William B. Umstead State Park sits right in the heart of North Carolina, tucked between Raleigh, Cary, and Durham. It covers more than 5,500 acres—plenty of room for hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, and even renting a boat for the afternoon. You’ll find picnic spots all over, and the park runs educational programs for anyone curious about the area’s wild side. It’s also part of the East Coast Greenway, the massive trail stretching from Maine all the way down to Florida.

Long before all this, though, the land was wild and teeming with life. Bison, elk, wildcats, and wolves all roamed thick forests of oak, hickory, and beech. Native Americans settled here, carving out trade routes like the Occoneeche Trail to the north and the Pee Dee Trail down south. Then, in 1774, land grants opened up the area to settlers. People cleared the forests, and for a while, farming looked promising—but bad practices and single-crop planting wore out the soil. By the time the Great Depression hit, farmers were struggling to coax anything from the eroded fields along Crabtree Creek. Don’t forget to check out this place in Raleigh too.

In 1934, the federal and state governments stepped in and bought 5,000 acres for recreation. The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration rolled up their sleeves, building campgrounds, picnic shelters, and day-use areas—plus, providing jobs when people needed them most. The park opened to the public in 1937. The state bought the land for just $1, calling it the Crabtree Creek Recreation Demonstration Area at first. More facilities went up as the state started putting real money into parks in the 1940s.

In 1950, over 1,000 acres became Reedy Creek State Park, a separate spot for African American visitors during segregation. A few years later, the Crabtree Creek area was renamed for former Governor William B. Umstead, a champion of conservation. By 1966, they brought the two areas together under one name. That’s when William B. Umstead State Park officially opened to everyone.

Before the park existed, the land was mostly timberland and home to several mills along Crabtree Creek. You can still find traces of those old mills if you wander the right trails. During segregation, the entrances were divided, too: Highway 70 for white visitors, Reedy Creek for Black visitors. Today, the Reedy Creek entrance is the main way in, especially for forestry students from NC State and local runners who like quieter trails. There’s still no road connecting both entrances inside the park, so you can’t drive straight through from one side to the other.

Just ten miles from downtown Raleigh, Umstead Park feels like a real getaway from city noise. Trails wind everywhere—whether you’re hiking, running, or riding your bike. Three man-made lakes and their streams offer good fishing. Both main entrances have picnic shelters, and you’ll find campsites at Crabtree Creek. If you want something more rustic, group camps and the old Maple Hill Lodge let you sleep out in the woods, far from the glare of city lights and the comforts of modern camping. If you are in need of a roofing contractor, click here.