"Raven Rock State Park" Raven Rock State Park by jmpncsu

Raven Rock is a state park near Lillington in Harnett County, about an hour south of Raleigh and less than an hour north of Fayetteville. The park is split by the Cape Fear River into north and south sides. The park is currently 4,667 acres on both sides of the river. Raven Rock sits on the fall zone, where the harder rocks of the Piedmont meet the softer rocks of the coastal plain creating a unique geological and ecological zone. Over millions of years, flowing waters have worn down the land and formed Raven Rock, a crystalline rock that rises more than 150 feet above the Cape Fear River. Originally called Patterson's Rock after the settler who initially found the rock, the name was changed in 1854 to Raven Rock, after the ravens that used to roost on the rock ledges. In the 19th century, the region was important as a river crossing for the route between Raleigh and Fayetteville. However, a hurricane destroyed the locks and dams in the mid 19th century and the area become popular for recreation. In 1969, the General Assembly established the park and additional land has been purchased to increase its size.