Raven Rock

Raven Rock SP https://www.ncparks.gov/raven-rock-state-park/home https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_Rock_State_Park Raven Rock State Park is located along the banks of the Cape Fear River near Lillington, North Carolina. The park offers a picnic area, places for fishing and canoeing, and camp grounds. There are also several hiking trails, including the American Beech Trail (0.5 miles), Campbell Creek Loop (5.0 miles), Fish Traps Trail (0.6 miles), Lanier Falls Trail (0.2 miles), Little Creek Loop (1.5 miles), Northington Ferry Trail (0.9 miles), and the Raven Rock Loop (2.6 miles). There are also horseback riding trails on the north side of the Cape Fear River.

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 

Raven Rock State Park 0 Moccasin Branch Access Multi-Use Trails 1,000 2,000 feet North 3.5 1.5 #6 3.0 #3 2.0 1.5 #5 4.0 0.5 #4 1.0 #2 0.5 1.0 2.0 2.5 0.0 #1 5.5 Biking Trail #3 2.0 #1 0.0 1.5 0.5 1.0 6.6 Legend 3.5 6.0 0.0 #2 4.0 2.6 2.5 3.0 4.5 0.0 6.5 2.5 5.0 4.3 Moccasin Branch Campground #1 #7 Bridge Mile Marker Parking Area Restroom Roads - Paved Gravel Mo cca sin Bra nc h 08/20 Visitor Center: 910-893-4888 Rd . Emergencies: Dial 911 Trails Beginner Loop 6.6 miles Intermediate Loop 2.6 miles Advanced Loop 4.3 miles white blue red ■ ■ ■ 

Pettigrew State Park South Mountains State Park – 2018 Park of the Year Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 234,000 acres of iconic landscape across our state in our parks, recreation areas and natural areas with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomed more than 19 million visitors in 2017. Discover More with a Ranger Across North Carolina, state park rangers are proud of our parks and eager to welcome you and your family. Come to our parks to marvel at our state’s most beautiful natural resources, enjoy your favorite outdoor activities and learn about the rich science, culture and history that make our parks great. Fun facts about North Carolina State Parks ■■ There are 41 places to visit, including 34 parks, four recreation areas and three staffed state natural areas. ■■ The Division manages four state rivers, seven state lakes and six state trails. ■■ There are about 581 miles of trail to explore in our parks. ■■ The first state park created was Mount Mitchell State Park on March 3, 1915. Fort Macon State Park was the second. ■■ The Division celebrated 100 years of being Naturally Wonderful in 2016. ■■ Parks that welcome over 1 million visitors annually include: Jockey’s Ridge, Fort Macon and William B. Umstead state parks and Falls Lake, Jordan Lake and Kerr Lake state recreation areas. ■■ The Division employs over 1,000 people across the state. ■■ Some www.ncparks.gov M N P Q Roy Cooper Governor unique activities you can do in our parks include: wind surfing and hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, cross country skiing and snow shoeing at Elk Knob State Park, driving on the four-wheel-drive beach at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and rock climbing at Chimney Rock, Crowders Mountain, Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain and Stone Mountain state parks. Susi H. Hamilton Secretary 75,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $10,707.92 or $0.14 each. 03/18 Did you know that many plants atop Mount Mitchell are rare in North Carolina but common in Quebec? That the giant sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge are constantly moving? Do you know how to safely hold a crayfish? From fishing lessons to astronomy programs and tree identification hikes to guided paddles, parks offer programs for all ages. Visit our website for a list of upcoming programs at each park. Junior Rangers The Junior Ranger program offers educational and skill-based activities to encourage children to explore the outdoors. Children can complete activity guides, geared for ages 6-12, and attend ranger programs to earn a junior ranger patch unique to each park. Ask about the program at a park office or download the guide at: www.ncparks.gov/junior-rangers. Environmental Education Learning Experiences Parks have their own curriculum guides that are correlated to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Competency goals in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts are available. Each program includes pre-visit, on-site and post-visit student activities that have measurable objectives, background information, vocabulary, references and step-bystep activity instructions. Passport Program How many state parks can you visit? Use your passport as a guide and collect stamps, earn prizes and make “Naturally Wonderful” memories! Pick up your passport at a state park near you. North Carolina State Parks 100-Mile Challenge Can you hike, bike or paddle 100 miles in a year? Join the N.C. State Parks’ 100-Mile Challenge and log your miles online to earn digital badges and redeem prizes as you reach various milestones! This is a great way to get outside, get moving and keep track of your activity. Visit www.nc100miles.org to sign up. ■■ Several parks have educational trails, called TRACK trails, that include activities for children to complete along the way. William B. Umstead State Park Jockey’s Ridge State Park Friends Of State Parks Join the Friends of State Parks to help support, promote and advocate for the parks system as a whole, or join the friends group of your favorite park. The group helps provide funding for Junior Ranger and Youth in Parks – Environmental Education programs, as well as grants for state parks projects. You can also make a donation to help keep our parks around for future generations. Learn more at www.ncfsp.org or www.ncparks.gov/support-your-parks. Merchandise Want to show your N.C. State Parks pride? Visit the online webstore and purchase products such as coffee mugs, prints, t-shirts, pins, patches and Christmas ornaments. This exclusive merchandise makes a great gift for special state parks fans, including yourself. www.ncparkstore.com N.C. State Parks License Plate Show your support for state parks every time you drive your vehicle! Purchase an N.C. State Parks license plate through the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicl