This park is a hidden gem. The hiking & biking trails are well-maintained and the facilities,…read more(pavilion, campgrounds, restrooms) are clean and new. If you're in eastern NC and think Raleigh has a corner on the state park 'market' give this pretty place a try. Come up for a day trip. Hike the trails, go fishing in the creek(s) -- with a license of course then jet to Littleton for a good selection of cuisine. Or, camp at the pristine campground, where a sweet little cabin, complete with Adirondack chairs will finish off your relaxing, peaceful day. Kudos to the Medoc Mountain State Park crew.

I have always drove by the park entrance so I decided to visit one day with my dog for a little…read morehike. There are a lot of trails here that makes for an excellent workout via hiking, running, or walking. It has a visitor center with bathrooms. I particularly like that there are picnic tables and fun jungle gym area for kids. It is worth the visit.

Can't wait to return next year. This place was awesome. Came here for a nice relaxing weekend at…read morethe end of the summer. We had a tent site right on the water. Every day we would eat drink and swim all day and had a blast. There was no place to buy wood at this park. So make sure that you have some wood for fires. We bought some from a 7-11 prior to coming. But we also found a tree that fell over that someone at the park cut up and let us take to burn. The bathrooms were not the best. Only one of the toilets door would close In-N-Out bathroom. But if you walked a little there was another bathroom. The showers didn't allow for much privacy. But we were swimming every day and got a quick shower in when no one else was there. Some of the sites have these cement areas near the water that are not comfortable to lay in. But I saw a few younger purple on them. I didn't even like sitting in them. Also near the water they get slippery. Make sure you are bringing some type of water shoes. There were a lot of people that had campers and boats near us. Lots of kids and many dogs. A great family destination.

The big lakes have never really been my favorite state parks in NC. Not that that makes them…read moreinherently boring. In fact this one has quite a lot going on. With several access points, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing and boat slips there's no end to summer time enjoyment out here. And lemme tell you, this lake is huge. I wasn't quite aware of Kerr Lake until this stop through. As it seems most of the lake is in Virginia, it's not really heard of as much in NC, I feel like. But it's significant to the history of the area and of course for the energy infrastructure of this part of the country. I took a scenic drive along the expanse of the lake and drove into VA where I crossed the dam "just to say I did". The sheer size of the lake makes for incredible views. While it isn't a park that I see myself going back to anytime soon, I know it would be enjoyable in particular for families going on summer trips to camp and enjoy the water.

Short camping trip to this hidden gem with the family (about 4 hours). This is our third time here…read moreand has camped in multiple sites but this site is definitely my favorite. Private beach front. Quite location. This time of the year not buggy. Unfortunately, the leaves haven't turned yet. There's local store about a mile or two from the site where you can purchase firewood, gas and whatever else you may have forgotten to pack. Across the street is a new Mexican place before that it was a pizza place - hopefully they stay open till our next visit. We tend to meal prep when we camp. Overall, an amazing camping experience and it is the closest you can get to water with a full electrical (50 amp) and water hookup. Till next time!!

This is a great place to camp. so much to do. Very clean. Great for families. Staff are very…read morepleasant. If you like water this is the place to be. Boating, fishing, beaches. you name it it's the place for you.

I had the absolute best time and the park rangers and staff are all friendly! There are so many…read morebirds and exhibits! I loved the landing zone where you can feed flamingoes and parakeets and there are a couple sun conures in there too!

This was worth the two-hour drive from the Triangle to spend a couple of hours in a…read morebeautifully-landscaped retreat with a huge variety of birds. It's a bargain at only $14 for adult entry. I recommend getting one of the seed sticks for the Landing Zone, where a flock of colorful parakeets will eagerly perch on the stick and eat out of your hand. If you're skittish, note that they will also maybe land on your shoulder or head, or pull at your shoelaces until they realize they aren't food. But for those who are game, it's a ton of fun and the birds come in a beautiful variety of colors. All of the various sections have plenty of birds, and they're easy to see, not hidden away in the back of some enclosure. They all look healthy and comfortable and seem to have plenty of room. There are also tons of plants and lovely flowering bushes throughout the park. Some particular favorites of mine were the Wings of the Tropics and the boardwalk (sponsored by Duke Energy) where you can get an idea just how much an impact beavers have on creating essential wetlands for bird habitats. All of the various zones are close together, and there are plenty of benches and places to rest throughout, so it's not physically taxing and guests with mobility issues could still enjoy it. It's definitely off the beaten path, but it's worth the trip if you have an interest in our feathered friends.

Love it!! This is our third year enjoying kayaking with friends and family. The staff is amazing,…read morefriendly, and welcoming. The equipment is always in good condition and the process is very well organized. I love that you can email them and they respond quickly! Looking forward to next year's adventure!! i recommend them 100%!!

Absolute WORST experience I've had in a very, very long time. After being checked in, my family…read more(three children and 3 adults) went down to get our floats, got in the water and started to float (no staff was there to help or assist like any other rafting or float place I've been), the staff said it would take about 5 hours (it took 6) - the wind was against us that day and I had to essentially pull us the entire 2 miles - all the while being blown back in the opposite direction. There was brush all along the bottom of the river slowing everyone down. When we finally got to the end, we had to ask someone that happened to be fishing where the exit ramp was. No signage, no staff to help, but a missed call from the front office asking where we were. When we finally got up the ramp, I called and they seemed annoyed and surprised we were 20 minutes after the last group. The driver was quiet and acted mad that he had to come get us, upon check out the lady up front said we had to pay a fee because we were 20 mins "late" (no mention of this in person or anywhere physically visible) - how in the heck can we help the river being low and the wind working against us? $300 plus $60 late fee turned our trip into a nightmare. They need staff in the water guiding/assisting, which they don't have, in case something does happen. Main takeaway - DO NOT GO HERE. It's terrible and the staff seemed annoyed that they even had to be there. JUDGING FROM THE REVIEWS, THEY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK - actually scan thru and read them, but read the RESPONSES from Cape Fear River Adventures as well - GO TO "LOWEST" up top under "SORT BY" and read them ALL - these are normally buried so far down that people don't see them. Many reviews are super similar and it's definitely obvious that they don't take criticism well AT ALL - keep that in mind too! STAY AWAY. This place gives Lillington a bad name.

I have been wanting to go to Fantasy Lake since last year and I finally got to go…read more We reserved a 2 hour slot and got there 25mins before our start time to get changed and settled. The obstacle course is really fun for both kids and adults. The slides were my favorite part. They also have scuba diving on the end side of the lake. The only negative I will call out is that they don't have a water fountain or a filling station. I get that they allow outside food and drinks but for an outdoor water park, having a water fountain/filling station is a bare minimum.

A couple of staff members were unnecessarily rude to me, my girlfriend, and our child during our…read morevisit. At one point, a blonde female staff member approached my girlfriend in a very confrontational manner while we were simply saying goodbye to family members on the dock without wearing life jackets. We understood the life-jacket policy, but the way the situation was handled was disrespectful and could have been communicated much more professionally. Later, as we were leaving, we initially walked up one side of the ramp. We had already washed the sand off our feet and changed, so we did not want to walk back through the sand, get dirty again, and have to wait in line to rinse off a second time. We walked back down so we could leave through the other side. A young blonde male staff member stopped us simply to tell us that we could not be on the dock without life jackets, and his tone was extremely rude. I explained that we were aware of the rules and were only trying to leave through the other side because we had already cleaned the sand off and did not want to go back through the rinse line. Instead of simply acknowledging that and allowing us to leave, he continued to speak to me and my family in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner. What made the situation even more frustrating was that two older women were standing at the end of the same dock without life jackets, and neither staff member addressed them. That inconsistency made us feel singled out and raised concerns about whether the rules were being enforced equally for all guests. This business needs to take a serious look at its staffing and customer-service expectations. Some employees appeared to lack the communication skills necessary to interact appropriately with customers. We also encountered staff members who were not welcoming upon arrival, appeared disengaged in their responsibilities, and created the impression that certain guests or demographics were being treated differently than others. I am not normally someone who leaves negative reviews for businesses, but this was one of the most disappointing staff experiences I have encountered. Families should be able to visit, follow the rules, and still be treated with basic courtesy and respect. Based on our experience, I would not recommend bringing my family back.

Nice to have some nature in the city. It has miles of trails and fishing ponds. The ponds are stock…read moreregularly and you do have to buy a fishing permit to fish at the ponds. They also let you camp here but you have to reserve at the park office. The trails can go pretty far along the Tar river. Spring and fall is the best time to come

This is such a beautiful area. With such a wide range of facilities, there's something for everyone…read morehere. It's a shame there's no easy way to get to the park from Greenville other than by car. Building a new bridge across the Tar River to carry bikes and pedestrians could connect the park to the Greenway on the other side, creating a truly grand recreation area.

A delightful rest stop to take a break on a roadtrip down I-95 from Richmond to Wilmington, NC…read more This is well-worth the short detour on US-64 east if you have dogs or young kids in tow. Battle Park is easy to find in the heart of Rocky Mount near the waterfall and mills. Parking can be found in a small lot on the northbound side of the river. Restrooms are very clean with lot of pine trees and a nice mix of paved trails and dirt paths with a view of the river. Great for a quick 20-30 minute stop to stretch your legs and enjoy fresh air with your dog before resuming a long drive on I-95 to your final destination. I think some stores and restaurants are available in the mill area if you need to take a longer break. I'm so glad we decided to visit Rocky Mount, NC even if it was just for a 30 minute pit stop to stretch the legs with our dog!

This was an awesome park to visit today for Disc Golf. It is a mostly wooded 18-hole course with…read moresome open baskets. Pars are mostly 3 with some 4 and one 5. Baskets range from 300-800(!!) feet. The terrain is awesome, and being there today made me forget I was in eastern NC (I guess hence the name Rocky Mount...) The course design isn't intuitive but using the UDisc app helps. Along with disc golf are also mountain biking trails and walking trails. I also saw people fishing and signs about using a boat ramp. It felt nice and shaded today even in 80-something degree weather. Cant wait to come back again in the fall!

For years, Lake Benson has been my go to for outdoor activities. Walking the paved loop is about a…read moremile (small dirt trail goes past lake and detours off path)and you can cross Benson Road into White Deer park to easily get 3 miles. They also have a boat house with limited hours but the prices for renting kayaks, canoes and Jon Boats is minimal... $10 for two hours kayaking if you are a garner resident

We live in a neighboring town close but and bumped into this gem. Nice area to walk and plenty of…read moreroom for children

I started coming to the Beaver Dam entrance of Falls Lake since there is a public beach, as well as…read moreaccess to the lake where you can open water swim. I have been practicing some open water swimming here. It is populated but has plenty of parking, making it feel family friendly and safe. On warmer weekend days I've seen families come out and have a BBQ. It's the perfect spot to enjoy the summer if you do not have access to a pool or can't make it down to the beach.

It's always nice going out to the Falls Lake area to hike. There are many trails for that and for…read moremountain biking too. Some of the trails are easy while others more challenging. Some off shoot trails go along the shorelines and people come out here to fish or put a kayak in the water. There are plenty of birds and other wildlife to watch in the lake areas. Just a historical note. The Falls Lake area is part of the Neuse River system and is the main supply of water for Raleigh & Durham. It was created in the 70s to supply drinking water for a quickly expanding area of the state. Many valley, farms, and pasture lands were flooded to create it. In times of drought it's not uncommon for the top of an old barn to be seen in the water.