North East Park is a vast park space for people to enjoy. A 6-mile circuit under lush forest cover with its own set of microclimates as you cover all 4 sides of the park. People, horses, and dogs get a lot of mileage out of this park.
In the years 2018 up to 2020, this was a 5-star park. This review is only for the trails section, not the rest of the park. The trail can be hiked to its full extent of 6 miles in one go. Since the trail is so long with 6 or more forking trails from the main pathway, it was rare that you would encounter other dogs when walking yours. Owners would have their dogs off leash but carrying leashes because you can see anyone with a dog from a good distance away anywhere on the trail, then leash them in time. Not today. From 2018-2020 there wasn't a leash warning to be seen anywhere. Now there are leash warning signs at every trail entrance. Kind of a turn-off. I'm surprised they stopped there and didn't take it further by posting warnings every 500 feet along the trail itself.
The trails of NE Park are riddled with raised roots across the trail. This is a caution for senior walkers (65 years +). If you're unsure about tripping and falling forward without fractures or broken bones happening, you're good. If you don't pick your feet up with every step and shuffle along instead, these trails are not for you. I saw a pretty rickety someone in there with a cane once. NOT recommended!
Spring into summer, early morning hikers get to clear the nights multitude of spider webs set up across the trail with their faces. It's a little crazy how many times you'll be yanking webs off of you. In the heat of summer, those wily spiders are tossing webs across the trail throughout the day.
If it rains pretty good, the trail be a muddy mess. You would only be there because you love mud, and you are happiest when mud is on the floor of your vehicle, and/or you enjoy your dog shaking mud all over making the inside of your car resemble a mud-Pollock painting. Since 100% of the trail is under trees, it takes a good 3-5 days for the trails to dry out.
The trail in the summer, starting about mid-May if the weather is warm, seems to be the birthplace of ticks in America. I believe all ticks roots & DNA can be traced right back to NE Park. Your dog can inherit upwards of 10 or (many) more ticks on the full 6-mile hike. The record for my 2 boys after one 6-mile hike this month was 23 ticks.
Ticks, roots, and spider webs aside, I would still go to NE Park, but I will not return to the trails at NE Park anymore. Not for myself and not with my boys. The freedom of having dogs off-leash enjoying the wide-open spaces in some places to toss a ball or frisbee has been eradicated. There are 2 other destinations I take my boys to where they can run off leash, pick up a tick only occasionally, no spider webs in my face, and no roots across the trails. It seems some North Carolina parks grind down roots on trails while others do not. NE Park does not. Sprained ankles and falls are just waiting to happen. read more