Explore the Historic Yates Mill County Park for Tranquility & History 

If you love learning about local history, and walking nature trails that make you feel like you’re a million miles away (but you’re only a 10-minute drive from downtown), then put Yates Mill County Park on your list of things to do in Raleigh.

This 174-acre wildlife park features hiking trails, the Historic Yates Mill, and the mill’s 24-acre pond which is fed by Steep Hill Creek.  

THE HISTORIC MILL BUILDING

The centerpiece of the park is of course, the Historic Yates Mill. The Mill and the property surrounding it were purchased in 1963 by NC State University. 

Millpond Trail (0.8 Miles)

The Yates Mill Pond Trail is a 0.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail and perfect for families and all fitness levels, and is accessible year-round. 

Creekside Trail (1 Mile)

The other trail we walked was the Creekside Trail. We continued on from the Millpond Trail at the Wetlands boardwalk bridge (about three miles in total to combine both trails).

We liked that the Creekside Trail took you deeper into the forest and over wooden planks through the “swampy” area along the Steep Hill Creek floodplain, and past the open fields of NC State’s 329 acre dairy farm.

High Ridge Trail (0.8 Mile)

We’ll have to go back and do this trail which  travels along the ridges above the pond through mixed old field pine, hardwood forests and north-facing bluffs.  

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