Wake: Discover Lakes, Nature Trails and Culture

Wake can appeal to you through a variety of vacation themes: lakes and nature trails sit alongside gardens, art and history. One simple question can help with your planning: would you like your stay to focus mainly on spending time outdoors, or would you also like to include exhibitions and historic places? The examples offer several possibilities, without requiring you to choose just one kind of vacation.

Lakes, Trails and Unique Plants

William B. Umstead State Park is located in Wake County. Its three man-made lakes and their inlets are suitable for fishing. Falls Lake State Recreation Area spans Durham and Wake counties and offers seven access areas to the reservoir. Paddlesports are permitted in the Beaverdam Lake section; gasoline-powered motors are not allowed there. The water experiences therefore differ: fishing on lakes and inlets is complemented by an area suitable for paddlesports.

The trails also have different characteristics. The Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art has 4.7 miles of recreational trails that pass through natural areas and lead to specially commissioned works of art. The Capital Area Reedy Creek Greenway is a separate route: it leaves Museum Park and continues to Umstead State Park. A section of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail also runs through Falls Lake State Recreation Area. If you enjoy walking, you can compare these trail and landscape options with the water-based activities.

At Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, nature is paired with an unusual plant community: Canadian hemlocks grow there alongside other mountain plant species. There are about three miles of paved, mulch-surfaced nature trails for walks. The Stevens Nature Center features interactive educational exhibits about nature, as well as historical exhibits from the North Carolina Piedmont. The JC Raulston Arboretum offers a different perspective on plants: it is a public garden and living laboratory at NC State University. Its diverse collection includes species adapted to the southeastern United States.

Historic Yates Mill offers a way to combine nature with local history: the mill is the last surviving gristmill in Wake County. Historic Yates Mill County Park is a 174-acre wildlife park with hiking trails and a 24-acre pond. The stated park and pond sizes give the landscape experience a concrete scale.

Art, History and Museum Discoveries

For art lovers, the North Carolina Museum of Art offers more than a dozen galleries featuring works from around the world and a variety of art forms. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has a different focus: it is considered the largest natural history museum in the southeastern United States and has four exhibition floors. The Nature Exploration Center displays the most complete known skeleton of an Acrocanthosaurus in the world. The Nature Research Center includes laboratories, weather centers, exhibits on oceans, fossils and space, as well as a 10,000-gallon aquarium.

History comes to life at several sites. Mordecai Historic Park includes the circa-1785 Mordecai House and the birthplace of President Andrew Johnson. The City of Raleigh Museum offers educational programs and tours. The Cultural Center, named for John P. “Top” Greene, features historical exhibits and programs about the history and culture of the South Park and East Raleigh neighborhoods. If you would like to include art and history in your vacation plans, you can choose from galleries and collections as well as themes tied to specific places.

Community activities and local offerings round out the picture. Pullen Park is the first public park in North Carolina and the fifth-oldest operating amusement park in the United States. Pullen Arts Center offers programs in pottery, jewelry making, painting, printmaking, book arts, drawing, textile arts, weaving and glass arts. The State Farmers Market in Raleigh offers fresh, locally grown produce, plants, shops, restaurants and crafts year-round.

Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours depart from Mordecai Historic Park every Saturday from March through December. Check the latest departure details before your trip. This way, you can factor in the tour’s seasonal weekly schedule when planning.

Choose a Vacation Focus for Your Accommodation

When looking for a vacation rental in Wake, it helps to start by deciding which vacation themes matter most to you. Would you like to spend time by lakes and on trails, are you especially interested in plants and natural history, or are art, museums and historic sites your main focus? The differences between paddlesports, nature trails with works of art and varied museum exhibits give you a concrete basis for making this choice.

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For the broader travel overview: North Carolina.