Recreation

Cape Fear River's Path Provides Recreation, Beautiful Scenery and Ample Water

A kayak makes its way along the Cape Fear River at Raven Rock State Park.

Where the rocky bluffs of the Piedmont give way to the sandier soil of the coastal plain‚ Harnett County beckons all comers to stop and enjoy its natural beauty‚ abundant wildlife and exciting recreational opportunities. The Cape Fear River and Raven Rock State Park‚ the area’s main attractions‚ offer visitors a rewarding wilderness experience.

In 2006‚ the nearly 5000-acre state park welcomed some 12.5 million visitors‚ who came to hike and ride horses over miles of trails; fish‚ canoe‚ kayak and camp along the river; or just bring a picnic and take in the scenery.

The Cape Fear’s path through the county is at times a geographical dividing line‚ but Harnett County Parks and Recreation Director Alice Powell prefers to think of it as a centerpiece that brings the county together.

“It’s like we have a beautiful‚ linear park that goes through the middle of the county‚” she says.

And so it does. The Cape Fear Canoe Trail‚ a 56-mile stretch of water designated for recreational river travel‚ is divided into four sections with access/egress points at each; sections two and three pass through the heart of Harnett County.

Brad Lamberton‚ an outfitter with Cape Fear RV and Canoe Center‚ guides patrons on trips over the 25 miles from Moncure to Erwin.

“We start a lot of our trips at Buckhorn Dam‚” he says. “It’s a 16-mile trip from there to our boat ramp here (in Lillington). It goes right through the middle of Raven Rock State Park‚ which is beautiful.”

Named for the spectacular mica schist cliff jutting 150 feet above the surrounding landscape and extending more than a mile along the river’s edge‚ Raven Rock State Park is also home to a stunning array of wildflowers and numerous species of wildlife‚ including deer‚ bald eagles‚ great blue herons‚ turtles‚ beavers‚ river otters‚ bobcats and plenty of fish.

In addition to the scenic beauty‚ river travelers get to experience whitewater rapids and see historic landmarks like the Fish Traps – rock-lined pools constructed by early American Indians‚ Lamberton says. Private and group campsites‚ accessible only by canoe or kayak‚ give boaters a place to camp on trips downriver.

The nine-mile trip from Lillington to Erwin includes some Class II rapids at Smylie’s Falls. But don’t worry. “The average water depth in the summer is right around a foot and a half‚ so if you have a real big problem‚ you can just step out of the boat‚ scoot it across the rocks and keep going‚” Lamberton says.

The half-day excursion will be safer and more accessible than ever when a new park opens in Erwin. A partnership between Harnett County‚ the town of Erwin and the Harnett Forward Together Committee is using a $491‚000 grant from the North Carolina Park and Recreation Trust Fund to build the 16.2-acre Cape Fear River Trail Park.

Scheduled to open by spring 2008‚ the park will feature boat access‚ picnic shelters‚ restrooms‚ parking‚ a handicap-accessible greenway with bicycle and walking trails on the terrace above the river and rustic hiking trails and observation points along the riverbank 40 feet below‚ says Vince Zucchino of Vince Zucchino Associates‚ the landscape architecture firm that is spearheading park construction.

Besides its recreational value‚ the Cape Fear River is an important regional water source. The Harnett County Regional Water Treatment Plant in Lillington serves 60‚000 customers in Harnett County alone and provides water to five contiguous counties.

“The Cape Fear River greatly enhances the county‚” says Lee Anne Nance‚ Harnett County’s economic development director. “It is an asset for our residents to enjoy and an attraction to people who live outside the county.”

Story by Carol Cowan
Photo by Jeffrey S. Otto

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