We came here for a weekend girls trip. We stayed in one of the cabins at the campground. On Saturday 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. read more

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beautiful place, with a handful of trails to choose from or do all.. highly recommend, kid friendly. read more

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One of our favorite hiking spots! And close to our house! Love the variety to choose a trail based on distance and difficulty! We have seen deer on our hikes and it's always a nice surprise. read more

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This park is beautiful!! Very well kept. A lot of trails - some easy and some difficult. I highly recommend Raven Rock Loop Trail. It is 2.6 miles and you can see raven rock and the overlook. Easy trail in my opinion small toddlers were doing it. Only difficult part is a set of stairs you need to take to get down the Raven Rock. You can also camp at this park. We didn't, but met people who did. read more

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This place is incredible! It truly feels like you're immersed in the beauty of the Blue Ridge. The stunning rock paths and flowing waterways create a perfect backdrop for adventure. We started our day on the mountain bike trail and thoroughly enjoyed every moment, biking the exhilarating 8-mile route. My husband, our 11-year-old son, and I embraced the experience together. Afterward, we visited the state park facility for a quick restroom break and recharged with snacks and water before embarking on a hike to the serene river. The mountain biking is in a different spot then the biking area both had restrooms and picnic benches. read more

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Moderately busy even on a rainy day but worth the trip. Lots of dogs and only two off leash even though 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. read more

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The Campbell Creek Loop Trail was definitely a moderate 5 miles hike. The signs for this particular trail say prepare 3 to 4 hours. But I think you can do it in less than 3 hours. It took us 2 hours to hike 5 miles. The trail is totally manageable if you take it slow. There are lots of roots and loose rocks to look out for. We took the trail clockwise, which I recommend taking. In my opinion, it is better because the last leg is mainly walking along the creek. There's not a great view of the falls, but it's still a great hike in nature. read more

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We enjoy coming here in the early mornings. It get pretty packed if you don't get there bright and early. We get a nice 5 mile walk in and the dogs are happy. The views are nice. I've seen snakes and deer. Hoping to see an otter or two one day! I hear they're there. read more

Raven Rock State Park - Good boys at Raven Rock - Parks Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

We came here to hike while we were in Raleigh for the weekend. It's about an hour drive from the Raleigh area. The first trail we did was Ravenrock Loop Trail which is a 2.6 mile loop. It was mostly flat except some stairs to get down to the rocky area. I'd still say it was easy though. There was also an overlook, but exploring the rocky ledges was my favorite part of the trail. After that, we did the Campbell Creek and Lanier Falls Loop Trail which is a 4.7 mile loop. This one was underwhelming. Lanier Falls is actually a rapid, not a waterfall and there really aren't any views on the trail. It was raining the day we were there so we had the park to ourselves for the most part. If you're in the area, this is one of the better places near Raleigh to hike. read more

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Wow! This park has some stunning views and Raven Rock is a must see! We went on a Tuesday in January to try and avoid crowds. There were not many cars there when we arrived late morning. I have read online the parking lots always fill up on the weekend so try to visit during the week if you are looking to avoid crowds and to not be turned away if they are full. Throughout our visit we probably passed about 15-20 groups of people while on the trails. About half pulled a mask up and kept their distance then there was the other half that couldn't be bothered to even move over and of course didn't have masks on. I realize this is outside but it's really frustrating when people don't even try to stay away from you. Hopefully you encounter some safer more polite groups if you visit. The trails were awesome and Raven Rock was just so cool! We hiked and explored about 4.5 miles in 2 hours. We plan to return to hike the Campbell Creek Loop Trail when we have more time - a sign said it could take about 3-4 hours for the 5 mile loop. read more

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Raven Rock is a popular state park to go to that has easy to moderate hikes great for family and escaping into the wilderness for a bit. You'll want to try to get here around 9 am because the park gets packed around 10-11 am and isn't worth worth waiting for if that's the case. They will usually post it on Facebook when the parking lot is full. The namesake trail 'Raven Rock Loop' is 2.6 miles and takes you to a large rock wall that has an abstract imprint a raven with the Cape Fear River lazily flowing near by. Along the way, you'll pass an 'overlook' that shows the Cape Fear River from a higher view point too. The Fish Traps Trail is another sight worth walking to that isn't too far. It has the river close up and you'll see some triangular rock beds that act as 'fish traps.' There are some large rock platforms along the way that you can stop on if you don't mind getting a little wet. Another notable trail is the Lanier Falls Rapids. At the end of the hike, you can walk across the river about 10 feet to an island that is pretty neat to be on. The water goes about waist deep for an average adult (I'm 5'8") so you'll definitely get wet if you decide to go on it. Worth it though! All in all, this is a decent park to check out if you have time to do some light hiking. You'll probably see a few critters along the way too (squirrels, birds and possibly snakes and/or spiders). I recommend wearing some bug spray and some sunscreen. read more

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A beautiful place to hike. Well maintained trails, wildlife, views, what's not to like. read more

Raven Rock State Park - View up river from overlook. - Parks Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

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The spot is verdant and offers some well-maintained paths, amenable for trail running. I took the Campbell Creek trail, which took some two hours at a brisk pace (more than I would have guessed). It ran through the forest and down to the river, but views were limited due to tree cover. It was more about the journey. Tiny toads hopped across various parts of the trail, but other wildlife was scant. This isn't a bad thing necessarily; it's one of the few inland spots in North Carolina where I wasn't swarmed by bugs, though wearing repellent would still be wise. The scope of the park runs on both sides of the river, and based on my ongoing search, it appears to be the biggest and best stretch of public natural land for quite a ways. read more

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This state park is awesome! The visitor center was really nice and we really enjoyed the museum-esque displays detailing the geology, biology, and history of the area. The native flora butterfly garden was also really cute and I enjoyed seeing what all was in bloom. We did the Raven Rock trail loop and it was beautiful. The trails are very well marked and easy to walk (though beware of tree roots! There's a lot in some places). We went around 10AM on a Saturday and the trails were pretty bumpin. Be prepared to see a lot of people. Next time we'll go during the week probably, but we are already excited to go back and explore the other trails! read more

Very clean and kept up state park. Very rarely do I ever see much if any trash. It's usually easy to get in but once in a while it does reach capacity on the weekends. Bathrooms are always clean and clean of trash. The trails are all pretty easy; I've done them all since I was introduced to the park when I went to Campbell years ago. If you are looking for somewhere to go that isn't always jam packed I highly recommend it! read more

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Such a cool park! I had been here numerous times as a kid and I don't remember it being this cool. I only remembered boring flat trails strewn with pine straw. My memory was jogged a bit on a recent visit back - the trails still are strewn with pine straw. However there's a giant freaking rock hanging out over a river that I swear was not here before... As a wannabe geologist, this park is top notch. I had no idea it was so significant to the state and even the entire east coast of the US. The large chunk of rock forming a cliff side jutting out over the river denotes the point at which continental rock ends for us above-grounders. The area from this point all the way to the coast is literally just a perpetually deepening pile of sand eroded from the tops of the Appalachians over the course of hundreds of millions of years. This place seriously puts that into perspective. I've lived my entire life in this state, about half of it on the continental part in Charlotte and the first half back in the sandy soil of the coastal region. It all makes sense now. When people would always refer to the soil here as "Carolina clay", they said it without knowing that a whole third of the state (my birth-third) is actually incredibly low lying, flat, fertile sand. But I digress. This park is fantastic for a quick drive and day hike for folks in RDU or Fayetteville. There are several trails, but of course the most recommended one is the Raven Rock Trail. This takes you both down under the rock beside the river's edge and up on top of the rock to get a rather wide-ranging and distant view over the river and trees beyond it. Come out in the colder months to avoid crowds, as I'm certain it gets busy here. At this writing, you should also prepare to get muddy considering all the rain in this area over the last several months. But it's a worthwhile endeavor. read more

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My fiance and I run a great five-mile loop when prepping for trail races! The other side of the park has a nice short trail down to the river; I hope you don't mind the stairs! read more

Cool trails! Bring water!!! Pet friendly, bring leashes. We walked a 6 mile round trip down to the river where the huge rock was carved into the side of the river at the bottom of these wooden stairs-neat. read more

Love taking a hike here. It gets busy April to October so plan accordingly. The trails are well kept though and lots to do in Lillington before or after your visit to the park. read more

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I really like this park it has great walking trails. A lot of hills. But still great for hiking even though I almost passed out from a morning hike because I couldn't catch my breath with the last hill coming back to the visitor center. But it is really nice and beautiful! It's where I also got my engagement photos done read more

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Raven Rock is one of my favorite state parks in the area. It is a wonderful park for hiking along the Cape Fear River. There are plenty of parking spaces. The park has a beautiful nature center with clean and air conditioned bathrooms and knowledgeable staff members on duty to help you around the park. Outside of the welcome center are bird feeders that attract hummingbirds. There are also plenty of covered picnic tables. There are miles and miles of tree covered, wide trails with great overlooks. Trail maps are available and the trails are well marked. Dogs are welcome. The park is super clean- clean parking lots, facilities, and trails. Litter is very rarely seen letting you really enjoy your time in nature. Beware that when it is a gorgeous day outside, the park does get crowded. read more

Raven Rock State Park - Parks Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

Came here yesterday for a half day activity. Since we came on a Saturday, we wanted to make sure that we were able to get some parking spots. We arrived at 9:30am finding plenty of spots available. For the hike, we decided to do the Raven Rock Loop Trail, or RRLT. With this trail, you get to see two great sites: The Overlook and the actual Raven Rock, which is the trail's namesake. The Overlook provides a nice scenic view of the surrounding area. To get to the Raven Rock, you have to go down this wooden stairway that descends down by the Cape Fear river. Once you reached the bottom, you can explore the surrounding area and there are plenty of neat rock formations of all shapes and sizes to discover. The RRLT is between 2 to 3 miles in length. It's not a hard hike at all due to the lack of any significant elevation or uphill walking. The only significant part was the stairs by the Raven Rock and that's not bad at all. This is definitely an easy hike compared to Hanging Rock trail which was marked as moderate. After your hike, you can enjoy a nice picnic lunch at the Picnic Shelter area which is right next to the trail head of RRLT. There is also a nice restroom area by one of the trailheads of RRLT which gets cleaned regularly. Raven Rock State Park is definitely a place to bring the kids for an easy hike out in nature. read more

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Beautiful trees, running waters and landscape. I did the Raven Rock Trail, detour to Little Creek Trail and got to see an overlook. Will be back to try the moderate Campbell Creek Loop Trail! Pro tip: Come as early as you can, peak time is around noon so expect a decent wait if you come at that time. read more

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It's a nice state park has a very nice visitor center. Many hiking trails, bike trails, and equestrian trails. Primitive camp sites accessed by hiking in or paddling in to the camp site. They have recently added RV sites and drive up tent camping and cabins. It's clean park all of the interactions I've had with staff or park rangers has been positive. If you are looking to get out and enjoy nature try Raven Rock state park. Happy trails!!!! read more

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Great park and trails. Awesome campground! Only thing missing is access to the Cape Fear river!

A bunch of walking trails. You will definitely get a good workout. Very peaceful walk.

Raven Rock State Park is a beautiful place to walk and hike. There are lots of trails, some of them easy, and some are a bit more challenging. The Raven Rock Loop is the most frequented lrail, due to both the Raven rock and the overlook. And the staircase down to the raving rock is rather steep, but worth it. read more

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This park definitely can be a mini get away! And while it not being so mini there are short trails that are worth taking a look at. We took the 2 mile trail that for sure got our work out in. There was even stairs we had to climb. I would surely go back and next time definitely going on the bigger trails! read more

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The trails are hazardous and not well maintained.Thousands of tree roots make hiking slow and tedious.I did not see any staff during my visit.Either needs to be closed or repaired.Do not recommend visiting it. read more

Relaxing and good exercise. Done the Raven rock trail twice. I think it's 3 miles round trip. There are other trails I want to check out. Think one was a waterfall??? And there's a 5 mile trail!!! Don't think I'm ready for it yet but plan to work myself into shape. The longer trails aren't good for kids though. They complained the whole time By myself it's all good. read more

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Raven Rock Loop Trail is an easy, nice nature trail. Lots of spur loops if you want to go a little longer. Go early to avoid the crowd.

Trails are beautiful. Bathrooms are always clean. Favorite place to hike when the weather is right.

This is a beautiful park with such a variety of walking/hiking trails! I've walked several of them You can pick the length and difficulty that is right for you. Just remember if your trail leads you downhill, you have to come back up too! . read more

One of the best state parks I've been to. Super clean (trails had no trash, plenty of garbage cans that were not overflowing, great restrooms), well-maintained trails, very accessible and easy to find trail markers, etc. Great and cared for ecosystem. I did the Raven Rock Loop Trail and saw lots of mountain laurel blooms and a beautiful overlook of the river. Loved it! read more

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Such a cute place to hike, nothing beats fresh air and the smell of trees. It's dog friendly and the trails are well taken care of. The lookout point is absolutely gorgeous and we saw lots of birds on our way read more

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What a great getaway without having to travel far! Raven Rock State Park is located roughly 45 minutes from Holly Springs. Beautiful park with several trail options. This park has a waterfall that I hope to make my way out to next time that I visit! Can't wait to return. read more

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It is a great space for clear trails to walk/ hike. The rangers are helping promote social distancing and they are only allowing the number of cars that fit in the parking area to come into the park at one time. read more

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Wonderful place to walk, relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. The Rock its about a mile walking and a lot os steps so obviously wear comfortable shoes and clothing. read more

Raven Rock State Park - Parks Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

Nice place to hike and definitely a great place for exercising. The only issues I have is that the roots of the trees are a tripping hazard. If your visually impaired you don't want to go here for a walk. The park upkeep is somewhat dismal. read more

Beautiful park to visit. We went on the one day of Memorial Weekend without any rain and it was starting to get busy when we left around 11am. LOTS of tree cover and dog friendly. The trails are clear and they are basically through heavily pine forested areas. Bring water and watch out cause some spots get pretty muddy and slippery if you go down towards the river. Lots of parking available. Insect repellent needed in the Spring. Update: June 2018. We decided to go to the rapids/Falls trail this time and there were definitely some rougher spots. Round trip from parking is about 6 miles. We took the right side of the loop (along the creek/stream and there were a few uphill sections that were more difficult. Beautiful area! WATCH OUT FOR THE SNAKES! Saw a Copperhead snake JUST off the trail on our way out to the falls and almost stepped directly on a rat snake on our way back that was crossing the trail. Just keep a look out and give them space. Also, bring water shoes and LOTS of water if you are going to the rapids. It's VERY slippery with sharp rocks and shells under the water. read more

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