Take A Scenic Hike In North Carolina And Then Visit The Best Preserved Historic Mill In The State

Want to get out of the house and take a little hike - but you also want to add a little more excitement to the whole adventure? Why not take a scenic hike -- and then pay a visit to the best preserved historic mill in North Carolina? There's an easy, two-mile trail that should take about an hour to complete and it's located right in the same county park as the mill.

Historic Yates Mill is found in Yates Mill County Park in the sprawling Mill Creek neighborhood about five miles south of the city center in Raleigh.

For more than 200 years the water-powered grist mill served the folks in Wake County. The old mill dates to 1756 and is still operational - although the surrounding communities don't depend on it for flour and corn meal any longer.

Let's take that short 2.0-mile hike and then come back to check out the mill and the rest of the park.

Yates Mill Park has three hiking trails and the best one, by far, is also the longest.

The Millpond and Creekside Trail begins at the mill, circles the south and west sides of the pond and then shoots off into the dense forest following alongside Steep Hill Creek.

To date, it's one of the least-traveled trails in the park, partly because most people come here to see the mill and skip the long trail.

Depending upon the time of year and day of the week, you may feel like you have it all to yourself at times.

Swing out to the loop at the end of the trail (at the one-mile mark) and the you'll circle back to cross the Pond Boardwalk as you make your way back to Yates Mill.

The mill is usually open for tours from March through November, however, the pandemic has put those on hold.

But you can still explore the exterior and walk among other old structures within the park, too.

And don't forget to make sure your phone is charged or that you bring the camera!

The waterfall over the pond's spillway is a photo you will need to take!

Historic Yates Mill County Park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the week.

Check out accessibility information at this link.

Find out more about the trail with a visit to All Trails.

Yates Mill County Park is open year-round and is wonderful in any season! Have you explored this old mill in North Carolina yet? What about the three trails? Let us know!