We were here at night, the week after Christmas. Impressive Christmas lights on display for a…read moresmall park. I found the park safe, even at night. Very well maintained. There is a playground area on the other side of the park. Apparently parents at the park don't want some rando guy with no kids playing on the playground equipment. At least that is what the police officer told me. I think the kids were just pissed because I was wining at "king of the mountain". Park is located in downtown and is next to the Neuse river. Parking is free in the area. It's a nice little park and I give it a solid 4 stars.

What an awesome green space and new playground on the Neuse River complete with many amenities,…read moresans a public restroom (although it kind of smells like one down by the lift station). What were they thinking? The rest is five stars--bandshell for outdoor concerts, picnic shelter, shade canopies, solar-powered lights, interactive multi-piece colorful interactive ACCESSIBLE playground, clean artifcial playground surfacing, paved walking trail (with a storybook theme), dedicated parking lot and meaningful memorials. Thanks to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department and partners for making this park happen. If you haven't been to Kinston, NC, lately, check it out. This playground is part of a downtown revitalization going strong.

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.

This passive park is located on the site of the former Lemual Harvey Elementary School that stood…read morehere from 1925 to 1974. I'm not sure what happened to the school but this is now an open space with a gazebo at the center. It's nice for a picnic and would probably be ideal for a festival or farmer's market sort of thing. There is a dedicated parking lot. Watch yourself on the steps as some of them are a little cracked. [Review 15471 overall, 975 of 2021, number 3015 in North Carolina.]

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is located in Seven Springs, NC. The park is named for the 90-foot…read morecliffs that overlook the Neuse River. I first stopped at the Visitor Center. I like visiting these as they are like a little museum in each state park. This visitor center was very interactive and had bright colors with the storyboards. I like that they covered the local ecology, the history of the river and also how we can help make better choices to keep the water safe. In the lobby, there are some taxidermies; you will see a black bear, an owl, a fox and a bobcat that lived in the area. When the fault formed, the water created the cliffs. The cliffs are unique in the layers formed. The white and yellow layers of sand and gravel are remnants of ancient beaches. The Atlantic Ocean once covered the area. Then the dark gray and black layers were made of clay likely deposited by ancient marshes. Between these layers are marine life, seashells, shale, and gravel. These got left behind as the sea levels rose and fell. These formations are 90 feet high and 200 feet underground. Native Americans gathered here, the Tuscarora and Saponi tribes. The river acted as a transportation route and a source of food. They used canoes to go from the coast to the inland forest. The high ground served as a lookout point, allowing them to see anyone approaching. They hunted deer and turkey. The museum has stone tools and other artifacts that were found in the area. During the Civil War, in the Battle of Whitehall (now Seven Springs), the Union soldiers used the higher ground to fight the Confederates. The Confederates were building an ironclad ship (the CSS Neuse). They thought being upriver would keep them safe from the Union ships. They had hoped to retake New Bern with it. The ship survived the battle with only minor damage and was moved to Kinston to have an engine and heavy iron armor added. (The ship can be seen at the CSS Interpretive Museum in Kinston, NC) I liked the phones available for a glimpse into the past from people who were part of the park, and the viewer glasses. The building is air-conditioned, and restrooms are available. There is a small gift shop too. The staff were friendly as they were expecting campers. There is an Overlook for a beautiful view. It is just steps away from the parking lot. The view was stunning. The signs make it easy to find from the visitor center. There are some trails to follow as well if you want to explore more.

Clear pretty cool running trails, well Maintained. The…read morebathrooms are always cleaned and stocked.

I'm door minigolf. Fun for kids in a hot or rainy day. Local feel with nice people. They can use…read moresome business so check them out!

Our son goes to ECU and we stopped here for a round of golf on one of our visit. Reasonably priced…read moreand some really fun and challenging holes. A great indoor course in a day when the weather was not favorable. Sat and enjoyed our free bag of post golf popcorn while we added up our score. All in all a good time to be had!

Hidden gem in Craven County, the Cow Pen Landing NC Wildlife boat ramp in Vanceboro is a quiet…read moreplace to reflect while watching the Neuse River stream past you. Nice floating dock where you can sit and have lunch while you listen to the area's birds sing the favorite songs. This boat ramp is a small one without much activity. There are no picnic tables, so we sat on the fishing benches on the dock to enjoy our lunch. Also, this is a very rustic launch with no bathrooms, so be prepared to hold it. If you're in the area and want to get away for a quick break, Cow Pen is a nice little oasis.

What great place to tour and staff was so nice.. once we paid and started tour the gentleman put a…read moreball up a tube that went into this cool artistic display of how a rain drop forms and the lifecycle.. it went into a cloud around room which simulated atmosphere and into rivers and big bodies of water it was cool. Then we sat in on 12 min film on estuaries.. then self guided tour .. for $5 it's worth price of admission . Lots of rooms to go thru.. live animals like snake , crab, alligator to see.. and you can walk outside on the deck see beauty of the waterfront area. Enjoyed my visit and highly recommend to anyone in area.

The North Carolina Estuarium is located in Downtown Washington, NC. It is the first estuarium in…read morethe world and focuses on the environment. The NC Estuarium offers ferry rides on the Tar and Pamlico Rivers at various times during the year. I really enjoy the rides as you might see some wildlife besides the plant life. The captain provide fun facts along the way too. The museum is 12,500 square foot and serves as an education center. It provides a great overview of the estuaries and coastal rivers which are an important part of the ecosystem where fresh water and salt water mix. 90% of NC seafood comes from estuaries. We need to keep these waterways clean. In the lobby the display is large and shows the different parts of North Carolina. The NC Esturium is part museum and part aquarium. The aquarium focuses just on estuary species. It has over 200 exhibits and a lot are hands on. The part about the hurricanes was informative and showed the damage done from the rising sea levels. I highly recommend visiting this unique museum.

Great place for sporting clays. A,B,C,D throwers at each station, all work and throw challenging…read moretargets.

This is an update from an earlier review. This review is based upon the pistol range only, I do not…read moreuse the sporting clays part of the grounds. It really deserves 3.5 stars but you can't do a half star on Yelp. They have made some improvements since my last review. They have put a little more effort into fixing up the pistol range. The 4 lanes all seem to have been repaired with tighter lines that no longer hang just above the ground. They have replaced the battery, so all lane target holding lines seem to work. The biggest problem is they have not come up with a better solution to hold targets. The PVC pipe they currently use get shot up by bad shooters, rendering them useless for others who come behind them. This has got to be a headache for HP management, as well as a big expense. I don't have a good solution, but there must be a better and cheaper way they can provide an electronic target holder that survives the inexperienced shooters. Perhaps they should rent them out to shooters, and make you return them to the office when you are done. If you bring back pieces, you pay for the PVC pipe. Just a thought. In any event, it's gotten better this year.