The view below was of a river, its current discernible at the sun-glinting rapids upstream to the left. Across was forest, a lattice of light and shade, limbs bared to winter, colors of dark green pine and silvery-trunked sycamore. Beyond - a ridge. Sky. Quiet.
Aside from a couple of antenna towers in the distance, there was no sign of humanity in the entire vista.
A scene from Western North Carolina's mountain stronghold? Uh, no. For those of us in the Triangle, this river, these heights, these woods and airy spaces are much closer to home. Just down the road between Lillington and Sanford, as a matter of fact, at Raven Rock State Park.
New Year's Day is a symbolic portal on the calendar when, as we pass through, we fix our gaze on what lies ahead. It helps that process when what lies immediately ahead is a woodsy trail, or the panorama of a river valley. A hike this weekend will offer a chance to reflect on where we're going in the larger sense and how we fit into nature's grand scheme of things, where towering rocky bluffs are sculpted over the eons by wind and water.
Those were the forces that shaped Raven Rock, which guards the south bank of the Cape Fear River. It's been a favorite family destination of ours since we first explored the park back in the 1980s, not long after signing on as Tar Heels. This year we got a head start on New Year's with a hike on the day after Christmas.
There's always a sense that a visit to the 4,684-acre state park takes us somewhere completely different from our normal Wake County habitat, even though it's relatively nearby. True, you have to drive farther these days to escape the suburbs, and U.S. 401 south to Lillington, the Harnett County seat, is busier than it used to be.
But not much has changed once you shift onto U.S. 421 toward Sanford and look for the right turn cut-off to the park. Up that road, the time machine seems to shift into reverse as you pass farmhouses, barns and country churches. (The collection of rusting vehicles beside one barn includes a Studebaker!) The park entrance itself has been favored with an upgrade - the road and parking lot are now paved, and there's a new visitors center.
The foresight that goes into the creation of a popular state park could hardly have a better example than Raven Rock. The landscape is remarkable - forests interlaced with rippling streams, a rich texture of plants including many wildflowers along with rhododendron and mountain laurel. The park actually straddles the Cape Fear. With land preserved on both sides of the river, the pristine view from atop the bluffs on the south is preserved as well.
From the park's brochure, we learn that the namesake rock formation reaches 150 feet in height and extends along the river for more than a mile. An unwary explorer along the top of the overhanging bluff could be in for a rude surprise, so it's important to heed the posted advice to stay on the trail paralleling the crest.
In the days when the Cape Fear was used for transportation, the rock was a prominent landmark. The coming of the railroads took traffic off the river, but the area - also the site of a ferry crossing on the wagon road between Raleigh and Fayetteville - continued to draw visitors. Eventually, after noting the proximity to the fast-growing Triangle and the threat of a proposed mining operation, the legislature in 1969 added Raven Rock to the state's park portfolio.
Now it's perfectly situated as a retreat from the hustle and bustle to the north, far enough away to retain a touch of the remote yet close enough for a fulfilling day trip.
A favorite feature is the ingeniously engineered wooden stairway descending the bluff. At riverbank level, you can patrol along the base of the rock cliff where Indians and settlers once sought shelter. Kids enjoy taking the stairs at a fast clip, going down. Coming back up, parents may need to lend some encouragement while everyone stops to take a breather.
Our routine for a Raven Rock outing takes us toward home on a loop through the Lee County town of Broadway, then across the Cape Fear where the historic Avent Ferry once ran. A cut-off from N.C. 42 leads over to Old U.S. 1 and soon we're back where we started, each of us with another selection of favorite mind's-eye images to draw upon.
How lucky that in a region with more than a million folks, we can so readily find places to savor the outdoors, to exercise the body and refresh the spirit - state parks, county parks, greenways and the lands around our reservoirs. Since New Year's is all about renewal, there's no better time to hit the trail. Does a nice surprise await around the bend? Let's find out!
