On recommendation from Will’s sister, we made our way to Cedarock Park on a beautiful, quiet Tuesday morning for a hike and some exploring. The park offers hiking trails, equestrian trails, disc golf, fishing, and a historic farm. While there were quite a few people in the park when we arrived, most were playing disc golf, and we found the trails nearly empty.
We set off on the Rock Creek Trail, which is a loop trail that is just over 2 miles long. It was very well marked and a nice, easy hike. As the name implies, the trail follows Rock Creek and is quite picturesque. As we walked, the creek became wider and wider, eventually coming to a beautiful waterfall.
As we approached the waterfall, we could hear it well before we could see it, and my mama heart was warmed to the core as Little Bird recognized the sound and was immediately mesmerized by the falls. I love a waterfall, and I am delighted that she does as well. She loved it so much, she protested rather vehemently when we began hiking down the trail (lucky for her, we got to see the waterfall again from the other side of the creek just a short time later).
Signs of spring were everywhere along the trail. From many kinds of wildflowers popping up here and there to beautiful butterflies fluttering around us to birds singing their songs as we walked. Spring in North Carolina has been a delight.
Once we wrapped up our hike, we made our way to the historic farm. We knew there were a few animals, and we knew Little Bird would love it. As we walked into the farm, we enjoyed reading about the history of the family who had settled on the land and looking at the farmhouse, barn, and other buildings around the property.
We made our way around the farmhouse to find the resident goats. As expected, Bird stopped in her tracks and shrieked with delight. Daisy was incredibly curious, and the feeling from the lead goat was 100% mutual. From the goats, we made our way to see the mule, whose name we read in the park brochure was Clyde.
Clyde was a real easygoing and playful fella, who slowly meandered over to us then proceeded to splash water toward us from his tub of water. Again, Bird was loving it. We watched him for some time, and Bird was less than pleased when it was time to go.
Our morning at Cedarock was so much fun and very relaxing. I can imagine it gets pretty busy on the weekends, but on a Tuesday morning, it was incredibly peaceful and quiet. With trails, a waterfall, and animals, what more could we want! While this park is a little off the beaten path, it is definitely worth a visit.
Nurturing Adventure 