Raleigh Trip Tip: Get Out on the Water!

The ever-expanding Raleigh-Durham area is fortunate to be blessed with a number of excellent outdoor venues on its doorstep, including William B. Umstead State Park and Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. Water is the key ingredient in each, offering access to some of the region’s best fishing, canoeing, and lake lounging! The 5,579 eminently-accessible acres of William B. Umstead State Park are a mere 15 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh and include campgrounds and over 30 miles of hiking and bridle trails along with the acres of aquatic action.

Photo credit: William B. Umstead State Park in raleigh, North Carolina (North Carolina Tourism)

Outdoor Playground: North Carolina's Piedmont Mountains

The Piedmont Mountain range that occupies North Carolina's heartland is a relative geological infant, formed some 250 million years ago in the wake of similar tectonic buckling that created the Appalachian Mountains to the west. The Piedmont contains the state's three largest cities—Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro—offering the bustling metropolises a nearby landscape of hills, forests, and lakes.

Photo credit: William B. Umstead State Park, North Carolina (North Carolina Tourism)