William B. Umstead State Park

This is a HUGE park with lots of hiking, walking, and cycling trails. There’s a beautiful lake and lots of scenic places to take photos, picnic, etc. Maps are available at the visitors center, the bathrooms are clean, and the staff is helpful and friendly. If you’re looking for something to do in the Raleigh-​Durham area and it’s not raining, pack some water and a snack and GO TO UMSTEAD!!!

Been there and hiked the Trail at the back of the park near the cabin in the woods, can’t recall its name. Altogether a wonderful experience, did it w a woman I was dating at the time, have since married her! But we went during the fall so the colors were just unbelievable. Truly magnificent!

Great Park for Biking, Hiking, and Fishing. I, personally, utilize it for nature walks. Easily accessible off off I-​40 @ exit 287, and US 70. Plenty of trails to choose from that are simultaneously challenging yet scenic. Large ponds on both sides and even an occasional Deer sighting. Hard to believe that this gem is adjacent to RDU. Highly recommend it for a natural get away.

My first 100 miles race was in this park, I will never forget. The hills, the birds, the nature. It was church time with the pain and agony to finish and the Seattle peace of nature, strong without rushing and going through the seasons in the middle of a town. Priceless! I could be here every year!

A quick turn off highway 40 (Cary entrance) and you’re in the wilderness. We went hiking here with our dogs on a warmer winter day and it was very nice. There are trail maps at the entrance and at some places along the trails, and the trails are very well marked. I was surprised at how nice and well-​kept the trails were. I can’t believe it took me so long to come here! I will definitely be back.

I’m shocked that this park is near the airport. It feels tranquil, like you’re nowhere near civilization. The park is a great place for a long walk because the trails run for a long time — it’s huge and I’m surprised I wasn’t scared, but it was morning and I did run into 3 other people. They were trail running here — perfect terrain for such. Umstead State Park is gorgeous yet not scary for you to go alone because although it transports you into nature, you’re not that far away from people… and the trail signs are everywhere.

Boyfriend and I were around the area and decided to stop by for an afternoon walk. We decided to hike Pott’s Branch Trail since it was a good distance, totaling 1.3 miles. This is a beautiful (tons of scenic views) and huge park.
Cons: It was a bit difficult to navigate and figure out the trails & the location is a bit far for us.

Awesome, huge state park right by my house! I love that this place is like a huge oasis right in the middle of busy hwy 70 because one you’re in the park, you have no idea that you’re so close to one of the most chaotic roads in raleigh. Dense forest, pretty lake, great variety in trails, and a plethora of parking. Be careful though, because there are 2 main entrances that are very far from eachother, so make sure you tell whoever you’re meeting up with which side you’re coming in from! (my friends and I made this mistake. our picnic was on the Harrison Ave/​Cary side, my friends came in through the Glenwood Ave/​Raleigh entrance.)
Can’t wait to come back and camp and do the other trails!

My husband and I absolutly love this park. It is a perfect distance from our house and we come here often. We have hiked almost every trail.
We took a nine mile hike that included going up to the airport overlook. We were dissapointed to see that it was covered in trees and shrubs, but it was still a very nice walk.
You can also go kayaking or canoeing here. That is a huge plus. :)

I really love this park. It’s always very clean, beautiful and the staff are very friendly. I did not give this park five stars because the trails aren’t marked very well. It can get confusing as to where you are on a trail and which direction you’re headed in. I definitely suggest stopping by the main office and getting a map before you begin your hike!
There are beautiful lakes and little rivers throughout the park that never feel crowded. They are always clean and you can see tons of fish in the water! Great to families, friends, and everyone in between!

I absolutely love this park! It’s very close to our home and is such a serene place to go to just walk and think or get a great workout.
Having so many trail options makes it new every time we go.

While in the Raleigh area, my dog and I checked out William B. Umstead State Park. It was Memorial Day weekend and, both days we went, the parking lots seemed busy and a bit crowded but the trails were totally decent. We crossed paths with people but never felt crowded. We took the Sal’s Branch Loop which was an easy path from the vistor’s center to the lake. The lake was bustling with friendly folks and again — busy but not too crowded. Really liked this park. Check it out.

This park is amazing and beautiful. A friend and I decided to go for a few miles hike and I’m glad it was a beautiful day to do it. The weather was perfect and the grounds are well maintained.
We wanted to canoe but they only accept cash so note to self every park doesn’t take debit cards lol. The park main entrance is located off glen wood and you have several trail options depending on your level of endurance. I really wanted to do the seven mile hike but my friend chickened out. Next time I’ll go with a hiking warrior :-)
The park patrol was really helpful as well since we were turned around a few times. I finally asked for a map – I’m directionally challenged I’ll admit!
I plan to return to complete the seven mile trail!

Went here the other day with my 2-​year old and met another dad and his kid. We met at the Harrison entrance and we took the creek path and it was great. We saw a bunch of friendly dogs, all on leashes, the path was very well maintained and the markers are easy to see. The creek is very well maintained.
The pavilion is very nice too, plenty of picnic benches and it has a charcoal grill.

I’ve only been to Umstead from the Reedy Creek entrance, but it was fun! Great trails, very clean, and there’s a water fountain that I hear they turn on in the summer (but not for winter runs). There were a lot of people on the trail, but it didn’t feel crowded at all. Very convenient and comfortable.
I’m excited to explore the other entrance and get to know these trails even better.

One of the Triangle’s hidden gems!
My fiancé and I moved to Raleigh from VA, where we had access to huge mountains and great hiking. We went to Umstead Park on a Saturday in January to get outside with our dog. We did about 5 miles on the Sycamore Trail. We passed a lot of other people and dogs. It was a beautiful walk/​hike and a good workout. Our dog, a 15 lb. rat terrier, didn’t have any trouble on the trail and seemed to enjoy it, as well.
We will definitely be back to explore other trails!
My only complaint is that the park itself and the trail were at times difficult to navigate.

Best park in Raleigh/​Durham area hands down! Tons of trails of different difficulties for hikers and runners. Also great place to picinic and walk your dogs. Amazing trails with amazing views and wild life.
High quality trail maps located at most trail heads. Restrooms if needed and water stations available. If i could spend every day in these woods, I would.

If you ever need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of work/​stress/​anything, umstead’s got you covered.
The trails are beautiful and well-​embedded in the park. I really enjoyed the fact that there were plenty of trees blocking any sight (and sound) of the road.
There are plenty of trails to explore.
Walking/​sitting by the lake and soaking up nature was literally a breath of fresh air.
Plenty of parking so no need to worry about that!
However, the trails are pretty rustic and I think I would have gotten lost had I come alone.
It’s a peaceful park– my time here felt very therapeutic!

I expected fairies to float out of the trees as I walked down Sal’s Branch Trail. So beautiful here. No such luck, but we did find a bright yellow turtle and an insane looking spider weaving a web. I can’t wait to come back and rent a paddleboat from the boathouse! So serene. Hiking difficulty is low (relatively flat), so runners take advantage of this as a great trail running area.

What a great place to go and see all of the fall foliage — simply beautiful. Friends who live in the area took us to William B. Umstead State Park to see some of the fall colors and we were not disappointed.
Although we only saw a very small sliver of the park, we did take a short trail to one of the lakes and it was very picturesque. The trails were nicely taken care of, and there was plenty of parking even though there were a lot of other people there to see the colors. I’d definitely go back — it was gorgeous.