Raven Rock State Park is named for its crystalline rock that overlooks the Cape Fear River. The park offers hiking, biking, and bridle trails as well as fishing, camping, and picnicking. There are 8 hiking trails, and during my first visit, I explored 4 of them.
I combined three of the trails – Raven Rock Loop, Little Creek Loop, and American Beech – into one larger loop. I recommend the following order if you plan to tackle the same trails in a loop: American Beech, Raven Rock Loop, and Little Creek Loop, before finishing with Raven Rock and the overlook.
Raven Rock Loop Trail
The Raven Rock trailhead starts at the picnic area. This 2.6-mile moderate trail acts as the main loop, with other trails branching off from it.
Orange circle blazes guide the way. I appreciated that each blaze had an acronym of the trail name and its distance on the trail. This keeps people on the correct path and knowing how long they have left.
American Beech Trail
Starting shortly after the Raven Rock trailhead, the American Beech Trail (ABT) is on the easy side of moderate. There are some inclines and uneven terrain but the half-mile loop acts as the park’s TRACK Trail.
White circle blazes direct hikers along the path and numbered posts provide opportunities to learn about trees. The trail follows a section of Little Creek.
Raven Rock Loop Trail
After finishing ABT, I jumped back on the Raven Rock Loop. The path crosses a couple of bridges before climbing uphill.
I saw Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, squirrels, and a white-tailed deer.
Little Creek Loop Trail
My second side trail was Little Creek Loop. The 1.5-mile trail is also on the easy side of moderate due to the uneven terrain.
Blue hexagon blazes lead visitors along the cascades on Little Creek.
I found over a dozen American toads and Fowler’s toads during my trip.
Raven Rock
Raven Rock is 1 mile into the loop. Wooden steps and then a winding staircase lead down to the riverside and namesake rock.
The park sits along the Fall Zone where hard Piedmont rock meets the softer Coastal Plain sedimentary rock. Water and wind gradually eroded the land, sculpting Raven Rock.
It was impossible to capture the sheer size on my own! Stretching into the sky, the 150-foot-tall outcropping extends for more than a mile along Cape Fear River.
Raven Rock Overlook
After climbing back up the staircase to the main loop, it was another 0.5 miles to the overlook.
A small stone overlook offers views of Cape Fear River from above. The surrounding trees were a little overgrown while I was there, but I could still see the river in the distance.
Longleaf Loop Trail
For my last hike, I headed to the visitor center. The easy 0.2-mile Longleaf Loop wanders through the woods behind the building. Interpretive signs line the trail and provide information about local plant life.
Typically, fires occur in longleaf pine forests every 3 to 8 years. These ground fires rarely climb into the trees, consuming grass and fallen limbs instead. Pines have thick bark that is resistant to all but the hottest fires.
Things to Know
I visited on the first Friday in October. When I arrived shortly after 9 a.m. there was plenty of space in the parking lot. When I finished the Raven Rock Loop, the lot was almost full.
Mosquitos were everywhere and they were vicious! I was bitten dozens of times, so definitely bring bug spray.
The visitor center has a small museum with information about the area’s history, geology, plants, and wildlife.