My Favorite Park in North Carolina Is a Little-Known Paradise for Birding

It’s typical for your interests to change as you get older. I don’t know when it happened, but sometime in my 30s, I woke up and became a bird nerd. I started hearing them on my hikes, then advanced to be able to tell what type of birds by their sounds, and now I’m the lady who feeds the neighborhood birds in her yard. And I absolutely love it. 

Birding in North Carolina is awesome. From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina offers a wide range of birdwatching. The North Carolina Birding Trail is a fabulous resource for other bird nerds—it offers a list of 300+ sites on a driving trail to explore all of North Carolina’s best habitats for birds. Lake Crabtree County Park is just one of the stops along the NC Birding Trail, and it’s a bit of a hidden gem (in comparison to the many state parks and wildlife preserves in North Carolina known for birding). 

You’ll find Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville, about 12 miles northwest of Raleigh. The 735-acre park offers fishing, mountain biking, sailing, rowing, paddling, and hiking, making it an idyllic spot for folks in the Greater Raleigh Area to get some nature in without traveling too far from the city.

Much of the park is centered around the 520-acre flood control lake. Where there is a water source, there will be wildlife, and this county park has some excellent bird watching opportunities available year-round. 

There are about seven miles of hiking trails that weave throughout the park. The trails are great for hiking and mountain biking. I especially love the loop trail that takes you all around the lake. 

The birds around the lake vary from your common cardinal to migratory songbirds like eastern kingbirds, great crested flycatchers, warblers, and my personal favorite—the indigo bunting. 

Bald Eagle sightings are fairly common, and there is an active nest on site. Find a spot along the water to “set up camp” and keep your eyes on the water, and you stand a good chance of watching one swoop in for a snack. I call this watching TV. It’s the best show on earth, and there are never any reruns. 

Of course, sometimes the birds find themselves on the trail! Herons are often seen along the shoreline, as well as many types of waterfowl. 

This place is wonderful during the day, but sticking around until dusk is truly something special. There’s something about sunsets over the water that just soothes the soul! And you’ll likely be able to see more birds coming around for dinner. It’s a fabulous opportunity to practice photography. When the skies are painted in colorful pastels and the lake turns into a mirror…pure perfection!

Share this article with your favorite bird nerd in your life, and make plans to visit Lake Crabtree County Park soon! Heck, even if you're not into bird watching, Lake Crabtree County Park is worth a visit. For more outdoor adventure, check out some of our favorite State Parks in North Carolina.