Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park

About this adventure

Raleigh's first designated nature preserve: 157 acres south of Falls Lake with mature forest (some trees over 200 years old), rock outcrops, wetlands and open pastures. The Welcome Center has hands-on displays designed especially for children, free nature crafts that change monthly and free loaner gear — Explorer backpacks, a Woodland Village backpack, an Art Backpack, a sandbox kit, binoculars and kites — plus nature play areas and pollinator gardens outside. Five natural-surface loop trails opened for 2026, from the 0.31-mile Prairie Loop to the 0.81-mile Hidden Rocks Loop past boulder outcrops and the Pond Loop around a beaver pond; most include some stairs and bikes are not allowed. A connector joins the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake. Public programs include bird watching, astronomy nights, nature play and art classes.