This is a square space of Carolinian forest which is not far from the beach, but offers a different…read morevibe and plenty of tree cover. Some bridges cross over small waterways and give the opportunity to gaze over some pretty still water. Relative to the more coastal areas, the obvious advantage here is shade, and the disadvantage would be the potential for a lot of bugs in the warmer weather. There are several trails which circuit navigate the place, and it joins a historic site. It does have its own parking lot and there is no charge to get in.

Visited the new entrance today on Wednesday morning around 9 AM. Not many people were there, so…read morethere was still quite a few parking spots. there was one porta potty. It was a nice short hike. There was a sign at the parking lot of where the trail started, but not totally clear. You just head along the wooden rope fence on a grass dirt area until you'll get to a gate (about .1 miles), where you'll have an option of going either left or right. I decided to make a right and eventually came to another intersection where I I made a left and it was a loop trail, around .75 total miles starting from the gate. There are trail marker wooden sticks, but no trail names. No map either on site. There are garbage cans throughout the trail, dog poop bags at the start, and a couple of benches on the loop trail. It was an overcast day, so hard to tell if it was shady. If I had to guess, it would be semi shady because of all the trees. It was fairly flat, but lots of tree roots. Still manageable with my jogging stroller.

Nice little (and I stress little!) park in Surf City, NC. There are swings, a slide, and a "camel…read moreback climber" (like a loopy monkey bar/climbing contraption) for the kiddies. There is also a basketball court and small picnic pavilion. The highlight of this spot, however, is clearly the boardwalk that juts out into the bay area. True, the walk is short (920 feet per the website), but it provides quite beautiful views of the bayside, as well as all its inhabitant creatures. From the sides of the boardwalk, you can view tons of fiddler crabs milling about, while from the terminus, it's not rare to see a wide variety of small fish, sand crabs, blue crabs, and mussels. Definitely not a bad spot to check out for some decent views, nature viewing, and "playgrounding".

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

I went to the Christmas lights festival tonight? It was beautiful for $10/person. There was a lot…read moreto do and it was decorate beautifully. You were able to tour the main house, too. They did a really great job for this! Food trucks, bar, photo ops, etc. beautiful place!

I had a nice visit at the Poplar Grove Plantation after figuring out where to park. What was…read morewritten on the ticket in great detail was not correct. They changed the parking to the next street and you aren't to enter at the flags like the ticket directions told you. I took a guided tour and learned about the Foy family that had a peanut and sweet potato farm. But the more important part of the story was about the Gullah Geechee people. I had first learned about them when I was in Beaufort SC. But there is a corridor that goes from Wilmington to St. Augustine, FL to protect the Gullah Geechee culture. Poplar Grove was built by the Gullah slaves who were very skilled. 59 lived on the property. They took care of the construction; lumber milling; brick making; tending to the livestock and crops as well as domestic chores. They need to be the focus of the tour.

What a lovely spot! Just discovered this one mile wooded trail and enjoyed hiking it with our dog…read more Dogs are supposed to be leashed. We did run into one entitled woman on speakerphone with her unneutered off leash lab who didn't even attempt to leash him (didn't look like she even owned a leash) but other than that it was a lovely walk and everyone else was polite.

Check the tides before you go if you plan to kayak. We went a little too close to low-tide and only…read moregot to paddle for 45ish minutes. We didn't know how low the water would get and didn't want to be stuck. We had never been here too so before we carried our kayaks out we decided to walk the trail without them first to check the path. It is about a half mile or more to the kayak drop-in. It's a nice path and would have been easier to have a kayak dolly. We carried ours and it was quite a workout but a beautiful walk. We saw lots of other walkers and while on the water it was very cool. Lots of oyster beds and birds. We plan to come back very soon when the water is higher! Great park for just a walk too.

This is our favorite park because of the amazing playground--it's great for all ages. They recently…read moreredid the soft, rubbery ground under the equipment, which is so nice and safer for kiddos. The park is clean and well-maintained. They also host fun community events like outdoor movies, concerts and Easter egg hunts, which we love! There are also tennis and pickle ball courts, basketball and fields.

Stay at Wrightsville Beach every year. The park is a real jewel, always visit when we vacation…read morethere!

Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Park is located at the Piney Ridge Nature Preserve, Wilmington, NC. The…read morepark is free and there is a small & free parking lot beside the park. We were very impressed with this park & preserve in Wilmington, North Carolina. Even though we came early in the morning, it got sweltering hot fast. We walked the paved and unpaved trails. I read that this was a good area for birdwatching yet we didn't see any birds in the park. People are encouraged to come early in the morning to ensure a parking spot and to avoid the crowds. We came early the morning in mid July to avoid the heat and crowds. Shade is limited. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and cameras are strongly recommended. This preserve & park have Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and sundews. They thrive in the acidic, boggy soil. Wilmington is one of the few places in the world where these plants naturally grow and flourish - one of the unique hidden gems about Wilmington and an ideal destination for nature lovers. There are winding easy to walk paths through the preserve & park. Informative signs along the trail provide insights into the plants in the park. Visitors will notice sitting areas along the trails with benches to enjoy the scenery and plants.

Nice little preserve for plant lovers! Well preserved and lovely viewing docks with stools.read more

Airlie Gardens is one of those places that reminds you why folks used to put on a good pair of…read morewalking shoes and spend an afternoon outdoors instead of staring at a screen. The grounds are beautiful, peaceful, and rich with history. Even though only some of the flowers are blooming right now, there is still plenty to enjoy--towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss, winding paths, ponds, sculptures, and the feeling that you've stepped back into old Wilmington. The famous Airlie Oak and the historic chapel make it feel more like wandering through a living postcard than just another garden. Airlie dates back to the late 1800s and was created by Sarah and Pembroke Jones before becoming a public garden preserved for future generations. The gardens are well kept, easy to stroll through, and especially lovely this time of year with the Azalea Festival season beginning. It is the kind of place where you slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that nature did landscaping long before homeowners associations started issuing warning letters. The one drawback--and for us older folks it is a real one--is that there simply are not enough restrooms spread throughout the grounds. With so much walking involved, having a few more bathrooms around the gardens would make a tremendous difference and would make the experience more comfortable for seniors and families. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A beautiful, historic Wilmington treasure that is absolutely worth visiting, especially in the spring--just be sure to make a restroom stop before setting out on the trails.

What a wonderful afternoon in tended, maintained, and planted nature gardens. We spent 2.5 hours…read moreenjoying every trail and side trails. It felt like we had the place to ourselves for the most part today.