Raven Rock

Raven Rock STATE PARK Activities Experience the Park! 11 PRIMITIVE BACKPACK 6 PADDLE-IN CAMPSITES GPS: 35.4597, -78.9127 Raven Rock State Park 3009 Raven Rock Road Lillington, NC 27546 910-893-4888 raven.rock@ncparks.gov The Moccasin Branch Campground offers In 1854, the rock was renamed “Raven Rock” because of the ravens that roosted at the top. 30 drive-in sites that have RV hookups, cabins, and a bathhouse. Fun Facts ■■ A bill was passed in 1969 establishing the area as a state park. Over 220 acres of land was purchased and 170 acres were donated by Burlington Industries. The park has since grown to over 4,800 acres. ■■ Raven Rock State Park sits on “The Fall Zone,” an area where hard resistant rocks of the foothills give way to the softer rocks and sediments of the coastal plain. Over 13 miles of bike trails ■■ There are two sets of rapids in the Cape Fear River that are in the park: the Fish Traps Rapids (class 1) and Lanier Falls Rapids (class 2). The park features vegetation not commonly found in the Piedmont region, including mountain laurel, mountain rhododendron and mountain galax. ■■ The Raven Rock outcrop rises 150 feet and stretches more than a mile along the Cape Fear River. ■■ Originally, the rock was called “Patterson’s Rock,” named for an early settler who found refuge there after his canoe capsized. ■■ Before the arrival of European settlers in the mid-1700s, the area was inhabited by Siouan and Tuscarora Native American tribes. During spring migratory season, visitors can spot almost 20 species of warblers in the park, including pine, yellow-rumped and Blackburnian. The park was home to “Slow Poke,” a possum who won a beauty contest in 1970. ■■ Raven Rock was an important landmark for river pilots traveling the Cape Fear River. ■■ The Northington lock and dam was built to facilitate travel by boat but was destroyed by a hurricane in 1859. The remnants can still be seen in the park today. ■■ The park boasts a LEED-certified visitor center with classrooms, an interactive exhibit hall, amphitheater space, and a Native American projectile point display. See the Park Map ncparks.gov MNQPV