New Hours!

Lake Crabtree County Park will be closing at 6:30 pm beginning on Monday, February 10th. On Monday, March 3rd, we will be closing at 7:00 pm. Please have all boats off of the water 30 minutes before closure.

Go for a ride!



Lake Crabtree mountain biking trails just got a lot more accessible! With the help of NC Adapted Sports (NCAS), the mountain bike trails have been upgraded to accommodate recumbent bikes and hand-cycles.

Over the course of the last couple of years, most of the biking trails and bridges have been widened for these specialized bikes. To help guide these riders on the correct path, NCAS helped staff design new trail blazes to mark the widened trails (aMTB accessible) and indicate the difficulty level of each trail.

These changes help riders make more informed decisions during their visit. We are looking forward to seeing more diverse mountain bikers on our trails and continuing our partnership with NCAS!

Crabtree Nature Crafts



Next time you bring the kids out to the park to enjoy the playgrounds and trails, be sure to stop by the Manager's Office for a free craft! Look for signs posted at the restrooms and playgrounds indicating that the craft is available that day (generally Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon). 

This months theme is a bald eagle puppet craft!

Bathroom Closures

The rear boat launch restrooms remain closed for the season as part of winterization measures. However, the restrooms near the boat rental facility and by the White Oak and Dogwood shelters remain open year-round.

UPCOMING PARK PROGRAMS 

Come out to Lake Crabtree and discover more about the natural world while exploring the park. Click the links (program titles) for more details and to register. Spaces are limited, so register today! Full programs are not always listed in the newsletter, but we encourage you to join the waitlist. For the full listing of all programs visit our website. All public programs are FREE!

Lake Crabtree also offers group programs! If your group is interested in booking a program, fill out the group program request form HERE.

Birding with Vernon

Saturday, February 1st from 8:30-10 a.m.

Join our bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats. Bring your own binoculars and field guides if you have them. Beginners and experienced birdwatchers are welcome! Ages 8 and up.

Storytime for Tots: A Little Bit of Winter

Wednesday, February 5th from 10-11 a.m.

While all the creatures who stay awake in winter have the pleasure of watching the world change around them, animals that hibernate sleep right through these changes. In this month's story, a woodland rabbit seeks to save some winter for his hedgehog friend. Join us as we read A Little Bit of Winter by Paul Stewart, find the signs of this season, and consider how to describe our amazing world.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Storytime for Tots occurs on the first Wednesday of each month and includes a story followed by nature exploration and a craft or activity. Ages 18 months to 6 years old.

Nature Nerds: Winter Wetlands

Friday, February 7th from 1-2 p.m.

Expand your knowledge of our local flora and fauna by exploring a different area of the park each month. Join park staff as they "nerd out" over a different group of animals, plants, fungi or other living things each month. Help collect data for our Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist while increasing your own identification skills.

This month we will embark on a walk around the park checking out 3 different aquatic habitats and discuss their role in the winter time. Ages 6 and up.

Homeschool/Track-out: Winter Birding Basics

Wednesday, February 12th from 1-3 p.m.

Join us for an fun environmental education program where we will go over some birding basics, learn some common local birds, practice using binoculars, and go on a walk around the park. Make sure to dress for the weather! Ages 6-13.

Families in Natures: Stories Celebrating Diversity

Thursday, February 20th from 4-5 p.m.

Join us for a captivating nature storytime celebrating diversity in the great outdoors! Our storytime features a book that highlights the beauty of nature and the richness of different cultures and backgrounds. Our story time will support an appreciation for nature and embrace the beauty of our diverse world. Through engaging stories and interactive activities, we'll discover how nature connects us all and learn about the importance of unity and respect for one another. Come explore many wonders and celebrate the joy of storytelling with us in this special nature-inspired gathering for all ages!

February's Theme: Night Time Nature

Step into the mysterious and exciting world of nocturnal animals with our Nighttime Adventures story time! Perfect for little explorers curious about the creatures that come alive at night, this event will introduce kids to bats, owls, foxes, and other animals who love the dark. Join us for a fun-filled evening of stories, and crafts that celebrate the wonders of the night time world! Ages 2 and up.

Birding with Vernon

Saturday, March 1st from 8:30-10 a.m.

Join our bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats. Bring your own binoculars and field guides if you have them. Beginners and experienced birdwatchers are welcome! Ages 8 and up.

WILD SIDE: The Wonders of Winter Wetlands

While winter may seem like a quiet time in nature, it marks the beginning of an important season for some of North Carolina’s most secretive creatures—salamanders. Many species, including the Spotted Salamander and the Marbled Salamander, rely on the temporary wetlands known as vernal pools to reproduce. Unlike permanent ponds, vernal pools form from winter rains and lack fish, making them safe breeding grounds for amphibians. As temperatures cool and moisture increases, salamanders emerge from their underground hideaways and make their way to these seasonal wetlands, continuing a life cycle that has remained unchanged for millennia.

The salamanders that use vernal pools have fascinating adaptations to survive winter. Marbled Salamanders, for example, lay their eggs in the fall in areas they expect to flood later, where they remain dormant until the winter rains fill the pools, triggering hatching. Spotted Salamanders, on the other hand, migrate to the pools in late winter, often on rainy nights, to lay their eggs in gelatinous clusters attached to submerged vegetation. Their larvae will spend the next few months developing in the water before transforming into land-dwelling juveniles and heading into the forest by spring. These salamanders play a crucial role in the ecosystem, serving as both predators of small invertebrates and prey for larger animals like owls and raccoons.

Visitors to our park may be lucky enough to spot salamander eggs or even adult salamanders in some of these vernal pools or streams especially along the Old Beech Nature Trail or up near the homesite. To help protect these fragile habitats, it’s important to stay on designated trails and avoid disturbing pool edges. As winter rains continue, these temporary wetlands will soon be teeming with life, reminding us that even in the colder months, nature is always at work. Keep an eye out for salamanders on your next hike, and experience one of the most fascinating seasonal events happening right beneath our feet!