There’s a lot to recommend an Umstead-based tent vacation: 20 miles of hiking trail, 13 miles of bike & bridle trail (with connections for mountain bikers to about twice that much singletrack nearby), all of the above for an intense trail running camp, and paddling in Big Lake (seasonal). One caveat: Bring ear plugs, because the campground is in close proximity to the runways at adjoining Raleigh-Durham International Airport and, as you’ll quickly discover, the airport never sleeps.
More info: Umstead State Park
Getting there from downtown Raleigh
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Address: 8801 Glenwood Ave.
City: Raleigh
State: N.C.
Zip code: 27617
Distance: 20 minutes from downtown Raleigh
Latitude: 35.8905,
Longitude: 78.7502
No. of campsites: 28
No. with hookups: None
No. without hookups: 28
Primitive sites: None
Reservations? Yes. 877.722.6762
Cost: $20
Year-round? No. Open March 15-Dec.15
Gate hours: Open daily at 8 a.m., closes at 6 p.m. November-February; 8 p.m. March, April, September and October; 9 p.m. May-August.
Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking