I can't believe I've never been to this park before! It was such a great spot for a walk around the…read morebeautiful lake and to play! The main path (1.3 miles) is paved with additional dirt trails on the sides. The playground is absolutely amazing and my kid loved it. The park was clean and there were lots of people out. The bathrooms were decent and there was picnic tables under shelter. Parking was filling up but it was a sunny day in February so I think people were out enjoying it. They have kayak launches that I'd love to come back to try!

Great.little park to take a trail around and hike. Nice for canoeing or fishing (catch and release…read moreonly) Dogs need to be leashed , and cannot go near park

If you are a beginner hiker or just looking for an nice walk, here is an excellent start. We walked…read morearound for a good hour and saw some beautiful views.

I wouldn't call this a pond. It is an extensive body of water. It is a good sized lake. Some…read morewaterlillies have entered it. Otherwise it is a very beautiful example of the round or oval lakes that occurred in the area and throughout the southeast in the old days. Many of them were drained leaving this lake to be important as a source of knowledge of interest. The forest surrounding the Patsy Pond Nature Trail is a joy and a wonder to behold. A section of it, however, has been seized upon by a small hunting group and each year or two they burn it out to remove the unique flora and understory plants. They do that, they claim, to open the land to deer hunting because deer, they say, like the open areas. Because the area is also part of a managed forest (where loblolly pines are encouraged to grow and planted in long rows, this idea about deer and hunting doesn't make much traction. Shooting at animals while standing (more often sitting) on a trail drinking beer is not my idea of hunting. One year I was in the area and the North Carolina Department of the Environment had a 'controlled' burn. It torched a wide area. Upon reporting the flames, which reached more than 120 feet in the air at times and emitted acrid smoke, no authorities took notice and did not question what was happening. Disappointing to say the least - however this area butts up on the Croatan National Forest and this trail skirts at its deepest point. That area is wild and has been for a long time. I recommend the Patsy Pond Nature Trail as one of the entry points to that wilderness. Bring all protective clothing with you.

This place is so beautiful and offers kayaking,canoeing, and paddle boarding. They have a swim area…read morefor families in the summer time open too. Nice campgrounds and friendly people! We love going there

Visited my family who were camping there for a few days. When I was a small kid we used to camp…read morethere. You can camp in your tent or RV. Multiple buildings for using the bathroom with a drink machine outside the doors. Multiple piers to walk, 2 play grounds for younger or older children..my son loves both since he was the only one playing out there. Very clean area, & awesome workers!

Phyllis and Wayne are amazing owners and they take pride in their campground .This campground is a…read morehidden gem. We stay in parks all over the country and if you are traveling through NC you need to stop here. It's so clean, lots of shade and walking trails. Beautiful , safe pool. Pet friendly and spacious RV spots. Phyllis even refunded us our money because we paid for a monthly spot but unfortunately we could only spend a week or so there!

Very quiet spot to camp for a day, a week, or more. The camp owner was extremely friendly and…read moreaccommodating. The lake is gorgeous! We all really enjoyed waking up to such a breathtaking view. We took the paddle boats out for a spin, sneaking up on turtles perched on logs. The only downside, for us, was the number of cats and dogs that have free range around camp. We had brought our dogs for the weekend and were uncertain about how to keep our critters from going bananas trying to introduce themselves to the resident critters. We will certainly visit again, but we might leave our 4 legged friends at home.

We tent camped at White Oak River Campground this past weekend. The places has its pros and cons…read morebut for me the cons outweighed the pros so we won't be going back. Cons first so I can end on a good note: CONS - The campground is REALLY close to the highway and an overpass. You will hear the cars all night long if you are tent camping. All.Night.Long. We didn't sleep very well; I would say not at all but we doze off a few times. (5 people in our group, 1 person said they slept ok. That same person drank more than anyone else - pack a pint of Beam and you may sleep too!). - There are 1, maybe two full time campers with what appears to be full time residents. They PARTIED hard, loud music until 3-4 am. Totally unacceptable for the campground manager to allow this, and to be a part of it. Yep, he partied with them; we think he lives right behind the office in a camper too. PROS - Now for the good stuff: - There's a wonderful stream/river that runs along the campground; we got a spot on the turn which we really liked. - There are several lakes that are awesome! I taught my wife to cast a fly and there are no/few trees around so she was able to not get snagged up and she really enjoyed it. My daughter lost a nice bass in the lake nearest the camping area. We saw 4 other nice bass caught on worms. Bait can be bought south of the campground a mile or so on the left. - It is pet friendly; we bought our dogs and enjoyed walking the grounds with them. - Bathrooms are pretty clean and have showers. If you are looking for a quiet spot to chill and sleep well, this may not be the best choice. They'll never be able to fix the road noise, but if they can get the mgmt under control and address the noise at night it would be a 4 star place.

Stayed weekend at this campground. Mike is a great person and was extremely helpful to us…read morenewbie's. We arrived after dark and Mike lit up the site with his four Wheeler and helped us get backed in. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely return someday. Nice walking trail. Thanks Mike for a pleasant stay.

We visited here today to get away from the Wilmington traffic. It was $8.00/person to get in with…read morechildren being either free or a lesser price. They have a grassy parking area with 5 picnic tables. There is a small beach and a large swimming area. There is a high deck to jump off of and a small slide for little kids. Water was pretty clear, too. They have a concession stand and you can rent kayaks and paddle boats. We had a really nice time.

I gave this place 4 stars because the kids always have a fun time, but the dock that they jump off…read moreof needs to be more sturdy

We went here recently and there were almost no one there. There's not much to look at, no crabs or…read morefish in sight. But it is really relaxing and there's not much waves.

Radio Island is an interesting cluster of fishing spots. If you're not familiar with Radio Island,…read moreyou're bound to hear historical tidbits about how it has changed over the years...for better and worse. You can fish and swim at the lake. I wouldn't recommend it because there was this constant funky smell. Plus, I didn't catch anything there. There's a marina where supposedly you'll have better luck fishing. Overall, an interesting place that's dear to locals and holds fishing secrets for fishers.

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.

The name caught my eye, and despite this being far away from the mountainous part of the state…read morethere are indeed cliffs. The river was at flood stage due to heavy rains throughout the region when I visited, but there was no danger of getting wet at the top of the cliffs. You can pretty much drive right up to where the views are, and this being a NC state park, you can simply motor on in without paying a fee, which is not the case in neighboring states like SC and VA. Trails take one from the cliffs down to the riverside in fairly short order, and there were plenty of interesting sights to see in the short time I spent there, another on my list of sights seen in a fascinatingly diverse state.

Visit d this location during a vacation in Wilmington. Not only does it have a park for kids to…read moreenjoy, the location has pickleball courts, kayaks, paddle boats and a walking trail that circles the beautiful lake. We hoped to see gators but missed them all. Tons of turtles though. The walking trail is 5 miles around the lake and easy with shaded spots, and various lookout locations with benches to rest or simple zen out. I wish I lived closer so I could walk this look weekly!

This is such a nice park. Wilmington has done a nice job up keeping this park. I love the 5 mile…read morewalk around Greenfield Lake, especially during azalea season. My kids enjoy the skate park and playgrounds. The trials are well kept. Lock your car and keep items out of view. This park is known for vagrants and we did see one person approach our car and try the doors. They scurried away quickly when they noticed we saw them. This could be because we have out of state plates but locals say this park is known for crime.