Falls Dam and the greenway trails around it are a great and quick escape to nature. In minutes…read moreyou'll be away from the traffic and the stress of your particular day. I hope plans to turn this into a white water park do not come about. Let nature be nature. We need it more than it needs us.

I feel so lucky to live close to the dam. I am an hobbyist photographer and the wildlife here is…read moreamazing. I have watched a Osprey dive in and catch a fish. I have seen numerous Blue Heron and have gotten pictures of them catching fish. Eastern Blue Birds, vultures, and too many other birds to count. The Neuse River Greenway Trail starts here and you can walk up and down the trail from here. There is ample parking and you will see numerous people there ready to jog, hike or bike from the parking lot. You can park at the dam during the hours it is open and hike across the dam. The place is clean and there are bathrooms and a visitors center where members of the Army Corp of Engineers will happily answer any questions that you may have. Great place and it is all free.

Very fun place, would recommend for all ages, has something for everyone, life guards are chill,…read moreand great for family and friends.

I loved this! There's something for everything it's very family friendly too. If you're an adult…read morethis will take you back to your childhood. I can see how this is an all day affair. The life guards were very attentive. This is the perfect summer time activity or even date. We brought a cooler with sandwiches and Gatorade, you'll def want to utilize that perk of bringing your own cooler. I really like that you also can buy admission without waterpark access , different strokes for different folks! Everyone's covered and considered in their ticketing

Love this park. The trails are well signed, great bathrooms and parking. When you walk around the…read morelake you get great pics and see the turtles sunning. You can find some fun surprises on the trails. Very safe atmosphere.

My partner and I love to come here for a semi-trail run. Short loop around the lake and a portion…read moreof it follows the greenway. Playground, fishing, and bathrooms so a good place to spend an afternoon.

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.

This section of the Neuse River Trail can be jumped on and off in a number of places. There's…read morepublic parking up by the dam, or if you're lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a connecting trail, you can walk or bike to it. Once you are on it, it's easy to forget that ever how far you go, you have to turn around and go back. This is a linear trail through nature along the Neuse and it's really easy to lose yourself in the miles!

Great place to run, fish, hike, skate board, walk, play, bike, and just have fun. This trail…read moreconnects all the way down to crabtree, and out to Knightdale. I don't know how many miles this trail is going to be when it is done, but I have heard over 30 miles. I go here 3 to 4 days a week to run, there is never many people here so no worries about being run into by others. Here is the web site to get more info about this trail http://www.raleighnc.gov/arts/content/PRecDesignDevelop/Articles/CapitalAreaGreenwayTrailSystem.html Look for the Neuse River Trail map on the right side of this web page

We visited E. Carroll Joyner Park for Easter and brought Luna, along with my nephew for a little…read moreEaster egg hunt. The park is very pet-friendly, with plenty of open space and trails for dogs to enjoy. While there were a few other pups around, I have to say--Luna was definitely the cutest dog (and bunny!) at the park that day.

This park is large if you walk down each trail or you can do a quick loop. I walked here this…read moremorning and got in 4 miles and after lunch just 1 mile. The best part is all the green surrounding you. There was a nice breeze today and made it enjoyable even with the heat and humidity. The trails are good for dogs, stopping and sitting along the way and even picnics as well as photo opportunities. There are a few restrooms and even a place to buy water if you forgot yours. Additionally, parking is adequate, but Im sure at peak times then maybe not. So what are you waiting for, get your shoes on and head over to E Carroll Joyner Park to get some fresh air and maybe even some exercise. Don't forget, it is pet friendly as long as it's not an alligator.

I think it's the coolest thing that NC has a cross-state trail that allows you to experience the…read morevast range of natural landscapes the state has to offer. This trail, as the name claims, goes from mountains to sea (the trail is best known as the MST). It's cool enough that the state has all of this, even better that a trail connects them. You could hike this 1,175 mile trail from the highest point east of the Mississippi (Mt. Mitchell) down to sea-level at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The trail passes through several state parks, national forests and national parks, not to mention some of the most significant urban centers in the state. There are paddle sections, dirt trails and paved roads - all manner of surfaces. The trail isn't even truly considered complete yet, but you can piece it together as you go. The idea has existed since the 70s and was officially added to the state park system - and the passport program - in 2000. The trail is about half the length of the AT - which it intersects at the beginning, by the way - but fits entirely in the state. It gives you a good idea of just how long it is. I actually only found out about this trail recently despite its age. This is no surprise, as it passes through the north part of the state and I've spent my entire life in the two largest cities it doesn't pass through in the southern part of the state. Somehow this just makes the idea even more novel to me. If you don't know about this trail, read up! Get out there and hike it in one of the 10 state parks it touches. Or, chances are it even goes through your city or town already and, like me, you just didn't know. It will be cool to connect with a piece of Earth that connects the entire length of the state.

An 18 segment trail from Clingmans dome to Jockey's ridge State Park. Segment 1-5 is in the…read moremountains, segment 6-10 is Piedmont, and segment 11-18 is the costal plains and OuterBanks. There is an alternate route from 11A to 16A that is 170 mile paddle route down the Neuse River. Each segments distance varies. Levels of difficulty vary from strenuous to easy. What a fantastic way to see NC. I have not Thru hiked the trail. I have only done portions of segments. I am planning on doing whole segments to complete the entire 1200 mile distance. As well as the paddle portion. Clingmans dome is the second highest point on the east coast at 6,643 feet and what an amazing view. You will cross over Mt Mitchell which is the highest point on the east coast at 6,684 feet. To Jockey's Ridge Dune the largest and tallest active dune in the eastern United States. There are section that take you down paved roads to reconnect with the trail and a couple ferry rides in the outer banks. Places to camp if you do multi day trip, but plan your stops accordingly and research the trail angels for each segment. Explore what NC has to offer, even small sections with-in a segment. And just maybe we will see you on the trail or river. Happy Hiking :-)

After consuming two beers and needing a bit of a walk, I was here at the nature preserve for a bit…read more It's over 150 acres with a lake, trails and some fields. Once parked and starting down a trail, it was fabulous to be away from civilization and noise and just enjoying nature. I guess that's the idea, right? I had a very leisurely stroll, a few friendly waves at other people enjoying the park, and enjoyed myself. [Review 2434 of 2024 - 3890 in North Carolina - 23447 overall]

This nature preserve is located just off Falls of Neuse yet feels miles away from city noise and…read moretraffic. Kudos to the late Dr. Wilkerson for having the vision to preserve the natural habitat of her home place. There are a number of loop trails, an education center and programs, plenty of parking, restrooms, picnic shelter, gardens, pond, turtles, deer, birds, helpful park staff, and is leashed dog friendly. A great place to spend some time getting exercise and fresh air in a beautiful natural setting.