Ask a Ranger: The Director of North Carolina State Parks; Dwayne Patterson
Ranger Jess and Ranger Crystal interview Dwayne Patterson, the director of the North Carolina State Parks.
Updated Monday, March 30: NC State Parks status during COVID-19 pandemic
Posted on: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 2:54pm |
Park News
8801 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27617
919-571-4170
william.umstead@ncparks.gov
GPS: 35.8905, -78.7502
8801 Glenwood Ave. entrance
- November to February:
7:00am to 6:00pm
- March to April:
7:00am to 8:00pm
- May to August:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- September to October:
7:00am to 8:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
The gate at Crabtree Creek opens at 7 a.m. daily as part of a pilot program to allow early access to the trails system.
2100 N. Harrison Ave. entrance
- November to February:
8:00am to 6:00pm
- March to April:
8:00am to 8:00pm
- May to August:
8:00am to 9:00pm
- September to October:
8:00am to 8:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
VISITOR CENTER:
- 9:00am to 5:00pm daily
- Closed Christmas Day
EXHIBIT HALL inside visitor center:
- 9:00am to 4:30pm
- Closed Christmas Day
Tent and trailer family campground open
April 1 to October 31
- April:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- May to August:
7:00am to 10:00pm
- September to October:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
Campers: Please note that once the campground gates close, they are locked until the park reopens the following day. There will be no entry or exit permitted, except for law enforcement or medical emergencies.
PARK CLOSED
William B. Umstead State Park is closed until further notice, as of sunset on Friday, March 27 to reduce the spread of COVID-19 across the state. All accesses, trails, parking areas, restrooms, campsites, and the visitor center are closed.
Please use the following numbers to contact park staff:
General questions: 919-218-2809
Emergency on-call ranger: 919-218-9106 or call 911
News archive
Each of North Carolina’s state parks has special events during the year and news about facilities, trails, staff and park supporters. And, visitors are frequently finding new ways to explore a park’s unique cultural and natural resources. Check these pages to keep abreast of the news at your favorite parks.
Ask a Ranger: The Den Owners Association
Ranger Crystal travels to Yates Mill, a Wake County park, to help Ranger Rebeccah get things lined up for the annual Den Owners Association meeting. Listen in as they hike and canoe around Yates Mill, and chat with everyone from otters to toads and squirrels to grumpy ole Walter the groundhog. You will learn some interesting facts about many of the Yates Mill residents and concerns of den dwellers.
Ask a Ranger: Prehistoric Mammals
We sit down with Dr. Kammerer from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and explore what prehistoric mammals roamed North Carolina BEFORE the age of dinosaurs.
Ask a Ranger: A Hike at Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso, Texas
Yay! Another episode with Lydia Pagel from Franklin Mountain State Park in El Paso, Texas. In this episode, Ranger Jess gets to tap into her inner 7-year-old and ask Ranger Lydia Pagel, "What's that? What's this?" all the way up the mountain. We find out how Franklin Mountain State Park is like our very own Mount Mitchell State Park, how some of the different flora you will find on this mountain compares to ones on our mountains, and how little herds of tiny hippo-related mammals inhabit Franklin Mountain as their home.
Ask a Ranger: Japan Parks with Ranger Naoki
Welcome to the start of our third year and third season for the Ask a Ranger podcast. For this episode, we return back to the beginning, when Ranger Jess was just starting to fuss with the recording and editing equipment. Ranger Jess has been hanging onto this interview from her trip to Japan for a couple of years, wanting to release it because Naoki was such a great guest with wonderful information, but holding onto it because, well, the quality of the recording was not great. So because this is a reflection on how far we have come, we though our listeners, who have been loyal and patient from the start, would be willing to bear with the quality of the recording in order to listen to his wonderful park ranger from Japan. Thank you for coming on this journey with us! And a huge thank you to Naoki for your warm welcome and willingness to conduct an interview with a newbie to the podcasting world. Thank you Naoki!
Park Maps and Brochures:
