Guide To Hiking the 7 Mile Sycamore Trail: Umstead State Park, Raleigh

When you want to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Raleigh, you need only drive 15-minutes before you reach the natural oasis of William B Umstead State Park, a jewel in the heart of the Triangle region.

The park is made up of 20-miles of hiking trails through lush woodlands, man-made lakes, and glistening creeks and tributaries, but none are as beautiful as the Sycamore Trail, the longest of the Umstead Park trails at 7.2 miles.

We often hike the Sycamore Trail in William B Umstead State Park. It’s our go-to easy hike for when we want to spend an afternoon basking in the shade under the dense canopies of the giant oaks, fragrant pine trees, and flourishing maple trees.

This is the perfect trail for those who want to experience the park’s thriving forest in all its glory, especially in the summer when temperatures can get hot in Raleigh, and you need some respite from sun’s rays.

In this guide, we share our experience of hiking the Sycamore Trail and reveal how you can do it yourself.

About The Sycamore Trail

The Sycamore Trail is a quiet, multi-use trail. It’s shared by hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers, but you’ll rarely find other people on the trail, even in the busiest months.

Here are some quick facts about the Sycamore Trail:

• Length: 7.2 miles
• Time to complete: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Trail type: Loop
• Elevation gain: 610 ft
• Trail difficulty: moderate hike
• Trail surface: natural surface
• Trail Blaze: Blue triangle
• Umstead Park Hours: currently 8am-8pm

Dogs are welcome on this trail, but must be kept on a leash!

This trail is open year-round, though we personally believe the best time of year to hike this trail is in the Fall, when the Autumnal foliage is in full bloom. It’s not advised to hike after a rainstorm, since the trail is natural surface and can get very muddy.

This is a trail suitable for all skill levels and is not considered challenging with easily-accessible paths with gentle elevation and a single-track trail making it hard to get lost.

If this is your first time to Umstead State Park and you are looking for an easier and shorter hike, consider doing the Sal’s Branch Trail – read more about this hike here.

Getting to the Sycamore Trail

Located on the northeastern side of Umstead Park, to get to the Sycamore Trail, you must drive to the park’s Crabtree Creek Entrance off US-70 (Address: 8801 Glenwood Avenue).

There are two parking lots that give you access to the Sycamore Trail.

Before you head to the first parking lot, stop in at the visitor center and pick up a park map to help you find your way. Also, it’s a good idea to chat with a ranger there who can update you about any changes or closures on this trail.

The trailhead officially starts behind shelter one located at the Crabtree Creek entrance. The parking lot is at the end of the road past the Visitor Center, and is the same parking lot used for the Potts Branch Trail and Sycamore Trails, which are connected.

When you reach the parking lot, make sure to make use of the restrooms and fill up your water bottles from the water fountains outside, as there are no facilities along the trail.

You’ll also find picnic areas and a large picnic shelter here where you can have a nice lunch before starting the hike.

Access is also available from the M.U.T. (multi-use trail) parking lot at the end of Sycamore Road – this is where we started from. You can find it by searching for Sycamore Parking in Google maps. This is a better parking option if you want to extend the hike by adding on the Company Mill Trail or Graylyn Trail.

The trail follows Sycamore Creek for much of the loop, and both the trail and the creek are named for the tree growing in North Carolina’s bottomland forests.

Simply follow the blue singletrack trail markers and you won’t get lost.

Hiking the Sycamore Trail

Generally rated as a moderate hike, this 7.2 mile trail normally takes between 2-3 hours, depending on your fitness level and how many breaks you take.

We did this hike on a Wednesday morning in mid-April and only passed two other people – weekends, holidays and good weather days can get busy in Umstead, but we find this trail is usually always quiet.

We quickly realized that although this is Umstead’s longest trail, it would be more like a walk than a hike, with gentle rises and falls in elevation and nothing too strenuous – keep in mind we have done some serious hikes in Yosemite NP, Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons NP, and Zion National Parks, so your perspective may differ!

The trail is natural surface throughout, and there are some tree roots in sections and a little rocky here and there so watch your step and wear appropriate walking shoes, and bring your trekking poles if you are not that sure-footed. 

After the first mile or so it gets more into the thickness of the woods. We love walking through the backwoods among the beautiful trees and looking out for local wildlife. It’s not uncommon to see squirrels, white-tailed deer, and foxes grazing amongst the fallen leaves.

You may spot a snake or two, but we didn’t come across any – obviously it will differ by season and time of day as wildlife go about their habits. 

Sycamore Creek Bridge

After about an hour of hiking, you’ll come to a few switchbacks which leads you to Sycamore Creek.

The creek is highlighted by the stone Sycamore Bridge, which makes for a nice spot for a rest and soak in the pleasant landscape and listen to the ambient noise of the trickling creek.

NOTE: the stream where signs warn of  the Potters Creek Bridge being washed out is easily crossed by rock scramble across shallow water.

The arched stone bridge is roughly near the halfway point.

Being fairly close to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, there is some airplane noise overhead from time to time, but overall, it’s generally quiet and serene in this spot, with just the sounds of nature and the Sycamore Creek.

After relaxing at the stone bridge, the trail cuts to a left which takes you on a loop back around to the trail head.

If you continue over the bridge, you’ll connect to the Graylyn Trail and the Company Mill Spur Trail. You can take the Graylyn Trail all the way to Crabtree Mill Creek and back around to the Sycamore Trail via the Company Mill Trail, but it will add an extra hour to 1.5 hours to your hike.

Chainsaw Art on the MUT (Multi Use Trail)

On the loop back towards the starting point, you’ll notice a side trail that takes you to the famous Chainsaw Log Art by artists Jerry Redi and Randy Boni of Smoky Mountain Art. This side trail is only about 300 meters or so, and isn’t much of a detour from the Sycamore Trail.

If you are walking anti-clockwise on the Sycamore loop, take a right at the junction of the Graylyn MUT.

A fallen red oak tree, approximately 25 feet long and several feet high, lies on the forest floor. It has a beautiful design of woodland creatures, tree branches and leaves cut into the side.

Each of the animals carved into the tree like squirrels, rabbits, swans, and owls etc can be spotted inside Umstead State Park the park. Why not take a short stop here for a photo opp? it’s pretty cool. 

From the log, it is a short distance back to the beginning where we left our car! 

Overall, it is a well maintained and clean trail that is well marked and as a loop we found it easy to navigate. There’s a few short inclines but nothing too strenuous and feel this is very walkable for those with an average fitness level. 

As always, whether you’re hiking in Raleigh or anywhere, bring enough water to stay hydrated – we hike with our 40 oz Hydro Flasks. And you might also want to bring some insect repellent in the summer months!

FAQs About The Sycamore Trail

Final Thoughts

All up, the Sycamore Trail is not very technical and a trail we’d be happy to walk numerous times in different seasons, and we’re grateful that we can go hiking right near Raleigh downtown!

But as mentioned, it is the longest trail in Umstead State Park (bring adequate water) and enough to get a decent workout without getting too tired – trail runners could get a real good workout if they ran it – and it does appear to make for a nice hike/jog combo. 

Sycamore Trail Video

More Trails in Umstead State Park

Check out these other Umstead trails:

• Hiking the out and back Loblolly Trail
• Don’t miss the Sal’s Branch Trail
• Pott’s Branch Trail (shortest trail)
• Company Mill Trail

And if you’re looking for more hikes, read our guide on our the best hiking trails in Raleigh North Carolina!

What do you think are the best trails at Umstead park that you recommend? Leave us a comment below.