Sycamore Trail

Overview: Sycamore Trail is about 7.6 miles long and located near Raleigh, North Carolina. The trail is great for hiking and normally takes 2-3 hours.

The Sycamore Trail is located in William B. Umstead State Park. The trailhead is located on the northern side (highway 70 entrance) of the park. You can stop in the Visitor Center and pick up a map and then continue on to the parking lot farther down the road to get closer to the trailhead.

This is a very popular park and can be very busy on pretty days. I Try to get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

If you follow the loop counterclockwise and take a right turn when you first descend down to Sycamore Creek you will see the remains of an old dam and may be able to get to Sycamore Lake (if the water isn't too high). It is a very pretty area and very quiet because it is not on any of the 'official' trails. The rocks in this area can be very slippery even when dry. Be very careful.

It is also possible to combine this trail with the Company Mill Trail for a nice 10-12 mile figure 8 loop.

Tips: Note: Last summer I was stung multiple times by yellow jackets on the 'unofficial' part of the trail by the old dam because I stepped on their nest. Be careful.