Monday, May 23, we took our very first trail trek since Fall 2021.
Our destination was Raven Rock State Park in Lillington, NC.
We stopped at the loo first. I got a chuckle out of this sign posted outside.
About one hour from home. First let me tell you the trail is all gravel, tree roots and stumps. It took lots of concentration on our feet. The trail goes thru beautiful dense green forest. I took some pictures on the trail and more after we actually arrived at our destination the ROCK.
We decided to take the Raven Rock Loop Trail which was 2.6 miles.
Here is a photo from trail head. Saw (only) one slippery slithery critter. It was a small brown snake (not poisonous) ...moving so fast I hardly realized it was a snake** before he disappeared. The tree roots you see on the bottom right of this photo were just a hint of the ones we saw later on hills and sloops and in the middle of the trail. Many were several feet high.
Most of the trail was so narrow we walked single file.
First Stop Overlook down to Cape Fear River
We continued on down the twisting, winding, root filled trial 'til we came to
a set of the longest stairs that lead down to Raven Rock
So long and winding I could not get a picture of the entire stair case.
From the top of the stairs to the bottom it is 131'.
**On the WAY BACK up the Stairs to heaven we saw two young whippersnappers coming down.
They advised they had seen a snake. As we were entering the park parking lot, we saw the whippersnappers again. They told us they saw 2 more snakes. We probably will not hike that trail again due to the rough terrain. So thankful we started our trek early, when it was still cool which might have kept the slithery critters hiding.
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Raven Rock State Park sits along the fall zone, an area where the hard, resistant rocks of the foothills give way to the softer rocks and sediments of the coastal plain. The underlying rocks of the area were formed more than 400 million years ago by intense heat and pressure.
This immense crystalline structure rises to 150 feet (46 m) and stretches for more than a mile along the Cape Fear River. There was no way I could get one picture of the entire Rock.
Through the ages, flowing waters and swirling winds gradually eroded the land, carving and sculpting Raven Rock. The rock was originally called Patterson's Rock for an early settler who found refuge there when his canoe capsized nearby. In 1854, its name was changed to Raven Rock, inspired by the sight of ravens that formerly roosted on rock ledges.
The rock is just feet from Cape Fear River
Raven Rock State Park sits along the fall zone, an area where the hard, resistant rocks of the foothills give way to the softer rocks and sediments of the coastal plain. The underlying rocks of the area were formed more than 400 million years ago by intense heat and pressure.
After snapping the pictures from the bottom of the rock...we had to muster up the courage to climb back up the 131' of steps then walk about 1 1/2 miles to the trail head~~~
We two older than the Raven Rock codgers completed the 2.6 mile loop in 90 minutes.
We were tired but the journey and the destination were worth it.
Thankfully we were not even sore the next day.
Next trail trek will be closer to home, Turnip Seed State Park. Not as much of a challenge either.
Here is a map of the park (just a bit on the edges didn't scan.
