William B. Umstead State Park

William B. Umstead State Park is a 5,599-acre North Carolina State Park nestled within the bustling Research Triangle area between Raleigh, Cary, and RDU International Airport in Wake County. Despite the park's location amidst booming development, it is a great natural oasis within an urban setting, offering many miles of trails, picnic areas and rustic camping. 

Contact Information:

8801 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27617

Phone: (984) 867-8240 

Email: william.umstead@ncparks.gov

Directions:

There are two main entrances to Umstead Park, a legacy of the park's segregated past.  As such, it is not possible to drive between the entrances within the park.  Directions to each are described below or use the map to generate customized directions to either of these entrances.

Crabtree Creek Entrance:

GPS: 35.89046,-78.75027

The Crabtree Creek Entrance is off Glenwood Avenue (US-70 E) just southeast of I-540.  The Visitor Center, Boat Rentals, tent camping, and several trails are accessible from this entrance.  The entrance is located about ten miles northwest of Raleigh on US-70.  From I-40, take I-540 east (exit 283) for about 4 miles to to US-70 E (exit 4).  The park entrance will be on the right after just over a mile.

Reedy Creek Entrance:

GPS: 35.83311,-78.76063

The Reedy Creek entrance is off Harrison Avenue, just north of exit 287 from I-40.  This entrance tends to be the most crowded, especially on a nice weekend morning and finding a parking spot may be a challenge.  The entrance is located about 11 miles west of Raleigh on I-40.  From I-40, take the Harrison Ave. exit (287) and go north into the park.

Map:

Trails:

There are about 20 miles of hiking-only trails in the park as well as about 13 miles of multi-use trails open to hiking, biking and horseback riding. The trailhead for these trails are at the Multi-Use parking lot. To reach this parking area, enter at the Crabtree Creek entrance off US-70 and turn left just past the visitor center. Turn right onto the gravel road and make a left onto Sycamore Road (another gravel road) and travel to the end for a large open parking area. A spur trail leads to Graylyn Trail and access to the other multi-use trails in the park. All visitors with horses must check-in at the visitor center and provide proof of a negative equine infectious anemia (Coggins) test. 

Cedar Ridge Trail:

Length: 1.6 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

Cedar Ridge Trail starts at the point where North and South Turkey Creek Trails come together near Ebenezer Church Road.  From this point, the trail ducks into the woods and crosses Sycamore Creek just upstream of the confluence with Crabtree Creek.  There is no bridge so you'll have to ford the stream.  If on foot, there are usually enough exposed rocks to hop across the stream without getting your feet wet.  From here the trail gently rises up to a ridgeline between Sycamore and Crabtree Creeks and terminates at Reedy Creek Trail just west of where Graylyn Trail ends.  The trail was re-routed in 2019.

Company Mill Trail

Length: 5.8 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Moderate

Blaze: Orange Squares

Company Mill Trail starts from the Reedy Creek side of the park, leading one mile to a bridge over Crabtree Creek.  The trail forms a loop here running along Crabtree Creek and Sycamore Creek and intersecting Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail twice.  See Umstead Company Mill Trail Hike for more description of this trail. 

East Coast Greenway

Length: 4.7 miles (in the park) 

The East Coast Greenway is a planned greenway trail along the east coast from Maine to Florida, with the section in North Carolina a designated State Trail.  In the park, the greenway follows Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail across the park.

Graylyn Trail:

Length: 1.6 miles (one way)

Blaze: Red Circles 

Graylyn Trail starts at the park boundary, where Graylyn Drive (off of Ebenezer Church Road) ends.  This multi-use trail leads past the spur trail from the horse trailer parking area and continues to Reedy Creek Trail in the heart of the park.  Right before the intersection with the spur trail is the King Family Cemetery, one of several cemeteries within the park's boundaries.  Further on, North Turkey Creek Trail splits off to the left and shortly after, Sycamore Trail crosses the trail.  The trail then heads through an open area and leads down following a powerline right-of-way.  The trail intersects Sycamore Trail again at the Sycamore Creek Bridge and the Company Mill Spur Trail splits to the right.  Finally, the trail gradually heads up before terminating at Reedy Creek Trail near the western terminus of Cedar Ridge Trail.

Inspiration Trail

Length: 0.4 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Easy

Blaze: Blue Diamond

Inspiration Trail is a short tree identification loop that splits off from Company Mill Trail 0.1 miles from the trailhead.  See Umstead Company Mill Trail for more description of this trail. 

Loblolly Trail 

Length: 3.2 miles (one way)

Difficulty: Moderate

Blaze: Blue Squares

Loblolly Trail is an out and back trail that starts from the Reedy Creek side of the park.  The trail crosses Reedy Creek and South Turkey Creek Multi-Use Trails before leaving the park.  The trail continues past the park as Richland Creek Trail, part of the Capital Area Greenway, and runs through Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest.  See Umstead Loblolly to PNC Hike for more description of this trail. 

North Turkey Creek Trail:

Length: 2.7 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

North Turkey Creek Trail splits off from Graylyn Trail between the Multi-Use Trail parking area and the intersection with Sycamore Trail.  The trail runs roughly parallel to Ebenezer Church Road and ends at the intersection with Cedar Ridge and South Turkey Creek Trails.

Oak Rock Trail 

Length: 0.6 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Easy

Blaze: White Squares

Oak Rock Trail is the park's TRACK trail.  The trail starts from the picnic area past the visitor center and makes a short loop through the woods, passing an oak tree growing out of rocks.  See Umstead Pott's Branch & Oak Rock Hike for more description of this trail. 

Pott's Branch Trail 

Length: 1.25 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Easy

Blaze: Orange Diamonds

Pott's Branch Trail is a short loop trail, just over a mile.  The trail can be accessed from either of the two parking lots past the visitor center at the Crabtree Creek entrance.  From the furthest parking lot, the trail descends down near the dam at Big Lake and follows Sycamore Creek to the confluence with Pott's Branch.  The trail then follows its namesake creek for a ways, crossing Sycamore Trail and then heading back towards the parking lots.  Just before departing from Pott's Branch, the trail passes an old dam shown in the picture below.  From here, it heads up to a wooden deck near the picnic areas and comes out at the second parking lot and makes its way back to the start, passing the restrooms on the way.

Reedy Creek Trail:

Length: 4.8 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail is part of the East Coast Greenway and bisects the park.  The western end of the trail starts at the end of Old Reedy Creek Road at the park boundary coming from Lake Crabtree County Park and Black Creek Greenway, part of the Cary Greenway.  The trail crosses the park and ends at the eastern boundary along Reedy Creek Road, where Reedy Creek Trail continues as part of the Capital Area Greenway. 

Reedy Creek Lake Trail:

Length: 0.6 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Reedy Creek Lake Trail is a short bike and bridle trail that leads from Reedy Creek Trail back towards the parking area.  The trail splits off from Reedy Creek Trail at Reedy Creek Lake and runs past the small lake, ending shortly at a road leading to rangers' homes.  This road is closed to vehicular traffic, but you can walk back to the Reedy Creek parking area along it.

Sal's Branch Trail 

Length: 2.75 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Moderate

Blaze: Orange Circles

Sal's Branch Trail is a medium loop trail, just under three miles.  The trail starts behind the visitor center at the Crabtree Creek entrance to the park.  Behind the visitor center, it crosses the back parking lot and goes into the woods.  After a short distance, a spur trail to the family campground splits to the right.  After this intersection, the trail loops around and runs along the eastern shore of Big Lake.  Although mostly obscured by trees, there are a few points where you can see the lake, particularly in the winter when the foliage is down.  The trail leaves the forested area at a power line right-of-way near the boat dock and then goes back into the woods, running roughly parallel to Umstead Parkway as it loops back to the visitor center.

South Turkey Creek Trail:

Length: 1.7 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

South Turkey Creek Multi-Use Trail starts at the southeastern park boundary at Reedy Creek Road and follows the eastern park boundary, ending at the intersection with North Turkey Creek and Cedar Ridge Multi-Use Trails.  Just before reaching this junction at the bridge over the creek, Crabtree Creek Trail, part of the Capital Area Greenway, turns to leave the park under Ebenezer Church Road and leads almost 17 miles through Raleigh to Neuse River. 

Sycamore Trail 

Length: 7.2 miles (loop)

Difficulty: Moderate

Blaze: Blue Triangles

Sycamore Trail is the longest in the park.  Starting from the picnic area at the last parking area on the Crabtree Creek side of the park, the trail leads about 2 miles to the loop portion.  The loop follows Sycamore Creek for a ways and intersects Graylyn Multi-Use Trail twice.  See Umstead Sycamore Trail Hike for more description of this trail. 

Hikes

Here a list of hikes with detailed descriptions in the park:

• Umstead Big Loop Hike: A 10.5-mile hike, mostly along Multi-Use Trails that makes a big loop around the park.

• Umstead Company Mill Trail Hike: A popular 6-mile loop to the Company Mill site along Crabtree Creek.

• Umstead Chainsaw Art Hike: A short 1.2-mile out-and-back hike to the log art along Graylyn Multi-Use Trail.

• Umstead Loblolly to PNC Hike: A 12-mile out-and-back hike following Loblolly Trail through the park and continuing on the Capital Area Greenway through Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest to the PNC Arena.

• Umstead Pott's Branch and Oak Rock Hike: A short hike, under two miles following an easy double loop around creeks and relics of the park's past.

• Umstead Sycamore Trail Hike: A 7-mile hike through the heart of the park.

Boating:

Big Lake, the largest lake in the park provides boating opportunities.  However, boats are no longer rented from the boat house anymore; they may be rented from the Visitor Center.  After renting, follow the road to the end and park.  Hike down to Big Lake and cross the dam, where the boats are located.  Check the park's website for details.  Despite the name, Big Lake is rather small, and it is easy to explore the entire lake within the first hour.  Canoe rentals are also popular for fishing on the lake. 

Camping:

The park has a 28-site family campground near the Crabtree Creek entrance with drive-up campsites.  Bathrooms with running water and showers are located in the campground.  The campground is open from spring through fall; check the park's website for exact dates and reservation details.  Additionally, there are primitive group, youth tent, and a primitive lodge available to organized groups.

Park History

Long before settlement, the land that is now William B. Umstead State Park was a vast untamed forest.  Native Americans used the land before European settlement, establishing trade routes through the area, including the Occoneechee Trail and the Pee Dee Trail.  Settlement started in 1774, when land grants opened up the area.  Much of the forest was cleared for timber and to build farms.  By the early 20th century, poor cultivation practices and one-crop production led to erosion and soil depletion, and by the time of the Great Depression, the land had become poor for agriculture.

In 1934, under the Resettlement Act, the federal and state government purchased approximately 5,000 acres of worn-out farmland to develop a park, then called the Crabtree Creek Recreational Demonstration Area.  Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration constructed park amenities, including camps and picnic areas, providing recreational opportunities to the community and much-needed employment to young men in the area.  These workers also did much to improve the land quality by planting forests, building dams on creeks to form lakes, and instituting land management practices.  Much of the work was performed between 1931 and 1946 and the park opened to the public in 1937.  The end result is a great example of Depression-era public works project.

The park was sold to North Carolina in 1943 for $1 and more facilities and amenities were built by the state.  In 1950, 1,000 acres on the southern end of the park was established as a separate park for African-Americans, called Reedy Creek State Park.  In 1955, the Crabtree Creek section of the park was renamed in honor of the late William Bradley Umstead, a former governor who strongly supported conservation efforts.  With the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the park was desegregated in 1966 and both the Crabtree Creek and Reedy Creek sections were united under the William B. Umstead State Park name and the entire park was open to all visitors.

For visitors looking to learn more about the park's history, a good first stop is the visitor center at the Crabtree Creek entrance to the park.  There are many exhibits here about the park's cultural and natural history and park rangers and staff are available to answer questions and provide more information.  Another great resource is the book Stories in Stone by Tom Weber.  Mr. Weber spoke with many of the people who lived in what is now the park as well as those who were responsible for constructing the park.  The book includes some mapped walks to various places in the park to see ruins and artifacts of the park's past.  Stories in Stone is available at the park office, local bookstores, and Amazon.com.

I made the following video on a history hike of Umstead Ruins with Rod Broadbelt.  On the hike, we went to several old homesteads and ruins throughout the park and Rod gave a brief history of the site.  As an added bonus, Joe Grissom, who lived in what is now the park until age 8, came along for part of the hike and added a great first-person perspective.

Points of Interest

Company Mill Site:

The Company Mill, owned by the Page family, was built along Crabtree Creek.  Prior to the park's creation, the mill was an important site for social gatherings for the community.  The mill was destroyed in a flood and all the remains now is the dam foundation.  The mill stone, now on display along Company Mill Trail, was discovered in the creek and moved to its present location by helicopter.

Cemeteries:

There are a number of old cemeteries within the park.  Several are small and located well off established trails and so difficult to find.  Three cemeteries are located right off the trail and easy to visit and get a glimpse into the park's past.  The King family was one of the wealthiest families who once lived in the park and as such, they have one of the nicest cemeteries.  The graves are located right off Graylyn Multi-Use Trail near the connector to the Multi-Use parking lot.

The Warren cemetery is located off Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail between the two intersections with Company Mill Trail.  The cemetery is located next to an open area and a kiosk next to the cemetery shows the genealogy of the Warren family. 

The Young cemetery is located along Loblolly Trail just past the picnic area at the trailhead. 

Log Art

A fallen red oak was carved into a work of art in 2017.  See Umstead Chainsaw Art Hike for directions and more description. 

Wildlife:

The land that is now William B. Umstead State Park was previously depleted farm land until the federal government purchased the land to make a park in the 1930s and is now reverting back to its natural state.  As such, the park is a great example of ecological succession as the former farmland is turning back into various forest types.

Flowering Trees and Shrubs

Crabtree Shrub Slopes Natural Area is a special area within the park, located along the banks of Crabtree Creek.  It is designated as a Natural Heritage Area.  This area can be accessed from the Company Mill and Inspiration Trails.  High, north-facing bluffs along Crabtree Creek create a microclimate similar to that found in more mountainous areas.  As such, shrubs uncommon to the region flourish in this area, including mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and rhododendron.  In late spring, the shrubs put on a flowery show not normally seen in the Piedmont.

Pinxter azaleas (Rhododendron periclymenoides) can also be found in Crabtree Shrub Slopes Natural Area.  It produces beautiful pink flowers, but like most rhododendron, is poisonous. 

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a beautiful flowering tree with bright pink blooms in the spring.  These unique trees not only have flowers blooming along their branches, but sometimes growing right out of the trunk. 

Another flowering tree that blooms in spring is the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).  The flowers are actually the small green centers - the white "petals" are actually bracts, a type of leaf. 

American holly (Ilex opaca) is an evergreen tree that produces bright red berries in the winter.  Many species of birds eat these berries during winter when food is scarce. 

Wildflowers

Spring time is a great time for viewing wildflowers in the park and a sure sign that winter is finally over. Before the leaves come back to the trees, spring ephemerals bloom along the forest floor while sunlight can still penetrate the forest canopy. A good place to see these flowers is along the creeks running through the park. This patch of Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) was growing along Crabtree Creek.  

Another early spring wildflower is the star chickweed (Stellaria pubera).  With small, white, star-shaped flowers, it's clear how these flowers got their name. 

The next picture is of azure bluets (Houstonia caerulea) growing along North Turkey Creek Multi-Use Trail.

Heartleaf foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) have tall inflorescences with many small flowers, giving them a "foamy" appearance. 

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) is a non-climbing vine that produces small white flowers.

Atamasco lilies (Zephyranthes atamasca), also called rain lilies, are one of the most beautiful wildflowers found in the park.  They're not common, but can sometimes be found in big patches. 

Dwarf crested irises (Iris cristata) are not as common as some of the other wildflowers, but patches can be found here and there throughout the park. 

Spurred butterfly pea (Centrosema virginianum) is a species of pea that grows on a narrow twining vine with a pretty violet flower. 

Slender false foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia ) is a partially parasitic plant that flowers in late summer and early fall.

Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is another common species of wildflower that blooms in early spring.  Their bright yellow-gold flowers are easy to spot long the trail.

Mouse-ear tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata) can be found along the trails and clearings, such as powerline right-of-ways.  Their pretty yellow-orange flowers have eight petals.

Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) produce an unusual greenish flower.  The spathe or pulpit wraps around the spadix or Jack. 

Ferns

The forests throughout the park have a large number of ferns growing in them.  Young ferns start out as a "fiddlehead" that grows into the fern frond.

Fungi

After a good rain, you can see a lot of mushrooms popping up out of the ground.  Hiking in the rain isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind getting a little wet, during and right after a good rain in the summer is the best time to see mushrooms in the park.  If you come across mushrooms in the park, please don't disturb and leave for others to enjoy and don't ever try to eat wild mushrooms.  Below is a picture of some beautiful American Caesar's Mushroom (Amanita jacksonii) growing just off the trail.

The next picture is a Chicken of the Woods or Sulfur Shelf mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus).  If I'm correct in identification, these fungi are edible and considered a delicacy by some. 

Ringless honey mushrooms (Armillaria tabescens) are parasitic to the trees that they grown on. 

I'm not real good at identifying mushrooms and fungi, but here are a few more pictures of some beautiful mushrooms I've captured in the park. 

Birds

Many species of birds call Umstead home.  The shallow creeks throughout the park are a good place to catch fish and great blue herons (Ardea herodias) can be found wading, looking for their next meal.

Red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus ) are a species of raptor that can be found in the park.

Reptiles

A number of reptiles live in the park, including snakes, lizards, and turtles.  Snakes found in the park, include non-venomous snakes and venomous snakes.  The most common venomous snake is the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).  Although poisonous, these snakes are not aggressive and will only bite if provoked.  Use caution if you see one on the trail and it will leave you alone.

A much less common and only mildly venomous species found in the park is the ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus).  Although poisonous, these snakes pose little threat to humans as their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin.  Ring-necked snakes are nocturnal and rarely seen during the day, but I was lucky enough to find one sunning himself on a multi-use trail on a warm winter day. 

Eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) are one of the larger lizard species found in the park.  They have excellent camouflage, blending in well against tree bark and rocks. 

Blog Entries:

09-May-2020: Umstead Reopening

14-Dec-2019: Umstead Ruins Hike 2019

17-Nov-2018: National Take a Hike Day

15-Apr-2018: Wake County Wildflowers

25-Nov-2017: Chainsaw Art

01-Apr-2017: April Flowers in Umstead

13-Dec-2014: Rod's Umstead Ruins Hike 2014

14-Dec-2013: Rod's Umstead Ruins Hike 2013

17-Dec-2011: Rod's Umstead Ruins Hike 2011

External Links:

NC State Parks Website: https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/william-b-umstead-state-park

Umstead Coalition: http://www.umsteadcoalition.org/

National Park Service National Register of Historic Places website for Crabtree Creek Recreational Demonstration Area: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/raleigh/cra.htm