Best Nature Preserve 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: Located in Cumberland County 13 miles northwest of Fayetteville, Carvers Creek State Park features Long Valley Farm, which was once the winter retreat of James Stillman Rockefeller, and the Sandhills access that offers multiuse trails through beautiful longleaf pine ecosystems. The park provides plenty of opportunities for recreation and experiencing natural and cultural history. Both accesses include diverse habitats that are home to unique species like the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the Pine Barrens tree frog.


There are no camping facilities at Carvers Creek. The closest state park with camping is Raven Rock State Park.

There are no fees required to access Carvers Creek State Park for day use. Fees are charged for certain event permits.

Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.

Park staff lead regularly scheduled public interpretive programs for all ages. Most events are free, though some may require pre-registration.

Make your special occasion naturally wonderful. State parks are great places for birthday parties, reunions, weddings, and more. Learn more about event permits and fees on the Facilities page.

Friends of State Parks is a nonprofit citizen organization supporting, promoting, and advocating for the North Carolina State Parks system as a whole. Though Carvers Creek State Park does not currently have a local friends group, FSP helps support Carvers Creek, and the group can receive donations dedicated to a specific park.

We are always grateful for helping hands! Please contact park staff at carvers.creek@ncparks.gov for any inquiries regarding volunteer opportunities at the park. You can also check the park's Event Calendar to see if any volunteer work days have been scheduled by park staff.

Gallery: Rockefeller House and millpond, staff photo | Longleaf Pine Trail at Sandhills, J. Fields | Pavilion, staff photo | Pasture, staff photo | Farm structures, M. Kane

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.