Sadie and I just got home from a hike at Durant Nature Preserve in North Raleigh, and we are so excited to tell you about our adventure! This City of Raleigh park is a dog-friendly hidden gem!
Sadie and I needed a little solo time today (being the middle furry child is “ruff” sometimes!). We couldn’t have picked a better spot for exercise, exploration, and bonding.
We arrived at 7 am when the park opened. There are two entrances to the park – we used the North entrance off of Camp Durant Road.
Sadie is an experienced hiker with great recall so I used a long-line leash for our adventure. A long-line leash was a great choice – the terrain is fairly flat so I could typically see ahead to see if another person or dog was coming. Also, the creeks were fun for her to explore with a little more freedom. I recommend waterproof hiking boots or shoes, especially if you use a traditional leash. Even though Sadie had 20 feet to move independently, I often needed to step on a rock or undo her long line from a branch in the water.
We combined two smaller trails, The Secret Garden and The Border Trail, creating an approximately 3-mile hike. You can see our route here.
The trails were shady and well-groomed. The terrain is fairly flat with just a couple of small hills. One of the things I loved is that the trails are fairly wide. In places where they are narrow, I found space to step to the side if I wanted to let someone pass by. I think Charlie, who often gets a little uncomfortable when he gets too close to dogs he doesn’t know, would be ok here during non-peak hours. We passed a couple of friendly hikers and leashed dogs and saw quite a few deer.
The best part of our hike was the creek. On the route we followed, we had creek access at the beginning, middle, and end of our hike. Sadie doesn’t love swimming but she loves to explore and play in creeks. Here’s a quick clip of her wrestling match with a branch in the water! One piece of advice – wait for the trails or natural descents into the creek. Early on in the hike, Sadie wanted to jump off tall banks into the creek. We quickly figured out that if we were patient, a safer and easier access point would emerge!
My kids are past the days of playgrounds but this would make a great outing for a family. Hikes could be short (you can get creek access without walking miles) and there is also a playground and plenty of space to picnic, fish, etc. Durant Nature Preserve seems perfect for a young family to have fun with Fido.
I can’t wait to share this spot with Rorie and Charlie, and I hope you will check it out soon. I would love to see your hiking photos when you visit! Also, what other hiking spots would you like us to explore on our blog? Share your photos and suggestions in the comments below!
Keep exploring!
