🍂Fall is one of the best times to get outside with your family—crisp air, cooler weather, colorful leaves. So I asked local moms what their favorite fall hikes in the area are, and they delivered!
👣These easy, scenic walks are perfect for little explorers and offer plenty of chances to soak in the vibrant autumn colors without long drives or tough climbs. Pack some snacks, bring the camera, and make a fun family outing to one of these nearby trails!
Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve |
📍4409 Old Country Mial Rd, Raleigh, NC
⏱️Open 8am-8pm daily (7am open time on weekends)
✅ Restrooms & picnic areas
✖️Drinking water
This 447-acre preserve spans into both Wake and Johnston counties and connects with the Clayton Neuse River Walk. Together, the Preserve and River Walk offer nearly 17 miles of scenic trails for biking and walking (dogs are welcome as long as they’re leashed and cleaned up after!). Both sides feature a short, 1 mile walking-only trail. Traffic flow on the trails depending on day of the week: Sunday–Wednesday, walkers turn right and bikers/runners turn left at intersections; Thursday–Saturday, the directions switch.
What makes this Preserve especially unique is its blend of nature and history. Visitors can see an active farm in operation and explore the area’s rich history through interpretive signs that share the stories of the Indigenous and Black communities who once lived and farmed here, as well as the prominent white families who owned the land.
Check the website for trail closures, rules, and information.
https://triangleland.org/explore/nature-preserves/williamson-preserve
Beech Bluff County Park |
📍3321 NC Highway 42 Willow Spring, NC
⏱️Open 8 a.m.–sunset daily
✅Restrooms, picnic areas, drinking water
This 300 acre park built on old farmland recently opened in March 2025! The park boasts 3 hard surface, ADA approved trails. The main hard surface trail is a 0.5 mile one way trail to a bluff overlook. Bikes are permitted on these trails. There are also 4 natural surface (mulch & dirt) trails that are short (0.5 miles or less) and branch off the main hard surface trail. One of the coolest sections is a canopy trail that is 20 feet off the ground!
The park has a lot more to offer beyond trails. A main focus is on agriculture, and you’ll see this in the community garden plots, demo garden beds, orchard, and agricultural field. There is also a brand new playground and climbing wall for kids to enjoy, covered picnic areas, and a great lawn for lounging.
Clemmons Educational State Forest |
📍2256 Old U.S. Hwy 70, Clayton, NC
⏱️Open 9am-5pm Tuesdays- Fridays; 11am-6pm Saturdays & Sundays. Closed Nov-Feb
✅Restrooms & picnic areas
✖️Drinking water
Tucked just off Old U.S. 70, Clemmons Forest is a local favorite with breathtaking fall foliage you can admire while on the easy hiking loops. Kids also love the rock formations, pond (can you spy a turtle or two?), interactive forestry exhibits, and talking trees—yes, really! Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the rustic picnic areas near the trailheads. A gem for nature-loving families.
Clayton River Walk on the Neuse Greenway |
📍2686 Covered Bridge Rd. Clayton, NC (main trailhead with parking)
⏱️Open daily from dawn to dusk
✅Restrooms & drinking water
Part of the Mountains to Sea trail, this 4 mile section in Clayton runs next to the Neuse River. A 10 foot wide paved trail, it’s perfect for running, walking, biking, and pushing strollers. At the southern end, the trail connects with Sam's Branch Greenway, which is a 1.25 mile trail with the same wide, paved pathway that takes visitors into Downtown Clayton. It also has local artwork for kids to find! Reviews are good (4.7 out of 5) with reports of viewing wildlife, beautiful views, and several benches for resting along the way.
Howell Woods in Four Oaks |
📍6601 Devils Racetrack Rd, Four Oaks, NC
⏱️The Learning Center is open Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm; trails are open sunrise to sunset daily
✅Restrooms, picnic areas, drinking water
This 2,800-acre natural preserve is owned and operated by Johnston Community College. The trails at Howell Woods are fairly flat, natural terrain, well-marked, and easy to navigate, making them perfect for families and beginner hikers. You’ll find plenty of short trails that can be combined into loops lasting anywhere from 1–3 hours, with opportunities for birdwatching along the way. Several viewing platforms provide a closer look at native species, and the Learning Center features a native plant garden along with a small area for rehabilitated hawks and owls. Dogs are allowed on leash and owners must pick up after them but note that there are no trash receptacles on the trails. Some trails allow for biking and horseback riding.
If interested in more than hiking, the preserve also offers camping, canoeing, fishing, and hunting in controlled areas for game such as deer, waterfowl, squirrels, wild turkeys, and feral pigs!
Robertson Millpond Preserve |
📍6333 Robertson Pond Rd, Wendell, NC
⏱️Open 8am-sunset daily
✖️Restrooms & drinking water
✅Picnic areas
Looking for a unique opportunity to catch fall foliage from the water? This 85 acre preserve located on Buffalo Creek offers a 1.15 mile paddling trail for kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards. From the brochure “this blackwater cypress-gum swamp is unique this far north and this far west with many species from the coastal plain present. The bases of the cypress trees provide habitat for plants, shrubs and vines, including coastal fetterbush and swamp titi. Many birds, beavers, muskrats, amphibians, reptiles and fish live in the swamp.” If you don’t own a small watercraft, there are kayak rentals on Saturdays. Be mindful that water levels drop (depending on rain and time of year) and so you may not be able to complete the loop. There are .
Sandy Pines Preserve |
📍7201 Doc Procter Rd, Wendell, NC
⏱️Open 8am-sunset daily
✖️Restrooms & drinking water
✅Picnic areas
This preserve is a sprawling 563-acre natural haven which is Wake County’s largest single protected land parcel. Visitors can explore over 6.5 miles of multi-use trails, perfect for walking and horseback riding. Trails will take you through forests and open meadows, over serene creeks and past a tranquil pond. Length of trails varies from .7 miles to 2 miles, and some can connect allowing for longer hike times. You can find picnic areas and benches along the trails, perfect for packing in a lunch! Dogs are allowed on a 6 ft leash and owners must clean up after them.
Smith Neuse Riverwalk & Buffalo Creek Greenway |
📍600 M. Durwood Stephenson Parkway, Smithfield, NC
⏱️Open dawn to dusk daily
✅Restrooms, picnic areas, drinking water
This 3 mile, one way trail is paved and 10 feet wide which is perfect for an easy family stroll- especially with bikes and strollers! This is a small section of the Mountains to Sea trail that meanders through trees, along the Neuse River, and near Smithfield’s Historic Downtown. It’s easy to access with 5 different parking lots at trail heads and connects 4 different local parks- great to pop into when kids get tired and want to play. Be sure to check out the colorful painted lizard art along the way!
Turnipseed Nature Preserve |
📍7100 Hunt Valley Trail, Wendell, NC
⏱️Open 8 a.m.–sunset daily
✅Restroom & picnic areas
Tucked away just south of Wendell, Turnipseed Nature Preserve offers a peaceful escape into nature across 265 acres of woodlands and meadows. Its easy 3 mile loop trail is perfect for beginners or families, taking only about an hour to an hour and a half to walk with a gentle 200 foot elevation gain. Along the way, you’ll wander through two open meadow loops, cross a long bridge overlooking a wetland teeming with wildlife, and even find large boulders that are fun for kids (and adventurous adults!) to climb.
White Deer Park (Lake Benson) |
📍2400 State Rd 2710, Garner, NC
⏱️Open sunrise-sunset daily; this time of year the Nature Center is open from 12pm-5pm Tuesday-Saturday
✅Restrooms, picnic areas, drinking water
Adjacent to Lake Benson, this 96-acre park is a great family friendly spot with playgrounds and a Nature Center. With short trail options that can be combined for a longer hiking experience, it’s a great place to hike with young kids. You’ll also find trail variety- some paved and some unpaved, and some through shaded woods while others are more open and sunny. The Nature Center is worth taking the kids to to check out live animals and learn more about local wildlife. They also have special events like the Halloween trick or treat trail on the 31st!
If you want to explore outside of the Garner-Clayton-Smithfield area, here are other mom-recommended trails that are great to enjoy the fall foliage:
🍁Lake Wheeler- 6404 Lake Wheeler Road Raleigh
🍁Raven Rock - 3009 Raven Rock Rd, Lillington, NC 27546
🍁Clark Park- 631 Sherman Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28301
🍁Hanging Rock- 1790 Hanging Rock Park Rd, Danbury, NC 27016
🍁Eno River- Durham, NC 27705
🍁Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve -5229 Awls Haven Dr, Raleigh, NC 27614
🍁Ravenridge section of the Mountain to Sea Trail- Raleigh, NC
🍁William B. Umstead State Park- 8801 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27617
🍁Harris Lake- 2112 County Park Dr, New Hill, NC 27562
🍁Jordan Lake- 280 State Park Road Apex, NC 27523
🍁Falls Lake- 13304 Creedmoor Road Wake Forest, NC 27587
🍁Lake Johnson- 4601 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606
