Raleigh, NC

[chrisn]

Hi, all.

I'll be spending several days near Raleigh, NC, this weekend, with some time to shoot.

Does anyone have suggestions of places to check out for photography within an hour or so from Raleigh? (The closer the better.)

I'm mostly interested in nature or rustic locations, but am open to pretty much anything.

Thank you for any guidance you may be able to offer.

Chris

[PeterAit]

Hi, all.

I'll be spending several days near Raleigh, NC, this weekend, with some time to shoot.

Does anyone have suggestions of places to check out for photography within an hour or so from Raleigh? (The closer the better.)

I'm mostly interested in nature or rustic locations, but am open to pretty much anything.

Thank you for any guidance you may be able to offer.

Chris

You're not going to find any spectacular scenery around here, but there are some areas that you might find interesting.

1) Jordan Lake is a man-made lake close to Raleigh. Get a detailed local map and drive around it, staying close to the shore and dropping in at boat ramps and other access points.

2) The Haw River - feeds into Jordan Lake on the west side, some nice rapids. There's an access off of Route 15/501, about 5 miles north of Pittsboro. Take 64 west from Raleigh to Pittsborough then N on 15-501 - watch for large bridge.

3) The Eno River runs north of Durham and will be an hour or more from Raleigh. One nice park, West Point on the Eno, offers an old mill and hiking trails. Another park is in Hillsborough (get on I-40 west and get off at the Hillsborough exit) offers another park on the Eno and a "historic" town that can be fun to walk around.  

4) Umstead State Park is on Rt 70 a few miles north of downtown. There's a small lake and some trails.

Good luck!

Peter

[Les Sparks]

Yates Mill Park in Raleigh can provide some opportunities. There is a restored mill, millpond, and nature trail. The website for the park is Yates Mill.
The Eno River State Park has several locations.  Check out the Eno River Website. for locations.
Umstead State Park is another possibility in Raleigh. Check Umstead State Park..
If you have a few hours to drive, you can get to other state parks.
Also consider Duke Gardens in Durham Part of Duke U. Don't know what is in bloom now, but there is always something.

Les Sparks

[Ken Bennett]

The campus of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is beautiful even in very early spring.

[JMCP]

You could also try and get out to Wilmington, think it is more like 1.5 hours from Raleigh but well worth the visit, it has the old town and new town to visit, also a large warship is docked there but the best part for me was the beaches, they were stunning, they would provide some excellent landscape opportunities.




Cheers John