Cedarock Park blends Alamance County history, trails and farm life
Cedarock folds a 500-acre park, a preserved Garrett farm and 36 holes of disc golf into one Alamance County day trip, with trails, fishing, camping and tours.
The 500-acre Cedarock Park in southern Alamance County opened in 1975 on the historic farm of John and Polly Garrett and now draws more than 180,000 visitors a year. It gives Alamance County residents one place to hike, fish, picnic and step into 19th-century farm life without leaving the county.
Make one visit do a lot
A Cedarock day works best when you treat the park like several outings in one. Start with the trails, move to lunch at a shelter or gazebo, then decide whether the afternoon belongs to the historical farm, disc golf, fishing or a shorter family stop at the playground and open fields. The park is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, and the park office and visitor center are at 4242 R. Dean Coleman Road in Burlington.
If you want the quickest route to the park’s signature scenery, head toward the Curtis Mill Trail. It is Cedarock’s only paved trail, a half-mile route marked with purple blazes that begins near the Wellspring Disc Golf Course and the playground and takes you to the waterfall over the old mill dam. For a longer walk, the Rock Creek Trail, Spoon Branch Trail and connector routes give you more of the park’s wooded backbone, and the county marks the trails with colored blazes every tenth of a mile.
For a family visit, Cedarock does not force you to choose between active and low-key. The park also has two disc golf courses totaling 36 holes, a footgolf course, picnic shelters, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a playground, canoe and kayak rentals, camping and open field space.
The historical farm is the park's core
Cedarock Historical Farm preserves a late-19th-century farm setting that includes the original cabin, two-story house, smokehouse, corn crib, carriage shed, barn, outhouse and post office.
The Garrett family story gives the site its strongest historical footing. Polly Albright Garrett, who lived from 1815 to 1884, married John F. Garrett, who lived from 1811 to 1882, and the couple settled on the land that is now Cedarock Park. They built a small log house in 1830 and a two-story house in 1835, and the log house later served as a kitchen for about 30 years.
The 1850 Census and Agricultural Schedules make the farm picture even clearer. John Garrett’s operation was recorded at 85 improved acres and 30 unimproved acres, with a farm value of $1,150. The same records show 5 enslaved people, 4 horses, 9 cows, 5 sheep and 20 swine, along with seasonal crops that included 85 bushels of wheat, 800 bushels of corn, 150 bushels of oats and 20 bushels of potatoes.
Guided tours of the historical farm are available by appointment Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Group tours cost $20 for Alamance County residents and $40 for non-resident groups.
Trails, bridges and the old mill dam
Cedarock’s trail network is compact enough for a short outing and varied enough for repeat visits. The county lists about 4 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of equestrian trails, and the horse routes include creek crossings and wooden bridges. If you are planning a horse ride, that dedicated network is one of the park’s defining features and connects directly with the Cedarock Park Equestrian Center.
The trail system changed in October 2022, when Rock Creek and Spoon Branch were rerouted to create a new hiking experience while still leading visitors to the old mill dam. The Curtis Mill Trail remains the easiest way to reach the dam on foot, especially for visitors who want a paved route or are starting near the playground.
Colored blazes every tenth of a mile keep the system legible without a paper map in hand.
Fishing, camping and horses fill out the day
Cedarock’s pond and Rock Creek fishing give the park a second life beyond hiking. The county stocks those waters with catfish and bream year-round and trout in the winter, and anglers need both a valid North Carolina fishing license and a Cedarock Park Fishing Pass.
Camping is limited but useful. Cedarock Park offers 6 campsites at the main park, and each one includes a 12-foot by 12-foot tent pad, picnic table and fire ring. The sites are shaded by hardwoods and sit within a short walk of the park office and bathrooms, campsite 5 is a double or group site, and reservations must be made 2 days in advance.
The Cedarock Park Equestrian Center, which opened in April 2018, adds trailer parking, campsites, running water and a riding ring to the horse side of the park. It also provides direct access to the 6-mile dedicated equestrian trail.
A park built for events as well as everyday use
Alamance County created the Regulator at Rock Creek disc golf course there in preparation for the 2023 PDGA U.S. Women’s Disc Golf Championships. Cedarock later hosted the ALCOVETS Balloon Festival, Farm-to-Table, Family Campouts, Over There & On The Homefront, NC Envirothon, cross-country competitions, trail races and numerous local disc golf tournaments.
NC Envirothon attendance reached about 900 to 1,000 kids, park board minutes show. Tropical Storm Chantal caused the worst flooding and damage at Cedarock Park in 30 years, leaving four bridges in need of repair or replacement, park board minutes show. The county’s annual report scheduled accessibility improvements to begin in the following year.
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