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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Wilmington NC is the native habitat of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). This remarkable…read morecarnivorous plant occurs naturally only within a roughly 70 to 90 mile radius, making it one of the most geographically restricted plant species in the world. It thrives in the subtropical wetlands and nutrient poor pine savannas of coastal North Carolina and parts of northeastern South Carolina. The Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden is a completely handicapped accessible and free spot to take a nice walk. The gravel parking lot is the entrance to a paved walkway that leads to the boardwalk and an overlook. Along the way, captions and signs point out the history of the plants and include photographs so you know what you're looking for. Thankfully, the star of the show was in one bunker. We saw a cluster of Venus flytrap plants. Some of them had closed. There are warning signs not to touch them because they will close and starve. I didn't touch them. Remarkable and enjoyable and yes, unique. [Review 1269 of 2025 - 4428 in North Carolina - 24821 overall]

Flashback to the summer of 2020 when I took the twins to #wilmingtonnc…read more While they lounged on the sand in the sweltering heat, I broke away to visit @cityofwilm #stanleyrehdercarnivorousplantgarden This #naturepreserve is amazing!! It's small and hidden, tucked away by a school on residential side streets but it is so worth the trip in my opinion. The top two coolest facts about North Carolina are: 1. The Venus Fly Trap is native to only this state 2. We have a pirate. I enjoy the wild ponies and more but these are unique to NC. I was the only one at this garden. It was a breathtaking view and walk, if you are looking for something other than the beach and the boardwalk for a few hours. Also, this is a free activity!

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.

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.