Wonderful park with well marked trails Feels like a hike…read moremore than a walk which is awesome

The Photograph Club from Trilogy had scheduled a fall photo shot for today with the goal of taking…read morein Murray's Mill Historical Site and the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, both in the same area. While at the Bridge, I mentioned that I was also considering going over to Riverbend Park which was only about 20 additional minutes from where we were. A couple of the folks decided to join me. I've been here probably a half a dozen times but never checked in and left a review although I did post some photos. Our group leader was familiar with the Park because she had hiked the trails often but was not aware of the Dam for Lake Hickory which is just upstream. The other lady was aware of the Dam but did not realize that there was a Park just downstream. When you pull into the main parking lot, at the back side is a small road with a sign that says "Trailheads" to the right and Picnic Rest Rooms to the Left. Not obvious but if you take the Left Fork, you go down the hill to the River. At the bottom of the hill is another parking lot next to the Catawba River. When you first to into the lot, there is an observation deck that extends out into the edge of the Catawba River. Great view of Fall foliage from here. If you go back past the covered picnic shelter you end up at the Canoe Launch area. Another beautiful area. We missed it but they open up the dam on occasion for the Canoe's and Kayaker's to create whitewater. At that time. all the rocks you see in the photographs are submerged. A little past peak color but the maples with their shades of rea were still beautiful.

What a nice park. My son has a blast. It was just so windy! The slide has to be the biggest in the…read morearea!

We were staying in Hickory when we needed to find a place for the little one to burn off some…read moreenergy. This place was a great find. It's completely accessible and inviting. Best of all it's free to the public. It has fields, colorful playground equipment and tennis courts. Next to it is also a splash pad. There are several areas to get out of the sun and cooking areas. I think the Kiwanis and Zahra Baker parks are named for the adjoins areas of the park.

Fantastic wooden playground! My 2 year old loved it. It's all wooden or roped with the exception of…read morethe slides. Bridges, nets, rope climbs throughout! I reallllly appreciate how this playground is designed ie not having multiple cutouts at the very top (so I don't have to worry about my toddler falling). This playground reminds me of the ones I played on way back in the 90s. Lots of parking. Nature center on site. I will be back when in the area!

We were visiting from out of town and needed something for our little ones to do! This playground…read morewas AMAZING! Beautiful area and the playground is 10/10!

This place was absolutely amazing I could bit believe how…read morebig it really is. The lake is really nice. It is pricy though. There were plenty of boats on the dock that were cool. The gas on the docks in 2024 is $5.99. I can't wait to come back and fish this area one day

This place is huge! And you can choose from a pretty long list of activities: Camping, hiking,…read morepicnicking, mountain biking, boating, etc etc. We only stopped in for a quick hike on the Lakeshore Trail, which I think only scratches the surface of this park. Nicely laid out, with good roads and clean and tidy pullouts with marked trails, but road signs could be a bit clearer. A beautiful spot - or at least what little we saw.

Being born and raised in SoCal this was a cool place to stop. My friend who recently moved nearby…read morefrom California had seen the sign to this place but hadn't had the chance to visit yet. So off to the bridge we go. It was not far from the freeway. We were the only ones in the park on this overcast, hot and humid day. We weren't sure how far we had to hike to the bridge and the map at the kiosk was a bit faded so it made it difficult to figure out. After doing one loop we looked at the map and went the opposite direction. Thankfully there wasn't much bug activity going on. Not sure if it's because put on bug repellent on before our trek. Anyway, we found it! It wasn't even a mile to the bridge. We were glad we didn't give up and made it to this cool bridge. It's historic and also one of the last covered bridges in NC. It's beautiful here, plenty of lush trees. The have signs and info along the path. My friend said that schools plan field trips to visit here. The bridge is sadly covered with graffiti but if you can look past that you will see the beauty of the bridge and imagine yourself in the time it was built. There is quite a few parking spaces and a covered seating area. It's worth stopping to check out.

Has to make a trek out to Bunker Hills Covered Bridge one afternoon recently, to enjoy the fall day…read moreand see on of the last and few remaining covered truss bridges left. Built in 1894 and covered in 1900, this one hundred plus year old landmark sits quietly off in the distance on an off beaten path. There is paved parking close but you must walk in a short distance to see the actual structure. Its covered in graffiti now but still standing, strong timbers and heavy wood beams with a heavy wooden two runner lane path. Its not in service any longer but is still walkable. We stopped and admired this century plus old bridge and then took a slow stroll across it, thinking about all the people from eras long ago that had walked before where we were walking. A Solid 4 Stars - Worth the effort and journey, if you like history, old bridges or unique structures and architecture 01171

I really enjoyed how the trail started with a nice view of the river. The trail was a straight shot…read morewith a lot of sitting area to take a break. It was round trip of 4 + miles and to get those steps in.

Peaceful way to spend the afternoon walking along the stream, noticing the birds, the flowers in…read morenature. A great way to relieve stress and get outside. Well maintain trail with lots of space to walk your dog or walk with a stroller.

This fabulous huge park features five picnic shelters with tables and grills, two playgrounds, rest…read morerooms, a gazebo, lighted and paved walking trail, nature boardwalk, 24-hole disc golf course, canoe launch, horseshoe pits and a memorial garden. The walking is well utilized and is open year-round. It is a two mile long loop and leashed dogs are permitted on the trail. [Review 15404 overall, 907 of 2021, number 2954 in North Carolina.]

Beautiful park have had several get togethers and bday parties here, well kept clean safe feeling…read more Tranquil setting at some spots

Great parking area with bathrooms. Incredibly well-marked trails. Beautiful place for a hike.read more

Like South Mountain it isn't worth the drive. A bit moderate with somewhat strenuous incline but…read moreit's mainly so-so. To many properties around it & a lot of fun fire from them.

This is a beautiful trail that leads to a 250 ft waterfall, with some easy hiking, some steep…read morefootsteps. Was easy to moderate for little kids and adults alike. The total hike is 30 mins (to and fro) and has nice marked trees for identification, streams, creeks and bridges. There is some beautiful foliage and trees along the way. There are two sites (start of waterfall and midway) each making for a beautiful photo opportunity.

Paved, with packed gravel surface part of the way, then many steps to get to lower viewing area of…read morecascade falls. Some incline and decline (out and back trail).

Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced