Hi friends!

Isn’t it hard to believe October is already over? I’m still in a bit of denial about it myself, but what can you do? Time waits for no one.

Did you do anything fun on the first November weekend of 2019? We had the itch to get out of the house yesterday, so Alex and I drove up to Raven Rock State Park and did some hiking. It was a classic Fall day — 60 degrees, soft blue skies, a few light clouds, and lots of sun beams. To be honest, it was the perfect hiking weather — not too hot, but not too cold.

For those of you living near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Fort Bragg, Raleigh), Raven Rock State Park is a must see if you like hiking. There are several trails at Raven Rock — we’ve hiked a few of them over the years we’ve lived in the area. All the park’s trails can be found on the website, but I will highlight a few of my favorites below.

Campbell Creek Loop Trail is good if you’re looking for a moderate, 4+ mile hike. Hiking along the Campbell Creek Loop Trail will take you to an access point for Lanier Falls Trail (about 2.5 miles in) where you will encounter rocky terrain and a rapids. It’s fun to climb around on the rocks at Lanier Falls, but know it’s a moderate hike; if you aren’t ready for the hills, check out Raven Rock Loop Trail first.

Raven Rock Loop Trail is a little more family friendly; a lot of people take their kids down Raven Rock Loop Trail. The trail is just over 2.5 miles roundtrip and takes you to some really beautiful points in the park. Hiking along Raven Rock Loop Trail, you will encounter the park’s Overlook and then of course, the highlight of the park: Raven Rock.

(Note: You do have to descend over 100 stairs to get to Raven Rock and the Cape Fear River waterfront. It’s never the going down part that’s the hardest… it’s having to come back up, haha!)

Alex asked me yesterday why the rock was called Raven Rock (“Does it look like a raven?”, he asked me). I didn’t know the reason then, but I found it on the park’s fact sheet:

“In 1854, the rock was renamed “Raven Rock” because of the ravens that roosted at the top.”

The more you know!

Raven Rock Loop Trail is one of my favorite hikes in the park because of the views. On our hike yesterday, we chose Raven Rock Loop Trail — I had been down there with Mogul several months ago, but it was Alex’s first time. Check out my cute hiking buddy and me hiking down the Raven Rock Loop Trail back in March:

To finish out today’s post about Raven Rock State Park, I wanted to share a photo tour of our hike down the Raven Rock Loop Trail. Lots of fun, love, and laughter in these photos. Lots of scenic points and good views in these photos (the Overlook, Raven Rock, the water, the large climbable tree roots).

Enjoy your virtual hike with us — I hope it inspires you to grab someone you love and explore a local park (or Raven Rock if you’re close by)!