William B. Umstead State Park

William B. Umstead State Park is a state park in Wake County, North Carolina. It spans 5,599 acres and is tucked between Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, three rapidly growing North Carolina cities. There are routes for riding horses and bikes, boat rentals, camping, picnic sites, and educational activities available. The park is traversed by a section of the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway, a network of pathways that connects Maine and Florida.

This vast park contains not one, but three artificial lakes, the largest of which is Big Lake. You can rent a canoe or a kayak here and navigate the lake that way. All three of the park's lakes are available for fishing, but swimming is not permitted in any of them. All of the lakes have camping areas nearby, while Sycamore Lake's shoreline is lined with cabins.

In addition to the lakes, William B. Umstead State Park has 35 kilometers of designated hiking paths, making hiking one of the most popular activities there. 21 kilometers of multipurpose pathways are also available in the park for equestrian riding and cycling.

Location: 8801 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh