Photos

I’ll start my North Carolina postings with fall colors from William B. Umstead State Park.

The park is a protected forest centrally located in the booming “Triangle” of Raleigh, Cary and Durham. The explosive growth of the area is due to the innovative Research Triangle Park which is surrounded by Duke, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State universities.
The park provides for many activities: boating, bridle trails, camping, cycling, fishing, hiking and picnicking. It is truly an urban oasis.

Ecological information
Due to conservation efforts years ago, new forests are being established in W. B. Umstead today. The exhausted and eroded farmlands and forests, once stripped of timber, are slowly being restored to their former grandeur. The varied landscape is now home to beavers, ducks, raccoons and deer. A variety of trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers offer beauty in every season. Rhododendron and laurel, plants typically found in the mountains, are abundant along the park's streams.

The Piedmont Beech Natural Area, a 50-acre tract of towering beech trees deep in the heart of the park, is included in the National Registry of Natural Landmarks. Due to the sensitive nature of the area, access is allowed only by special permit. Crabtree Shrub Slopes Natural Area may be accessed by hiking from Company Mill Trail.