Raven Rock State Park

North Carolina Outdoors

Raven Rock State Park

cape fear river from the raven rock loop trail

Raven Rock Photo Tour

Just the Facts... Local Links Regional Books & Music

Raven Rock is one of our most underrated state parks. The views from the overlook (above) on the Raven Rock Loop Trail are some of the finest in the piedmont. The topography is diverse, highlighted by the 152 ft. high outcropping of crystalline rock that gives the park its name.

The park is located on the "fall line", where the river literally falls and produces the best rapids in the eastern piedmont. At this geological transition zone, the hilly landscape and resistant rocks of the piedmont give way to the flat terrain and softer rocks of the coastal plain. Walk to a section of the river known as "Fish Traps " to see the fall line for yourself.

The park's bluffs and ravines sprout mountain laurel and rhododendron, species not usually found this far east. Raven Rock is also noted for its early spring display of wildflowers such as Dutchman's breeches, bloodroot, saxifrage, and bellworts.

Don't be turned off by the burned areas near the park's entrance. This is a fire-adapted ecosystem, and the recent burn was designed to mimic the natural fire disturbances that were common in this area prior to European settlement.

The park offers family, group, and canoe camping , as well as hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.

For more information, visit the park's official website or call (910) 893-4888.

Summary
Raven Rock State Park

Location: Harnett County. Nine miles west of Lillington and 20 miles east of Sanford.

Access: US 421. Turn onto Raven Rock Rd. and go three miles to the park entrance.

Established: 1969.

Size: 3950 acres in 2002.

Elevation: Raven Rock rises 150 ft. above the Cape Fear River.

Local Links

Raven Rock State Park - The park's official website.

Raven Rock State Park Map

Sandhills Area Land Trust - The local land conservancy for Harnett County and vicinity.

Streamflow - Cape Fear River at Lillington.

Click for Fayetteville, North Carolina Forecast

Books on the Cape Fear,
the Piedmont, and Southern Appalachians

From Mermaid's Point to Raccoon Falls : A Guide to the Upper Cape Fear - by John Hairr. According to the Fayetteville Observer, a guide for those who want to "see and feel the old Cape Fear." Also contains extensive info on Raven Rock State Park.

Field Guide to the Piedmont - by Michael A. Godfrey. Thorough and scholarly, yet very readable, this is the ultimate natural history guide to the area between the Blue Ridge and the coastal plain.

The Piedmont Almanac - by Dave Cook. Essays and observations inspired by a year living in a tent on Bolin Creek near Chapel Hill.

The Dying of the Trees : The Pandemic in America's Forests - by Charles Little. A good introduction to the effects of acid rain and exotic pests on the Blacks and other mountains.

An Appalachian Tragedy : Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forests of North America - edited by Harvard Ayers and Charles Little. Photos by Jenny Hager. A disturbing and provocative book. Spectacular photography.

Cabins in the Laurel - by Muriel Earley Sheppard. A classic. Wonderful photos from the 20s and 30s, as well as compelling descriptions of life and people in the Toe River valley of the Black Mountains prior to WWII.

Our Southern Highlanders : A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers - by Horace Kephart. Simply the best book on life in the Southern Appalachians prior to the First World War. Humorous and insightful. If I could have only one book on this region, this would be my choice.

Highroad Guide to the North Carolina Mountains - by Lynda McDaniel. Rated 5 stars by Amazon reviewers.

North Carolina Hiking Trails - by Allen de Hart. Comprehensive. Covers 968 trails. My favorite.

Hiking North Carolina (Falcon Guide) - by Randy Johnson. Covers fewer trails than de Hart's book, but covers them in more detail; maps and photos included.

Trails of the Triad : Over 140 Hikes in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point Area - by Allen de Hart. A detailed look at trails in the triad. Maps and photos included.

Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails - edited by Dirk Frankenberger. New. According to Amazon, #1 in Charlotte and # 4 in Chapel Hill (Aug. 2000.)

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide - The best field guide. My copy is only two years old, but already dogeared.

Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains Belongs on the bookshelf, not in the backpack. With over 600 color plates, this is an excellent keep-at-home companion to Newcomb's guide.

Eastern Trees (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to the Birds (Peterson Field Guides)

Old Time Music

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Soundtrack from the movie. An incredible collection of old time music. This is REAL country music. It is everything that today's slick new Nashville pop isn't. Featuring Norman Blake, Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch, Allison Kraus, John Hartford, The Stanley Brothers, and more. An astonishing collection! Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Salt Sea Bound - Polecat Creek. First release (March 2002) from this triad-based group. Original music in the Old Time tradition. Outstanding song writing and beautiful harmonies. My favorite album of 2002.

Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs of Western North Carolina - by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. A Smithsonian Folkways CD, rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962 - Doc is a NC legend and national treasure. This is one of his earliest recordings. A Smithsonian Folkways 2-CD Set. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

The High Lonesome Sound - by Roscoe Holcomb. One of the greatest of the old-time banjo players, Holcomb did almost all of his playing at Holiness Church services and square dances. A Smithsonian Folkways recording. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time-Stringbands From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931 Various artists. A classic of the old-time genre. Rated four stars by Amazon reviewers.

The Legacy Of Tommy Jarrell, Vol. 1: 1: Sail Away Ladies - Tommy Jarrell was one of the greatest old-time fiddlers. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Ways That are Dark - by Daniel Gore, with Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien, Jack Lawrence, and others. A musical companion to Horace Kephart's classic book, Our Southern Highlanders .