My go to Place to reflect and unwind…read more Peaceful at times is an understatement. Weekends are a lil. Crowed if the weather is nice. Bugging obviously after the rains and warmer weather.

This is a nice place to explore! I enjoyed walking and relaxing at a picnic table there. Be aware,…read morethough, that the only bathroom option is a portapotty, which is better than nothing, I guess.

What a hidden gem! The drive back into the parking lot felt neverending, but once we got there it…read moreseemed very inviting! We made 2 full trail laps and experienced the extra educational tools with the 5 kids tagging along. They have little buttons with speakers and wooden signs telling you about the trees and nature nearby. We went to the pond and saw several turtles and fish. All of the pavilions that we observed were roped off, not sure why, but didnt bother us. The trails are well traveled and in good condition. This park is only open certain hours so make sure you check before you make a trip there.

Fantastic local place for woods walking. This park is often crowded on the weekends in their…read moreparking lot. Your car will get dirty driving in on their gravel road. They offer a few hiking trails plus cooking grills.

Swift Creek Bluffs Nature Preserve has been on my list for a while. It's off the normal beating…read morepath. This preserve is all nature. Full of trees and hills. It can seem challenging but it's doable. The trail leads to a subdivision where you can turn around . It's a good two miles with other connecting trails to extend the miles a bit. The parking is a challenge. There is an extremely small lot off the road that's easy to miss. Plan to carpool if you're going with a group.

Lovely trails in an urban area! It wasn't long before the car sounds faded and I could only hear…read morethe sounds of nature. Out and back, I walked about a mile. Watch out for some roots, but it's mostly flat. No man-made restrooms, so "go before you go."

I was in the area and looking for a nice place to enjoy my lunch. Being in Cary frequently, I can…read morealways find a well-maintained and beautiful park close by. This Nature Preserve was super close so I paid it a visit. Wow is it gorgeous here. Even though you can hear traffic from the parking area, you are quickly whisked away into some of the best nature scenes that Cary has to offer. There is plenty of signage, so you always know where you are. There's also plenty of signage describing what's around you and how to get there. This is one gem of a park!!

Nice shaded pathway especially during the summer. Very dog friendly. There are stairs at certain…read moresections of the loop. Great place for an outdoor casual walk. Would recommend this especially if you want to be outdoors, but it's too sunny.

Moderately busy even on a rainy day but worth the trip. Lots of dogs and only two off leash even…read morethough they're all supposed to be on leash. The stairs down/up to the rock aren't awful and have little landings if you need a break. Our 15 year old dog did them with a little help with us holding her harness on the way down just in case because some of the stretches are steep and they were wet when we went. The bottom by the rock gets muddy if it's raining so wear good hiking shoes. I would imagine in warmer weather it's also buggy. But a nice park to get away. Lots of little streams and places to sit and think and get away from the world.

We came here for a weekend girls trip. We stayed in one of the cabins at the campground. On…read moreSaturday we came to the park to hike the trails. We chose the 2.5 mile Raven Rock Trail. It was a great hike both easy and slightly challenging. Raven Rock was beautiful and many photo opportunities were available. There are several stairs that you will walk down and remember you will have to come back up. Walking at a steady pace going up and down the stairs will definitely raise your heart rate but isnt to challenging. The Visitor Center is nice with a short history display to walk through, t-shirts for sale, bathrooms, park maps and the attendant was most helpful in letting us know which trails have the best views. There are benches strategically placed on the trail as well as containers to dispose your trash and recycleables. There are no restrooms on the trails. There is no cost to walk the trails. There are a few shelters located within the park. We will definitely go back again.

I came across William B Umstead State Park while staying in a nearby hotel for business. I am…read morealways looking for somewhere peaceful to walk or run when I have the time and so happy to have found this park nearby. I came to find out that the park covers thousands of acres and has all kinds of trails. The entrance I utilized on foot required my constant attention after crossing over the interstate as the sidewalk vanishes and I had to make sure I was on the shoulder to make sure I didn't get squished by cars going into and out of the park. It wasn't that difficult but be aware if you are entering the park on foot from the nearby SAS campus (of which I understand Umstead along with a friend started). There's lots of parking from this entrance and a few trails to choose from. I took the Loblolly trail from the Reedy Creek entrance. It is fairly long at around 7 miles out. It's not a loop. I did about a mile and a quarter of the trail and it was awesome. All covered with a tree canopy the trail is well marked and maintained. It ranged from gravel to vines and rocks to bare dirt. Great scenery and very peaceful. There's enough room to pass other walkers and hikers. I really enjoyed this park. I want to explore it more if I'm in the area again as I had time constraints. I highly recommend this well maintained park and will visit again. Nothing quite like a good walk in nature. Enjoy!

Wonderful trails for biking, hiking, walking (and also some trails are sign-posted to allow…read morehorses). Not crowded. Miles & miles of trails. Picnic tables and pavilions. Creeks and streams. Lakes and ponds. Boating. BE AWARE of closed trails, bridges, etc...stop by the park office AND check the website for closures.

I have been wanting to go to Fantasy Lake since last year and I finally got to go…read more We reserved a 2 hour slot and got there 25mins before our start time to get changed and settled. The obstacle course is really fun for both kids and adults. The slides were my favorite part. They also have scuba diving on the end side of the lake. The only negative I will call out is that they don't have a water fountain or a filling station. I get that they allow outside food and drinks but for an outdoor water park, having a water fountain/filling station is a bare minimum.

A couple of staff members were unnecessarily rude to me, my girlfriend, and our child during our…read morevisit. At one point, a blonde female staff member approached my girlfriend in a very confrontational manner while we were simply saying goodbye to family members on the dock without wearing life jackets. We understood the life-jacket policy, but the way the situation was handled was disrespectful and could have been communicated much more professionally. Later, as we were leaving, we initially walked up one side of the ramp. We had already washed the sand off our feet and changed, so we did not want to walk back through the sand, get dirty again, and have to wait in line to rinse off a second time. We walked back down so we could leave through the other side. A young blonde male staff member stopped us simply to tell us that we could not be on the dock without life jackets, and his tone was extremely rude. I explained that we were aware of the rules and were only trying to leave through the other side because we had already cleaned the sand off and did not want to go back through the rinse line. Instead of simply acknowledging that and allowing us to leave, he continued to speak to me and my family in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner. What made the situation even more frustrating was that two older women were standing at the end of the same dock without life jackets, and neither staff member addressed them. That inconsistency made us feel singled out and raised concerns about whether the rules were being enforced equally for all guests. This business needs to take a serious look at its staffing and customer-service expectations. Some employees appeared to lack the communication skills necessary to interact appropriately with customers. We also encountered staff members who were not welcoming upon arrival, appeared disengaged in their responsibilities, and created the impression that certain guests or demographics were being treated differently than others. I am not normally someone who leaves negative reviews for businesses, but this was one of the most disappointing staff experiences I have encountered. Families should be able to visit, follow the rules, and still be treated with basic courtesy and respect. Based on our experience, I would not recommend bringing my family back.

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is located in Seven Springs, NC. The park is named for the 90-foot…read morecliffs that overlook the Neuse River. I first stopped at the Visitor Center. I like visiting these as they are like a little museum in each state park. This visitor center was very interactive and had bright colors with the storyboards. I like that they covered the local ecology, the history of the river and also how we can help make better choices to keep the water safe. In the lobby, there are some taxidermies; you will see a black bear, an owl, a fox and a bobcat that lived in the area. When the fault formed, the water created the cliffs. The cliffs are unique in the layers formed. The white and yellow layers of sand and gravel are remnants of ancient beaches. The Atlantic Ocean once covered the area. Then the dark gray and black layers were made of clay likely deposited by ancient marshes. Between these layers are marine life, seashells, shale, and gravel. These got left behind as the sea levels rose and fell. These formations are 90 feet high and 200 feet underground. Native Americans gathered here, the Tuscarora and Saponi tribes. The river acted as a transportation route and a source of food. They used canoes to go from the coast to the inland forest. The high ground served as a lookout point, allowing them to see anyone approaching. They hunted deer and turkey. The museum has stone tools and other artifacts that were found in the area. During the Civil War, in the Battle of Whitehall (now Seven Springs), the Union soldiers used the higher ground to fight the Confederates. The Confederates were building an ironclad ship (the CSS Neuse). They thought being upriver would keep them safe from the Union ships. They had hoped to retake New Bern with it. The ship survived the battle with only minor damage and was moved to Kinston to have an engine and heavy iron armor added. (The ship can be seen at the CSS Interpretive Museum in Kinston, NC) I liked the phones available for a glimpse into the past from people who were part of the park, and the viewer glasses. The building is air-conditioned, and restrooms are available. There is a small gift shop too. The staff were friendly as they were expecting campers. There is an Overlook for a beautiful view. It is just steps away from the parking lot. The view was stunning. The signs make it easy to find from the visitor center. There are some trails to follow as well if you want to explore more.

Love this park!! In the summer you're able to swim and kayak. Trails aren't that hard and scenery…read moreis nice.

I bike and walk here often. Lots of entry and exit points…read moreAlways have felt safe but be sure to lock car and don't keep valuables in it Always see so many deer!

When I moved to Raleigh our real estate agent has told us about the Greenway, but when I purchased…read moremy house I had no idea we lived so close to an entrance, or how much I would enjoy this wonderful place. It is not often a government gets something right, but in the case of the Greenway they nailed it in my opinion. Laid out nicely along the Neuse River. Trash cans set up so people can dispose of their garbage. A great place to jog, walk or ride your bike. I wish more cyclists would announce themselves when coming up from behind, but hey what would the world be without assholes. Enjoy a relaxing couple of ours and take a hike. Relatively flat and you can go as far as you like.

This park is a hidden gem. The hiking & biking trails are well-maintained and the facilities,…read more(pavilion, campgrounds, restrooms) are clean and new. If you're in eastern NC and think Raleigh has a corner on the state park 'market' give this pretty place a try. Come up for a day trip. Hike the trails, go fishing in the creek(s) -- with a license of course then jet to Littleton for a good selection of cuisine. Or, camp at the pristine campground, where a sweet little cabin, complete with Adirondack chairs will finish off your relaxing, peaceful day. Kudos to the Medoc Mountain State Park crew.

I have always drove by the park entrance so I decided to visit one day with my dog for a little…read morehike. There are a lot of trails here that makes for an excellent workout via hiking, running, or walking. It has a visitor center with bathrooms. I particularly like that there are picnic tables and fun jungle gym area for kids. It is worth the visit.