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 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
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#6
3.0
#3
2.0
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#5
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#4
1.0
#2
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1.0
2.0
2.5
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#1
5.5
Biking Trail
#3
2.0
#1
0.0
1.5
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1.0
6.6
Legend
3.5
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#2
4.0
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6.5
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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
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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
