This Is The Newest State Park In North Carolina And It’s Incredible
State Parks are a beautiful way to explore all the natural beauty our state has to offer. North Carolina State Park system includes 36 state parks, four state recreation areas and two state natural areas available to the public.
From high up in the mountains, to sprawling coastal marshes, our state parks encompass the diverse landscape that makes the Tar Heel state home. Open since 2013, Carvers Creek State Park is the newest addition. While the opening was a bit slow, today, the park is a beautiful place to spend a day.
Located in Spring Lake, Carvers Creek centers around the Long Valley Farm - the historic retreat of a Rockefeller family member.
It's the first state park to open in the sandhills region with 4,000 acres in Harnett and Cumberland Counties. The Long Valley Farm access lets you walk through a dazzling area of natural and manmade beauty, including the millpond featured below.
The unique, beautiful landscape makes its a perfect place for photo opportunities. From the millpond, wetlands, pine forests - you won't mind spending a day here. It's one of the only places made available to the public for experiencing a longleaf pine ecosystem.
The 100-acre lake provides plenty of fishing opportunities and the two trails - S. Rockefeller Trail and the Cypress Point Loop Trail, wind you through the diverse scenery and landscape.
The park is also home to carnivorous pitcher plants, fox squirrels, and the endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. The estate's residence serves as the centerpiece for the beautiful property. Built in 1939, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While Long Valley was originally the estate of James Stillman Rockefeller, after his death in 2004 he left it to the The Nature Conservancy.
What a beautiful hidden gem! The combination of history and rare nature and animal life has me planning a trip immediately! Have you visited here before?
Know before you go – Hurricane Matthew and extreme flooding damaged the millpond but extensive volunteer efforts have helped bring it back to its former glory.
You’ll find Carvers Creek State Park at –
2505 Long Valley Road
Spring Lake NC 28390-1645
