CARVERS CREEK STATE PARK
Located in Cumberland County 13 miles northwest of Fayetteville, Carvers Creek State Park features Long Valley Farm, which was once the winter retreat of James Stillman Rockefeller, and the Sandhills access that offers multiuse trails through beautiful longleaf pine ecosystems. The park provides plenty of opportunities for recreation and experiencing natural and cultural history. Both accesses include diverse habitats that are home to unique species like the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the Pine Barrens tree frog.
The millpond, which has been on Long Valley Farm since the 1850s, is an excellent spot for fishing. Please help protect this area by using only the footpath access to the water. This will prevent erosion and reduce your exposure to ticks, chiggers, and snakes. It is a 1-mile roundtrip hike to fish at the millpond.
In addition, two ponds at the Sandhills access offer fishing opportunities. Access the fishing ponds on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. At this time, there is no vehicle access to the fishing areas.
A North Carolina Inland Fishing License is required to fish in the park. N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission fishing regulations are enforced.
Carvers Creek State Park is located near Cameron, Fayetteville and Fort Bragg
Bring a packed lunch and have a picnic or simply sit and enjoy nature at Long Valley Farm access. There are picnic tables along both trails at the access, with trash and recycling bins nearby.
A wheelchair-accessible picnic table is located adjacent to the parking area in front of the park office. This picnic area also has a grill.
There is a historic garage adjacent to the Rockefeller house with a grill and picnic tables. This structure also functions as a rain shelter.
Long Valley Farm has two trails, the Rockefeller Loop Trail and the Cypress Point Loop Trail. These trails are for hiking and biking only. From the Cypress Point Loop Trail, you can look toward the dam and see the pavilion, which used to be a sawmill in the 1800s, and the grist mill, which played a vital role in utilizing waterpower in the 1900s. In total, just under 3 miles of trail offer an easy walk on sand and gravel. These two trails were once roads during the peak of the farm in the 1950s.
The longleaf pine ecosystem at both accesses of Carvers Creek State Park are home to the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. Trees with active woodpecker holes are marked with a white band. In addition, the seven other species of woodpeckers found in North Carolina also live in the park forests. Other birds that can be spotted include blue grosbeaks, pine and Blackburnian warbles, and Savannah sparrows.
Share Your Carvers Creek State Park Photos (click here)
