Nice place to take the Grand kiddos for a walk...run down the trails. Throw rocks (pinecones) in the pond, look for tad poles. Have a pic nic. Great for a few hours of killing boredom with littles. read more

Carvers Creek State Park - Small pier near the pond behind the visitors center. - Hiking Near Me - Spring Lake, North Carolina

Not the most exciting trail, but worth doing if you have some down time and want to see some Rockefeller History. The Carver Creek State Park is broken into two different sections: Long Valley Farm Access (with the historic Rockefeller Retreat House) and the Sandhill Access (just flat trails for hikers/horses). They are about 20 minutes apart. Between the two, I'd go to the Long Valley Farm Access since the history component whereas the other is just trails. Overall, there is really not much else here and you can complete it within an hour an a half or so. The loop is 2 miles long, but if you go straight back then it's about 1.5 miles total. read more

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This is one of those parks that somewhat confusingly has multiple sites that are under the same name. I went to the Sandhills Access, the downstream and thus eastward portion. A clean road lead to a parking lot with plenty of room. The woods had a rather fascinatingly manicured quality of which I do not know the history, and a variety of interesting plants. Of course, this being North Carolina, there were mosquitoes as well. The creek itself wasn't that impressive and the trail only briefly intersected with it, but the views of nature were quite satisfactory, and this was a quiet place - excepting some booming sounds faintly in the distance that I suspect were from Fort Bragg - with fresh air. Hoofprints indicated the occasional equestrian visitor, but I saw only humans on foot and their dogs. I did not finish anything close to the entire set of trails, and I think the other access point would be worth checking out as well. It's all free, and it's very driveable from downtown Fayetteville, and it's the best dose of nature I've found locally. UPDATE: The Long Valley Farm is a weird site; apparently an abandoned country estate, it's full of old but not too old buildings and has kind of a creepy vibe. The lake was largely closed as of this writing, and the remaining trails didn't have a ton to offer. Perhaps more will open up, but the Sandhills area has more going on as of this writing. read more

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Hidden trail in Spring Lake with a wonderful fishing dock! It has two loop pathways that can be taken averaging about 2 miles each. Surprisingly clean facility. Pet- friendly :) read more

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Beautiful Park but most of it is shut down due to areas being worked on. I used to come here when the lake was there. Now it's drained and kinda creepy. Hopefully it'll be restored in near future. The landscape and Rockefeller house is breathtaking Addendum just found out it was hit by flood. It's a work in progress and repair read more

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I'm originally from really close to here. I was surprised, actually, that I hadn't been to this park yet but then I realized it hasn't even been around for a whole decade yet. And I haven't lived here for longer than that. Talk about a young park that basically slipped under my radar! The entrance is easy to get to and find with a large sign right off the road. The area is quite open with fields allowing good views. There is a long-ish, packed dirt road taking you to the park office. The office is basically just a modular home meant to be temporary. The long term plan is to convert the Rockefeller house on the property into the park museum and office - cool stuff, can't wait to see it! I grabbed a stamp in my passport and headed out for a hike. The main trail is a continuation of the dirt drive but cut off to cars. It takes you not quite a mile on loosely packed sand (you know you're in coastal Carolina when...) right up to some old buildings and the Rockefeller house itself. It's flat but makes for a good workout on the ankles and feet. It also denotes a transitional zone between meadow and forest which can make for some great views of wildlife. You can come back on the parallel trail in the woods that definitely has a gradual hill you can feel in it. It's deceptive! Excellent trail run training to be had out here too. The house and grounds are unfortunately in relative disrepair. I'm sure the park is currently just not quite funded enough to get things in tip-top shape yet. Then you have the incessant rain and storms of the last couple years which breached the dam and emptied the lake behind the house. Despite that, this place is worth a stop. I'm actually quite enamored with it and it's one I will definitely be back to. read more

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This place is so cute and quiet! (you will hear Fort Bragg every now and then). Walk the Sandy Paths and you find the historial old home of a Rockeller (holiday home). No fishing as the pond was impacted by flooding, climbing trees available. Wifi hot spot for schools available. Bathrooms were not open. Flodding affected the hiking paths. read more

Carvers Creek State Park - Hiking Near Me - Spring Lake, North Carolina

Great hike! Nice clean trail, good for beginners! They even have a dock overlooking the pond!

Like to come here for the New Year Hikes. Love to walk the property. I really enjoyed thrift programs too. read more

Carvers Creek is a relatively new addition to the NC State Parks, having recently opened its short-term facilities to the public. A little north of Fayetteville and bordering Fort Bragg, it's pretty easy to find, but watch the signs once you get to Long Valley road. While there's only one entrance, it's easy to head down the service road instead.. Although the park is nearly 4000 acres, the initial two trails give an easy hike. One is about a half-mile to the Rockefeller house and the second, a connecting Cypress trail loop, is about three-fourths of a mile. The paths are flat, except for the occasional tree roots breaking through. It's a fascinating walk, one side is open field and the other a forest of pines. As you approach the Rockefeller house, where you can pick up the connecting Cypress trail, you get the initial glimpse of the pond. Near the main house is the mill, pavilion, and canoe house. If you continue walking toward the fishing spot, the pond is on one side and a swamp on the other. The Cypress trail shadows the swamp and the forest. Along the initial path and heading toward the fishing pier, there are picnic tables set up for lingering and picnicking on nice days. Right now there's no overnight camping, but you can bring your (leashed) dog and enjoy the sights. It's beautiful on a gray winter day. It has to be stunning on a bright summer day. Stop at the ranger station as you enter; pick up a map, although it probably isn't needed for these short hikes, and information about future park development. read more

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Great park for walking, running, and biking. Recent Hurricanes have washed out some culverts and dams so the pond is dry. However, it is still a beautiful place to go for a stroll. Plenty of people there on the weekends (great for safety) and the front desk attendant is helpful. They allow pets but they must be leashes. Winter Home of J.D Rockerfellow. Well maintained but you can't tour inside. read more

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Route is currently under construction and they are currently rebuilding the dam with no current estimated time of the dam to be completed any of the areas are still burnt read more

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I really like this park. It has loads of history and beautiful trails. It's peaceful.

Nice place to visit and take in some great scenery. However, the fishing here is difficult unless you have gear to get in the water and mud. Went expecting to fish off the observation deck but it was lost during a wildfire in 2019. read more

I went here with my husband to get some daddy/daughter photos. There were many different and good backgrounds for photos. It was a cute walk with the little buildings and all. It wasn't a difficult walk, which was nice. I plan to go back for runs with a stroller at some point in the near future. We really enjoyed the trail! read more

This place was a awesome place to come to. Great trail for walking use to be great for fishing until the dam broke and left it waterless. If it ever gets repaired it makes a great family picnic spot and it's dog friendly. They just need to put a little more effort into bringing it back to life read more

Took my dog for a Sunday stroll here and this place is awesome. The pond was built in 1850 and the house in the 1920's so naturally there's cool shit to explore for example the house, the water mill, the spring house, the dock on the pond, the rain shed and the grounds over all are well kept and maintained despite being in the middle of no where. If you live in Spring lake and want to escape the stench of Fayetteville for a few hours this is the spot to do it. read more

Great trail to run on. Enjoyed every second and the person at the desk was very helpful