Umstead State Parkhas been my go-to hiking place for at least the past ten years. I hike in the forest, or with the forest as a starting place, at least twice per week.
Umstead State Park has a long history: initially a wild hardwood-forested area inhabited with bison, bobcats and elk, it later became the site for indigenous peoples homes and trade, was part of a land grant for farms in 1774.
Finally, in 1934 – through a joint effort of Federal and State agencies – 5,000 acres were purchased to create a public recreation area.
The Civilian Conservation Corp and the Works Progress Administration helped with construction, and the park was open to the public in 1937.
There are so many reasons to love this park, it’s hard to fit them all into a single post. So I’ll just start with my Top 3.
Hiking is exercise, but its also much more than that – it’s a great way for introverts to do something with people with out really having to interact too much.
When I first began hiking as a hobby, I was working at a fulltime tech job, was a single mom of a toddler with few babysitters available, and my closest family was 1500 miles away.
Of necessity, most of my activities (outside of work) included the company of my Mini-Me, and hiking was no exception.
Hiking at Hanging Rock State Park with Peanut!
My daughter loved the adventure, seeing new things, and being an intrepid explorer with her Mama!
We explored local parks and greenways, both on foot and on bikes and rollerblades.
Then, when she was old enough, we were able to visit a lot of State Parks, and go on longer unpaved trails with more varied terrain.
Originally from Minnesota, I’ve made my home in North Carolina since 1996.
As a single mom, I started hiking in this area with my daughter when she was small, and have been leading local group hikes since 2009.
Through the years – in between work and school schedules – we spent as much time as we could hiking across the US and around the world.
In my posts, I share my adventures hiking in exotic far-off locations, and also tell you about unique places you could visit just down the street.
Hiking the rocks at historic Yates Mill.
I’ also share tips on good places to hike or just get outdoors with your kids in the Cary/Raleigh area and beyond.
FYI, I only write about places or experiences I’ve actually checked out myself, so you know it’s good information. (I also try to keep the info up to date if things have changed.)
My goal is to inspire you to try some outdoor adventures of your own – both with and without your children in tow.
No matter what your age (or theirs) the best time to start is right now!
