J.C. Raulston Arboretum & Botanical Garden

The J.C. Raulston Arboretum is a facility of North Carolina State University in Raleigh and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It is named in honor of its first director. The 10 acres are operated by a small staff and 200 volunteers and is free and open to the public year-round. Technically it is a research facility. Members receive a discount on plant sales and programs and are a primary source of income.

Historic Yates Mill County Park

Yates Mill is a fully restored, circa 1756 gristmill located five miles south of downtown Raleigh. It is the centerpiece of Historic Yates Mill County Park, in central Wake County. The park features the restored mill; a visitor center with a museum, classrooms, an auditorium, a 20-acre lake; and extensive hiking trails.

Pilot Mountain State Park is one of the most distinctive natural features in North Carolina. The mountain consists of The Big Pinnacle and the Little Pinnacle Overlook that is adjacent to it. The Overlook is accessible from a parking lot off US 52 and via a very steep climb over rocks. It is NOT a hiking path.

The peaks were formed from quartzite that survived the erosion around them for millions of years. It is one of four similar knobs in North Carolina. The view from the Overlook is similar to those in the Blue Ridge Parkway in that you can see for miles.