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Covering almost 5,600 acres of land between Durham, Cary, and downtown Raleigh, Umstead State Park is a natural oasis brimming with wooded trails, meandering tributaries, and manmade lakes. There are 34.5 miles of hiking trails and 13 miles of multi-use paths - great for cycling and horseback riding, plus opportunities for fishing, shelters for picnic shelters, camping areas (closed for reservations), and boating rentals (currently unavailable).
I recently enjoyed a moderate, 2.8-mile hike along Sal’s Branch Trail (located by the Crabtree Creek Entrance and Visitors Center off Glenwood Avenue). The trail looped through acres of red maples, American beech, and of course numerous varieties of oak (Raleigh is the City of Oaks after all), all hovering above a lush forest floor of various fern species, vines, fungi, and flowering plants. The path along Umstead Park Lake was dotted with honeysuckles, sundrops, and golden ragwort.
The park hosts events throughout the year, including guided hikes, workshops and seminars, volunteer opportunities, hands-on activities, and much more. For fungi lovers, make sure to join Alan and Arleen Bessette on Sat, Jun 17 from 1pm-2:30pm for “Mushrooms of the Carolinas”. The program will include a presentation on native mushroom species, followed by an opportunity to spot fruiting fungi with a guided walk through the woods.
The visitor center is wheelchair accessible and offers accommodations for those with vision and hearing loss. There are also a few paved trails, an accessible picnic shelter in the Reedy Creek section, and accessible restrooms and parking spaces.
Umstead State Park is also Pet Friendly, but please make sure to follow their “petiquette” requests, and as always, Leave No Trace and Recreate Responsibly.
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