Carvers Creek State Park

Carvers Creek State Park is a North Carolina state park in Cumberland County, North Carolina in the United States. Located north of Fayetteville, it covers 4,530 acres (18.3 km2)[1] in the Sandhills region of the state. The park covers lands around Carvers Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear River, and it borders Fort Bragg. The park is currently divided into two areas, Long Valley Farm and the Sandhills Property. The park is still being planned, and the state is planning to acquire more land for the park.

Carvers Creek State Park
Swamp at Long Valley Farm
Map showing the location of Carvers Creek State Park
Map showing the location of Carvers Creek State Park
Location of Carvers Creek State Park in North Carolina
Map showing the location of Carvers Creek State Park
Map showing the location of Carvers Creek State Park
Carvers Creek State Park (the United States)
LocationSpring Lake, Cumberland, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates35°11′8.8″N 78°52′41″W
Area4,530 acres (18.3 km2)[1]
EstablishedMay 4, 2005
Named forCarvers Creek
Governing bodyNorth Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
WebsiteCarvers Creek State Park

On September 9, 2013, interim park facilities were opened to the public at the Long Valley Farm Access.[2] The initial park facilities include a ranger contact station, a picnic area, lake fishing access, and two hiking trails.

Trails

The 2-mile (3.2 km) James S. Rockefeller Loop Trail is park's main trail; it provides access to the Rockefeller House from the park's office and picnic area, before looping back around and ending near the entrance to the parking lot.

The 0.75-mile (1.21 km) Cypress Point Loop Trail begins near the Rockefeller house, and it loops around the southern shore of the millpond.

The Rockefeller House and Mill Pond

The Rockefeller House is situated on the edge of a 100-acre mill pond. The house is the former winter estate of James Stillman Rockefeller, great-nephew to John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil. The house is 6,000 sq. feet, with two stories of living space, an attic, and a basement. Most of the house has its original wood flooring, and much of the house has wood to ceiling plank walls. The exception to this is the kitchen and servants area, which were remodeled in the 70's. The house, along with other structures not yet accessible by the public, were added to the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1990s.[3] The house interior is normally closed to the public, with one or two guided tours being offered a month.

The mill pond outside the house dates back to the 1800s when the property was used for lumber cutting and processing. Its held back by an old earth works dam on its south-east edge. Three water gates are located beneath the pavilion, which was formerly the logging deck for the pond. at the other end of the dam is another, more modern gate used to power a gristmill. At the for end of the cypress loop trail is an observation deck that allows fishing. Canoeing is also available on the pond, though swimming is not allowed.

Restoration of the Mill Pond

September 29, 2016, surprise flood waters rushing down the creek burst the dam, emptying the millpond of most its water and returning it to a creek. This damage was compounded weeks later by the flood waters of hurricane Mathew. Due to the loss of the pond, fishing and canoeing were no longer available at Carvers Creek. Access to the observation deck, the pavilion, the gristmill, and the dam were restricted as well for safety reasons. The state had plans to replace the dam; initial projections put the completion time at between two and five years from commencement. As of September 18, 2020, the lower gate of the restored dam was closed to allow the millpond to refill. The pond is being stocked with native fish to help restore populations. Fishing, with valid NC state fishing license, and guided canoe trips are once again available. The observation deck unfortunately burned down in a wildfire in March 2019, but possible plans to restore it are in the works. Access to the pavilion, the gristmill, and the dam remain restricted due to safety reasons.

See also

References
  1. "Size of the North Carolina State Parks System" (XLS). North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. January 1, 2019. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  2. "Carvers Creek State Park in Cumberland County opens to the public Sept. 9". North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  3. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Register of Historic Places. March 14, 1994. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
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