Best Ecological Park Fayetteville Near Me

4worldlovers:
Nature Center Hours: March-Oct.: Mon.-Fri. 8 am-5 pm, Sat. 10 am-4 pm

Clark Park and its Nature Center join the Cape Fear River Trail (CFRT) and Moses Mathis “Bicycle Man” playground/trailhead to form a complex suited to hours of enjoyment and education. It remains a natural woodland area dedicated to preserving the environment, educating the public on North Carolina plants and wildlife, and providing a place to passively commune with nature. The Nature Center features exhibits and free viewing of live animals. You can walk an outdoor storybook on the trail near the playground.Visitors can picnic overlooking the woods and one of the highest waterfalls in the coastal plain.

For those interested in walking or jogging, the park has its own set of unpaved trails, and also serves as a trailhead for the paved CFRT. The CFRT has dedicated mountain biking trails, accessed near the Rivercliff subdivision at the bottom of Eastwood Avenue. Well behaved, leashed pets are welcome on trails as long you clean up after them.

Clark Park Nature Center offers nature and recreation programming for educators, groups, individuals and families. Programs meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. You must pre-register for all programs. Register early; space is limited in most programs. If enrollment is low, programs are canceled.

Contact the park office at 910-433-1579 if you would like to receive a copy of our monthly newsletter with updated program information or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fcprnature.

CLICK HERE to view the "Call of the Wild," our most recent Nature & Outdoor Programming Newsletter

Alligators chomping, snakes swallowing, and turtles snapping, come see what is for dinner at the nature center.

You and your child are invited to Clark Park for an interactive storytime with the Cumberland County Public Library. The story will be followed by themed crafts and activities. Call or register online.

See how many different species you can find in a 1ft X 1ft square and log them in iNaturalist for the City Nature Challenge. You might be surprised at how many things you can find once you take a closer look! Call or register online.

Plants have developed many defensive strategies to survive. Many are poisonous if eaten or harmful if touched. Go on a guided hike through the woods to discover some of the plants that should be avoided. Call or register online.

Identify different varieties of ferns along the trails at Clark Park. Afterward, make a craft with the ferns that were found for Mother’s Day. Call or register online.

North Carolina is home to a great variety of insects. From beautiful moths to giant stag beetles, thousands of species are found in the Fayetteville area. Learn basic insect anatomy and about the different kinds found here, including other closely related creepy crawlies like spiders. Find out which ones can be harmful and which are beneficial. Call or register online

Discover how wildlife observers use different field guide to identify animals then go on a search in the park to see what you can identify. Call or register online.

Salamanders are the lesser-known amphibian cousins of the frogs. Many people have never encountered one in the wild even though North Carolina has the most species of salamanders of any state. Visit with the Nature Center's live resident tiger salamander and after learning about the fascinating variety of species found in our state, participants will go on a salamander hunt to search for wild salamanders in the park. Call or register online.

Before the age of modern medicine, people had to know how to use different plants to treat their ailments. Native plants also served as a source of food for those who knew how to properly collect and prepare them. Learn about the edible and medicinal plants of N.C. on this ranger-led hike. Call or register online.

What makes lizards unique? Take a look at different types of lizards and what makes them similar and different to other reptiles. Some live animals and models will be on display. Call or register online.

4worldlovers: Take a stroll on the one-mile border trail through the wetlands to Bone Creek, play a game of soccer with friends, or have a family picnic. The park has an assortment of outdoor amenities, including picnic areas, horseshoe pits, walking trails, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, athletic fields, natural areas, a Native American-themed garden, and children’s playgrounds are here for you to enjoy. All facilities are open to the public on a first come, first serve basis, unless they are reserved. Well-behaved, furry family members are welcome to enjoy a walk around the park, but they must be on a leash and under your control at all times.

4worldlovers: The Cape Fear Botanical Garden provides tours and educational programs for all ages and abilities. The Garden is a NC Environmental Education Center and an approved Cumberland County field trip destination. Using the living laboratory that exists at the Garden, we offer guided tours, camps, adult workshops, hands-on projects, research opportunities, public special events and more. We can accommodate small or large groups, formal or informal, and will work with you to cater our programs to fit your needs.


All field trips are matched to NC State Essential Science Standards and include hands-on activities, guided tours, and lunch at the Garden. Students will meet live reptiles, find hidden camouflage insects, plant sunflower seeds, sample soil cores, and more! Cumberland County public school teachers can also take advantage of our FREE Classroom Programs offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. A trained NC Environmental Educator will bring hands-on activities, amazing science demonstrations, and even live animals to your classroom! All tours and field trips must be scheduled in advance.

Adults can enjoy guided garden tours, day trips, and workshops. Try birding for the first time, create a container garden, or tour our historical 19th century farmhouse. Adult tours or golf cart reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance due to staffing and planning requirements. Contact 910-486-0221 x 43 to schedule a tour or day trip today.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Garden and include retirees, seniors, full-time working adults, high school and college students. We invite you to join us and start making a difference today!

All donations, no matter the size, ensure that Cape Fear Botanical Garden will inspire, enrich and educate visitors of all ages for generations to come. There are a number of ways to give to Cape Fear Botanical Garden such as Volunteering, Donating and Becoming a Member.

There are many ways to help Cape Fear Botanical Garden grow.

Your donation to the Garden provides important dollars to expand our environmental education programs, enhance our cultural activities and events, and help us maintain horticulture displays that inspire and offer unique ways to connect with the natural world.

Thank you for supporting Cape Fear Botanical Garden with your gift.

The Cape Fear Botanical Garden conducts environmental education programs for people of all ages, including guided tours of the Garden, therapeutic horticulture workshops, field trips, classroom programs at local schools, camps, and public programs for children, families, and adults. Check out the calendar for upcoming programs and events! Or call us at 910-486-0221 x 43 to schedule a field trip, classroom program, adult day trip, or guided tour of the Garden.