This North Carolina City Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers
With mild winters, pleasant springs and summers, and beautiful falls, Fayetteville, North Carolina, is one of those rare cities that is amazing to visit year-round. Additionally, its lesser-known status means lighter crowds and a more immersive experience in nature. If exploring botanical gardens, playing a challenging round of golf, or hiking through a lush longleaf pine forest sounds like your ideal vacation, Fayetteville is sure to grab your attention. It is also home to an array of bird species like nighthawks, pine warblers, and cedar-waxwings. While it may be off the beaten path, Fayetteville is bound to impress you for your 2025 travels.
Parks & Green Spaces
From botanical gardens to golf courses, Fayetteville is full of green spaces. Along the eastern edge of Fayetteville, visitors will find Cape Fear Botanical Garden, an 80-acre garden that has been part of the community since 1989. Throughout the premises, travelers can explore specialty gardens, deep ravines filled with rare plants, nature trails, and waterways teeming with birds and aquatic plants. The garden also overlooks the Cape Fear River with a historic tobacco barn and 19th-century farmhouse. Make sure to check out Cape Fear Botanical Garden鈥檚 event calendar as well. During the week, the garden hosts a variety of events, ranging from children鈥檚 storytimes to yoga and framed flower art workshops.
The city offers several community parks worth exploring. Mazarick Park, in northwestern Fayetteville along Glenville Lake, is a great starting place. This park has a little bit of everything, including a disc golf course, baseball field, and tennis courts for those looking for a bit of exercise. The park also has a fishing pier along the lake for travelers who want to relax with an afternoon fishing. Other amenities include a picnic area and paved trails along the lake.
Meanwhile, golfers can head over to King's Grant Golf & Country Club, in the city鈥檚 northern edge. This semi-private course features 18 holes and was designed by Jim Holmes, an architect for Jack Nicklaus Design. In addition to its scenic views, the course has several surprises along the way, including elevation drops and rises, depth perception challenges, and bunkers that will test your golfing ability!
Hiking & Walking Trails
The J. Bayard Clark Park and Nature Center is one of the best spots in town to start a day of hiking. Located two miles north of downtown Fayetteville, it features a semi-primitive campsite, an outdoor classroom, a natural waterfall, and three trail loops. The popular 5.3-mile Cape Fear River Trail also begins here. This paved path is ideal for walkers, runners, and cyclists, winding through a biodiverse landscape with 150 bird species and over 700 types of trees and plants. Frogs, turtles, and lizards are common sights, and a 700-foot boardwalk allows hikers and bikers to explore the wetlands and marshes from above.
About 25 minutes northwest of Fayetteville, travelers can reach Carvers Creek State Park. The park is known for two main features: Long Valley Farm, once the winter home of James Stillman Rockefeller, and the Sandhills, where several trails wind through longleaf pine ecosystems. Those looking to see the historic Rockefeller home can hike or bike a two-mile loop trail that winds through a field and pine forest before reaching the home and circling back to the parking lot. There are several trails to explore in the Sandhills. For a more casual hike, the 1.4-mile Wire Grass Loop Trail winds through scenic longleaf pines and wiregrass, key components of the area's ecosystem.
Water-Based Recreation
After hiking or biking along the Cape Fear River, travelers may want to explore it by kayak or canoe, especially on a hot day! Those in need of a rental can head over to Yakalacky Outfitters NC, which offers kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals. They also provide outdoor gear, apparel, and fishing bait for those planning a relaxing afternoon by the water. Hope Mills Lake is another option for those looking to beat the heat. This lake was created in 1839 for the area鈥檚 first cotton mill and has since become a hotspot for swimming and boating in the summer months. Located about 15 minutes from Fayetteville in the neighboring town of Hope Mills, it is open for swimming from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Travelers can also kayak or canoe on the lake with a valid permit, while boaters are welcome with a permit and a motorized vehicle fee.
Birdwatching
You don鈥檛 have to venture far from Fayetteville to spot incredible bird species. In the heart of town, Cross Creek Linear Park offers a prime birdwatching spot. With mature trees along the creek, the park provides the perfect habitat for seasonal species like cedar waxwings and even nighthawks around dusk in the summer. The Methodist University, in the north, is another unexpected place to spot some impressive birds. Between campus buildings, visitors may spot red-tailed hawks, killdeer, and cedar waxwing flocks in the winter months. A number of edge birds and sparrows reside in the area as well. Visitors can also embark on a hike along the Pauline Longest nature trail that begins by the baseball field parking lot, keeping their eyes out for bird species among the mixed forest, woodland flowers, and ravines.
The Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, mentioned earlier, is also an excellent spot for birdwatching. The mature trees along the banks of the Cape Fear and Cross Creek provide a habitat for migrating birds, woodland species, and suburban birds. Depending on the time of year, some of the bird species you may be able to spot while wandering through the gardens include fish crows, cedar waxwings, brown-headed nuthatches, pine warblers, edge birds, and river birds.
Final Thoughts
Fayetteville, with a population of around 210,000, has the perfect balance between a close-knit atmosphere and an abundance of well-maintained trails, parks, and gardens. While the city is relatively well known within North Carolina, it remains lesser known outside the state, making it more of a local secret. With the weather getting warmer and vacation season right around the corner, don鈥檛 hesitate to pick somewhere a bit different this year and start planning your outdoor vacation to Fayetteville!
