UPCOMING CLOSING TIME CHANGES

Please note the following changes to park operating hours:

Beginning on Monday, Oct. 19:

Harris Lake County Park will close at 7 p.m. 

The Wake County section of the ATT will close at 6:30 p.m.

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Beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1 (end of Daylight Saving Time):

Harris Lake County Park will close at 6 p.m.

The Wake County section of the ATT will close at 5:30 p.m.

ATT CLOSURE DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE REPAIR

Work continues to repair a portion of the Wake County section that was damaged by a landslide during Hurricane Helene in 2024.

We expect the closure to last until the end of October.

The closure extends from the Wimberly Road parking area to the entrance of the White Oak Creek Greenway. During this time, the affected portion of the trail is completely inaccessible.

For more information, including a detailed map of the construction area, please visit the construction page on our website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Harris Lake County Park

Dynamic Dogs

Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Oct. 17, 24, 31 and Nov. 7, 14

Dynamic Dogs will be using the Parking Field for their training classes on these dates.

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American Tobacco Trail

ATT 10-Miler and 4-Miler

Saturday, Oct. 10

Peak Charter Academy Cross Country Meet

Thursday, Oct. 15

Apex Half Marathon

Saturday, Oct. 24

RDC Marathon

Sunday, Oct. 25

HBOT4Heroes

Saturday, Oct. 31

The ATT 10-Miler, cross country meet, and HBOT4Heroes will be based out of the White Oak parking area (1305 White Oak Church Rd.).

Please plan your visit accordingly as parking will be limited.

 OCTOBER PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Programs are free of charge but

require pre-registration through our

online system.



Programs at Harris Lake County Park

Kids Discover Nature: Pumpkin Circle

Thursday, Oct. 8; 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. *Note the later time for cooler months!

For ages 2-5 with accompanying adult

Register Here

"We can be sure of this: It's a circle without end. It's pumpkin seeds to pumpkins and to pumpkin seeds again!" Get ready for fall by learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin through George Levenson's Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden, then plant wildflower seeds to take home and watch them grow.

Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

Smith and Holleman History Hike

Sunday, Oct. 11; 1:30 - 3 p.m.

For ages 10 and up

Register Here

Did you know families actually lived on the land we now know as Harris Lake County Park? Join us on a hike as we share about the Smith and Holleman families who lived here and learn more about their history and way of life. We'll investigate some artifacts, share stories, and visit some landmarks in the park that provide a glimpse into the past. Wear closed-toe shoes and feel free to bring a water bottle.

Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

Harris Lake Outdoorsman Series: Fishing 101

Saturday, Oct. 17; 9 - 11 a.m.

For ages 15 and up

Register Here

Join us for the first installment in our new three-part Outdoorsman Series designed specifically for older teens and adults! Fishing can be a fin-tastic way to get outdoors and connect with nature, but it can be hard to dive into as a beginner. What equipment do you bring? What bait do you use? What kinds of fish are you likely to catch? If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Join our knowledgeable park staff for a morning of coaching and casting, as we help you take the first steps on your journey to being an expert angler! Fishing gear and bait will be provided. Space is limited!

All participants must be registered. Participants ages 16 and older must have a valid North Carolina Inland Fishing License: https://www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/fishing/fishing-licenses.

Meet at the Fishing Pond. Bring a water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes. 

Harris Lake ecoEXPLORERS

Sunday, Oct. 25; 1:30 - 3 p.m.

For ages 7 and up

Register Here

*This program is full. Please join the wait list.

Interested in becoming a citizen scientist and improving your nature identification skills with park staff? We’ve got the opportunity for you! Harris Lake County Park is an ecoEXPLORE HotSpot which means it’s a place where you can make observations of plants and animals and share them with scientists! Our focus for today’s program will be on arachnology! Come learn about the spiders and other arachnids we have at the park and search for cool species!

If you are new to ecoEXPLORE, please create a profile at https://www.ecoexplore.net/signup prior to the program. Meet at the Cypress Shelter and bring your device for taking photos and capturing data. For ages 7 and up, must be registered with an adult. Space is limited! 

Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

Theater in the Park

Practice session #1: Thursday, Oct. 29; 1 - 4 p.m.

Practice session #2: Friday, Oct. 30; 1 - 4 p.m.

Performance: Saturday, Oct. 31; 1 - 3:30 p.m.

For ages 7 - 13

Register by clicking on each session above.

*This program is full. Please join the wait list.

Is your child a budding actor who enjoys the outdoors? We've got just the right opportunity for them: our Theater in the Park drop-off program! Over the course of 3 days, we'll practice skits and work together to create performances with a "Creepy Critters" theme. We'll have a final production of our work on the last day for your family to enjoy! No experience necessary - just bring your energy and enthusiasm!

Be sure your child eats lunch before coming to the program! Dress for the weather and send a full water bottle and hearty snack for each day.

Meet at the Cypress Shelter.

FREE LONGLEAF PINE TREES!

If you missed out on our Longleaf Ramble event a couple of weeks ago but still want to take home a Longleaf Pine seedling, you're in luck! We have seedlings to spare, courtesy of Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery and Duke Energy. Visit the Book Nook at our restroom building and snag a seedling

(or two) to plant in your own yard. Help us spread the Longleaf love!

If you would like additional information on Longleaf Pine, including how to pick the right site for planting, visit this website.

NEW CARTOP BOAT LAUNCH NOW OPEN!

Our accessible Cartop Boat Launch is open to the public as of early September! We hope our visitors are enjoying this new area and improved boat launch experience! Please note that there is no parking permitted in the loading/unloading circle or along the Cartop Boat Launch road.

We expect the expanded Disc Golf and Fishing Pond parking area and restroom facilities to be available in the next couple of weeks. This parking lot is still currently closed and all disc golf and fishing pond patrons need to park in the Parking Field (first gravel lot on your left after you enter the park).

Funding for these improvements comes from the voter-approved 2018 Parks, Greenways, Recreation and Open Space bond.

You can read more about the bond projects here.

NATURE NOOK: WONDERFUL WAX MYRTLES!

With the summer heat coming to an end, birds like this Yellow-rumped Warbler (also aptly known as Myrtle Warblers!) can be seen enjoying berries from Wax Myrtle shrubs all around the park. With the ability to grow under challenging conditions like high wind, deer pressure, low nutrient levels, floods, and salty conditions, Wax Myrtles, also known as bayberries or candleberries, are an incredibly resilient shrub!

Wax Myrtles are dioecious, meaning the male and female reproductive parts of the flowers are on different plants. When pollinated, only the plants bearing female flowers produce the Wax Myrtle's characteristic aromatic purplish-grey waxy berries. Female plants begin fruiting in early autumn and the shrubs will retain their berries over winter. These berries are an essential food source for many species of birds including warblers, sparrows, wrens, and tree swallows during the lean winter months. Wax Myrtles also serve as a host for the Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly, and they have nitrogen-fixing roots which work to enrich nearby soil.

Not only are Wax Myrtles important to the forest's natural history, but to its cultural history as well. The leaves, roots, and stems of the plant were used by many indigenous communities, including the Choctaw, Houma, Koasati, Micmac, and Seminole to help alleviate stomachaches, headaches, fevers, inflamed tonsils, and other ailments. The Houma people also boiled the berries to extract wax from their coatings to make candles and soap. You need to boil 15 pounds of berries to extract just 1 pound of wax!  As you enjoy the forest this fall, look out for this beautiful, aromatic shrub, and see what wildlife you might spot hidden beneath the branches! 

Photo credits: Wax Myrtle berries - park staff

Yellow-rumped Warbler eating Wax Myrtle berries - Larry Zoller