2616 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary, NC 27518

I lived in Asheville for many years and went to school in Boone, so I’m a mountain girl at heart. In my opinion, Hemlock Bluffs Nature preserve in Cary is the closest to mountain hiking that you will ever get in the Raleigh area! Now don’t get me wrong, there are no mountains in sight, but there are definitely some hills and steep inclines so you can feel like you’re in the mountains even when you’re not!

Hemlock Bluff is a nature preserve with many trails and overlooks. The path is mulch and some places have stairs, so it isn’t very stroller friendly. But if you want a more authentic hiking experience, this is the place! It reminds me a bit of Umstead State Park, so it’s a great alternative while state parks are closed.

Nature Playground

At the park entrance there’s a small nature playground. It contains a play house, kid-size picnic tables, hollow log, stepping stones, and a telescope. My kids really enjoyed looking through the telescope and hopping on the stepping stones. The play house was also a hit!

Stevens Nature Center

Onsite is the Stevens Nature Center, which provides interactive, educational nature and historical exhibits from the Piedmont of North Carolina. The center also hosts environmental education programs for all ages throughout the year. Find and register for programs by visiting here.

I wasn’t able to go inside, but from looking in the window it reminded me a lot of the Yates Mill and Historic Oak View welcome centers!

Outdoor Classroom

Many of the nature programs utilize the outdoor classroom. It’s a unique covered shelter at the entrance of the park, perfect for gathering a class to learn in nature.

There’s also a children’ garden closer to the trail entrance. It’s a unique space made using recycle materials to grow a variety of plants.

The trails

Be sure to check the trail map before you set off on your hike. There are quite a few twists and turns and not a lot of signs, so you don’t want to get lost! Luckily I had taken a picture of the map so I could refer to it as we went.

We walked to Beech Tree Cove and back, which was a pretty good distance for my kids under 5. We probably could have gone a little bit further, but I didn’t want to get stuck carrying someone back! 😆

We were there in Spring when all of the trees were in full foliage. I’m really curious to see what the overlooks look like in winter when the trees are bare. We were pretty high up and I could tell there was a stream below. I’m not sure if one the trails takes you down there or not, but I’d be curious to find out the next time we make it out that way!

If you’re looking for other places to hike or take a walk, check out our list here!