Waterfall Hero Hikes: 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.

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 Multi-Use Trail:

Length: 1.5 miles

Blaze: Red Circle

Difficulty: Moderate

Cedar Ridge Multi-Use Trail starts at the point where North and South Turkey Creek Multi-Use 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 Multi-Use Trail just west of the Graylyn Multi-Use Trail intersection. The trail was re-routed in 2019.

Company Mill Trail:

Length: 5.8 miles (loop)

Blaze: Orange Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

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

Blaze: Red Circle

Difficulty: Moderate

Graylyn Mutli-Use Trail starts at the park boundary at Graylyn Drive and leads down to Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail, crossing Sycamore Trail twice. The log art is right along the trail near Sycamore Trail.

Inspiration Trail:

Length: 0.4 miles (loop)

Blaze: Blue Diamonds

Difficulty: Easy

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: 2.7 miles (one way)

Blaze: Blue Squares

Difficulty: Moderate

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 Multi-Use Trail:

Length: 2.6 miles

Blaze: Red Circle

Difficulty: Moderate

North Turkey Creek Multi-Use Trail starts at the intersection with South Turkey Creek and Cedar Ridge Multi-Use Trails and leads north, ending at Graylyn Multi-Use Trail.

Oak Rock Trail:

Length: 0.6 miles (loop)

Blaze: White Squares

Difficulty: Easy

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: 1.3 miles (loop)

Blaze: Orange Diamonds

Difficulty: Easy

Pott's Branch runs through the Crabtree Creek Picnic Area and makes a loop along it's namesake, a small tributary of Sycamore Creek. See Umstead Pott's Branch & Oak Rock Hike for more description of this trail.

Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail:

Length: 4.7 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

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, 286 Property 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 Multi-Use Trail:

Length: 0.7 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

Reedy Creek Lake Multi-Use Trail can be accessed from the Reedy Creek entrance of the park. The trail leads over the dam that forms Reedy Creek Lake and ends at Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail.

Sal's Branch Trail:

Length: 2.8 miles (loop)

Blaze: Orange Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

Sal's Branch Trail is accessed from the Visitor Center on the Crabtree Creek side of the park. This loop provides access to the family campground and runs along Big Lake near the Boat House.

South Turkey Creek Multi-Use Trail:

Length: 1.7 miles

Blaze: Red Circles

Difficulty: Moderate

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)

Blaze: Blue Triangle

Difficulty: Moderate

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.

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.

Forests:

The forest within the park is an example of a southeastern mixed forest, dominated by oak, hickory and pine trees as well as a variety of understory species. See Umstead Forests for some of the trees and shrubs that can be found.

Wildflowers:

In spring, wildflowers blanket the forest floor within the park. See Umstead Wildflowers for some that can be found within the park.

Fungi:

After a good rain, you can see a lot of mushrooms popping up out of the ground in the park. See Umstead Fungi for some of the mushrooms found in the park.

Invertebrates:

A number of insects, spider and other invertebrates call Umstead Park home. Yellow garden spiders (Argiope aurantia) are a common spider in the park.

Another conspicuous spider species is the marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus).

An arabesque orbweaver (Neoscana arabesca) on a bearded beggartick flower.

Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a species of butterfly found 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 and Amphibians:

A number of reptiles and amphibians live in the park, including snakes, lizards, frogs, salamanders and turtles. See Umstead Reptiles & Amphibians for some of the species found in the park.