I've been driving by this little road just off Falls of Neuse and Raven Ridge Dr, and finally saw a nature preserve sign up the other day. I've stopped in before, but the gates were closed. Today, they were open, so I went inside for a look.
This is Raleigh's first nature preserve park, a section of 157 acres left by the late Dr. Annie Louise Wilkerson to the residents of Raleigh.
This is not meant to be a general recreation area but more of a study/contemplation area where they will hold educational programs and have 2 trails as of now - one through the woods/forest and one out in the open. There's a small play area with tree stumps and walking stones for the kids to play on, a covered picnic area, and lots of open space. They've got a decent amount of parking and even an electric vehicle slot complete with charging station. The park office is very nice and contains all the info you might need.
Here's the official website for it:
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park - The Official City of Raleigh Portal
and here are some photos I took on a trip there with my daughter from this morning on our way back from the pediatrician:
I apologize for the poor quality of my photos. I'm still using a very old smartphone but about to upgrade so my "mobile" photos will get a lot better soon
Street signs at entrance:
Preserve sign:
Electric vehicle parking/charging station
Park fields:
Old building on property across from park office and adjacent to 2nd parking area:
Park map provided by park office:
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