raven rock state park

VA-beer

We came here to hike after Thanksgiving and had a very nice walk. The facilities seem to be quite good and there is a large network of trails. I like that there was no fee to access the park. The Raven Rock loop had a great view of the Cape Fear river and it looks like the canoe camping would be enjoyable in season. The trails were not difficult to walk on and would be fine for young children. I felt that it was a good park, but not so fantastic that I would drive a long distance just to get there. If you in the area, definitely check it out.

Cosmo45

Raven Rock State Park has been our favorite hiking place for over 20 years and we've seen many improvements to the park over those years! The main attraction are the trails - anywhere from a half mile to over 5 miles in length. There are 6 or 7 different ways to walk the trails, with some being easy and some being more difficult, but none are are in the extreme category. There are plenty of picnic tables for lunch, including a covered area with several BBQ grills (bring your own charcoal). If you have a large group, you can reserve the covered area which would easily handle 50 people. Raven Rock is the gem of Harnett County with beautiful vista's of the Cape Fear River, plus steps (around 100) leading down to the "Raven Rock" and the river.

655morgans

Only had a short time to visit, but we enjoyed the hike to Raven Rock. Very beautiful scenery!! Park office was helpful and maps were great too. Would definitely like to return!

TravelingPirate13

We made a stop here on a road trip down 95 and it was a little bit further from the highway than we were expecting. Once there we found plenty of different trails - moderate difficulty but well marked and well kept. I would stop again and maybe try to spend more time covering a couple of the different trails. Beautiful state park with great views of the Cape Fear river.

Bowmanator22

I have been to Raven Rock several times. It's the best place locally for a picnic, and the hiking trails aren't bad. There are better state parks, but if your in the area, and you like the outdoors, give it a try. You may like it better than I did.

Kaat88

We did several walking trails to make one big loop. So we hiked for several hours. The park has an amazing lookout over the park and river. You can even swim in the river during the summer. The park was not crowded at all. Trails are well kept and well indicated. Great place to do some hiking or relaxing.

4BullfrogJones

Good place for a local hike. The river is an added joy. Fishing is also pretty good. Good place to backpack i the winter and late fall.

816artr

Diverise terrain, excellent facilites and information center, easy access, - great for an hour or a half day.

Zautman

I spent several hours hiking the trails in this park. The park has nice facilities and the trails are well maintained, but the Raven Rock was a disappointment. Yes, it is a nice cliff, but is not what I would consider to be a destination or the centerpiece of a state park since you can see cliffs like this by the hundreds just along normal trails elsewhere in the country. There really is not much of a view for most of the hikes other than just the woods - you see Raven Rock, you have an overlook, and you can walk down to the river on the Northington Ferry trail. It seems like they could have made the trail system better. It really is too bad they did not build a bridge connecting the Northington Ferry and the Campbell Creek Loop trails which would allow you to make a large loop and allow you to see the waterfall after checking out Raven Rock. As it is, you have to double back a lot if you want to do both. A hike along the river would be a nice addition also.

jgkiser

We made the trip down from Durham for a little late afternoon hiking. Nice trails, very well marked, largely under tree canopy, so not too hot. A couple options for your trails can take you to the rock itself, which is rather unique -- stairs built on the rock face that take you down to the river to explore around a little bit. Other trails may take you to overlooks, but they are small and narrow, enough space for about 4 - 6 people. Still, a pretty view over the Cape Fear River. The best trail for us was a short jaunt down to the Fish Traps, where a lower river level and nice broad rocks made wading out to the middle of the river really enjoyable as the sun set. Very relaxing. Picnic facilities look awesome, very well kept, and bathrooms were also solid. Worth a trip from the Triangle!Directional advice -- Google Maps pointed out three entrances to the park, so we came into the north, which ended up just being a gravel road that cuts through the park on the north part of the river. The horse trails come off of this, but didn't look good for hiking. We had to swing all the way around to enter from the south.

LawrenceB778

Right on the border between Coastal and Piedmont North Carolina, this fall line park offers some great hiking along the Cape Fear River. Less than an hour south of Raleigh or north of Fayetteville you will find some spectacular rock formations and cliffs little known in this part of the state. Several nice creeks run through it, and elevations vary from 120' to 355', so you can get some elevation changes into your hikes. The park is quite popular and has backpack campgrounds as well as a nice visitor center and picnic shelter. You can see remains of ancient Indian fish traps and 200 year old lock and dam remnants in the Cape Fear.

AprilO1

I thought this park was beautiful. The hiking trails are not very long but they go through the forest and along the river so you get a lot of pretty scenery. There are some hills and tree roots to contend with so there is some challenge to the hike even though it is not that long. The falls are not very big but definitely worth stopping to see. The Trail center has lots of good information as well. They also have clean bathrooms!!!

ClaudiaD860

We drove a long way (from north Raleigh) to check out the park after reading up about it. It turns out though that there's not much open space along the trails to catch a view. You spend most of your time walking a narrow trail that meanders around until you finally get to the river. There's steep steps to get down to the water and then the water's edge was slick mud that was tough to navigate. There's not much space at the water's edge and everyone was trying to carefully walk around to see the rock of Raven Rock. Then a similar walk back. Not many scenic spots on this trail so it wasn't very interesting.

vacaybug

Nice, well marked trails in this free park. Easy 1 mile trail to Raven Rock meanders through the woods gently sloping downwards to the 130 or so steps that get you to the bottom to view the rocky cliff overhang. The way back up gives you a good light sweat workout, more if you hurry. We took our 2 old dogs and they did just fine.Tip: Start at the visitor center so you can walk through the small but informative display to learn about the area. Pick up a free map and then drive over to the picnic pavilion where the trailhead is. Important if you want to cut a quarter mile off your walk.

bubu1127org

Being a runner these days I've learned how to appreciate trails these days. After so many years of visiting raven rock I have to say it is one of my favorite places to visit and spend the day. Whether it be for physical fitness activities, date, fishing, hiking or simply sight seeing with the family. Perfect get away at no cost. Two thumbs up!!!#teamrwb