to the parking lot the way we came. Yep, my crew did not want to get muddy shoes today! I would recommend wearing hiking boots or shoes you don't mind getting muddy if you hike this trail when it is wet. From what I could see, only a fairly small portion of this trail was wet. Total time to hike this trail was less than 20 minutes at a leisurely pace with multiple pauses for pictures.
Signage and upkeep for the American Beech Trail was also good. I never saw a piece of trash on either trail, which is a testament either to the hikers for adhering to the expectation to leave nothing but footprints and take nothing put photos and/or to the staff for regularly checking to ensure that the trails remain clean and enjoyable for everyone. Even on short trails, if you slow down and look around, you can find beautiful and simple pleasures, like a pine cone or holes that a bird left after looking for food along a tree trunk.
We only scratched the surface of this state park that offers 14 trails, ranging from 0.2 miles to 4.3 miles. Some trails welcome bikes and this park does have a few equestrian trails for those who have horses. In addition to hiking, biking, and equestrian riding, some visitors enjoy paddling and fishing at the Cape Fear River. Photos of the overlook online are quite beautiful! Visit the Raven Rock State Park page of the North Carolina State Parks web site for directions, trail status, park information, and more. If you are planning to visit the park, I would recommend checking the web site and/or Facebook to ensure they are not beyond capacity. If you did arrive to find a long line, you might try visiting nearby Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Haw River State Park, or the NC Zoo.
Thanks so much for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog! Feel free to explore my site map, type your desired topic in my search bar, or you may wish to also read these related articles: