This is a hidden gem. Still Off the beaten path. But not…read morefor long. Development is low beginning to come closer to this area and as people learn that it is a quiet Alice of heaven and usually by some weird deal of nature cooler By ten degrees and a nice stiff breeze coming off the two rivers that meet at the corner of the property. The hike gives one a feel of being in out foot hill mountains in the western part of our state. And other than the mountains this is the only piece of land that has all our pine tree species five. Again nature is weird here. Some say just as dusk approaches you can hear the spirit of the wolves of New Hill if standing on the bluffs. Whenever I am up this way working I make sure I hike the trails and try to catch a few minutes on the swinging tree. Wear comfortable hiking shoes.

People are very gracious on this trail... if you ask the right questions and respectful native…read moreNCers will be very open to tell you about their favorite spots...

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.

Come here with my dad and dog on occasion. Very calming, fun and relaxing! My dog is pictured his…read morename is spot!

The river trail is 5.5 miles in total length, 4 miles between the two parking lots on the trail…read more The best parking/access is on the north side near the Jordan soccer complex. The trail is enclosed by trees so you don't really get much views of the river, but it's a nice trail in the forest. It's paved and wheel chair accessible. Bikes and scooters etc are allowed. There is also access to several mountain biking trails along the path. The trail is mostly shaded, but doesn't get much breeze because of the forest so can be muggy during hot weather. This is one of the best options for walking in the area since the city is not pedestrian friendly. There are emergency beacons along the trail about every 1 mile for safety, and it's a fairly busy trail so I would consider it to be safe to solo joggers or hikers.

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.

Walking next to a river is always a wonderful experience. With that being said, trails should be…read moreclearly marked and fallen trees should not block paths. This trail is poorly kept. It's really unfortunate because this site could bring in out of towners who will in turn spend money in the community. We love the outdoors and visit different hiking spots weekly. Shallow Ford barely ranked 3 stars. In addition, they only have 3 campsites that have a blocked view of the river. Do not recommend.

Great hiking. Can walk around in here for a good 2 hours or so uneven path with roots and rocks be…read morecareful some place slightly incline, but not steep. Check it out if in the area

Beautiful Park but most of it is shut down due to areas being worked on. I used to come here when…read morethe 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

This SP is oddly split into two non-contiguous plots of land. I visited the Long Valley section…read more Nice, mostly flat, wide and shortish trails, small lake or maybe pond is the right word. Small visitor center. A nice walk.

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.

This is one of my favorite hiking spots in the area. I've been here about 10 times with my dog and…read morewe discover a new part of the forest every time. One of my favorite aspects of this place is the peacefulness of these trails. It isn't a high frequented place and the trails are always in good condition. I discovered on my last trip that there is a bike trail near the Horace Williams airport entrance. This is a nice place to come and hike in the woods without traveling very far from the Chapel Hill area.

A good place to bike, walk your dog or just plain walk/ jog. I've been through pumpkin loop and…read morecrow branch overlook and I prefer the crow branch since we never realized there was a whole retention pond to walk alongside!! Beautiful and able to see a mix of wildlife if you look closely enough and slow down. We've seen crayfish, mushrooms, even owls and deer out there. Really love this spot and glad it's close to home! It doesn't have water like drinking fountains or legitimate bathrooms is the only reason it's not a full 5 star. Otherwise I'd consider it a 4.5. There is also a small pollinator garden area that comes up on the left when starting from MLK side. Love this place.

If your into trail running or biking this is a great place to get in some miles. Just finished 13…read moremiles of trail running. Second day in a row, did 10 miles yesterday. Just make sure you follow the directional signs.

Tired of staying inside on a beautiful October day, we did a quick search for nature trails and De…read moreHart botanical gardens sounded like a good fit to bring 3 generations and one fur ball to commune with nature. Located off 401 in Louisburg, there is free parking and a little gazebo to sign up at. A bit weird as no human mans the gazebo. We chose the waterfall trail and it was a little less than a mile there and back. Quite easy to navigate and nicely shaded and woodsy throughout. Will definitely come back to try the other trails. Glad we found this hidden gem!

I've lived in Raleigh for over 20 years and only recently discovered these delightful gardens just…read morea short drive away. There were two separate areas, the Lake Trail and the Waterfall Trail. The Waterfall Trail was more of a true trail, winding through the woods. The Lake Trail primarily looped around the lake. It would have been nice to have distance markers on the sign. There is a port a potty at the trailhead.