We love the Sandhills of North Carolina. It is an area of the state that is like no other. This is the area of sandy soil and soft hills. The Sandhills are full of tall, proud Carolina Pines and wispy wiregrass. The Sandhills region of North Carolina is south of Raleigh and West of Wilmington. Fayetteville is the largest city there (we know that Fayetteville has kind of a reputation) so think of the counties that surround it. It is the home of Ft. Bragg, championship level golf courses, tons of outdoor activities, beautiful little towns, and rare wildlife. It is totally unique and always enjoyable to visit. We wanted to give you 7 Sandhills must dos for your next trip down there.
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve
Weymouth Woods was one of the first State Parks that we went to so it has to be first on our Sandhills must dos. The first time we went we were kind of underwhelmed. We didn’t think there was much to it. However, every time we return there we have more and more fun. This is one of those parks that grows on you and you learn to appreciate the more time you spend there. This park has some really great hiking trails for beginners and a ton of wildlife. We would definitely recommend checking this place out in the fall because the ground cover turns some phenomenal shades of orange, yellow, and red. It is stunning to look at. Weymouth Woods is located right in the middle of Southern Pines, which is next on our list.
Town of Southern Pines
When you go to Southern Pines it is as if you are stepping back in time. The downtown area is really great with plenty of places to eat, shop, and relax. We love walking around and doing some window shopping after getting a cup of coffee from Swank. The stores here can get pretty pricey, but you can find some deals from time to time.
They have an awesome train station right in the middle of downtown with a really cool platform. And the renovated movie theater is super cool. For lunch, Nosh is a good place to grab a bite to eat. It is a nice little deli with plenty of options. They also serve breakfast all day and specialize in waffles. Silas is a fan. Southern Pines really is a great place to spend an afternoon.
Aloha Safari Zoo
The Aloha Safari Zoo had to be one of our Sandhills must dos! It is truly a jewel in North Carolina. Their mission is to create a loving home for unwanted, mistreated, and injured animals. Aloha Safari is located in Cameron, North Carolina and is truly unique. This 60-acre facility has been open to the public since 2010 and has done an awesome job of educating people and helping animals. There are over 450 animals on the property, including many you wouldn’t expect to see in North Carolina. They have gone out of their way to provide for these animals in building their habitats, it truly is a labor of love.
There is a fee to enter the zoo, but it is very much worth it. It is $12 per person to enter and kids under 2 are free. You can also buy bags of feed for $3 and special food for “Stretch” the giraffe for $1 (you have to do this, it is quite the experience). We took Silas and some of his friends here for his birthday and it was a huge hit!
Everywhere you look there are crazy animals. Some of them you can get really close to. The owner put a monkey on Justin while we were walking around, so that was pretty cool. They have tigers, wolves, tons of crazy reptiles, a grizzly bear, bison, peacocks galore, snakes, iguanas, porcupines, and so much more.
As mentioned above, get the feed so you have something to give to the animals, especially the giraffe. We would also recommend asking when the tigers are fed because you want to see that. Let’s just say it has to do with whole chickens (non-living) being tossed into the cage. They also have a really great tractor ride that takes you through a makeshift savannah. You will have a blast throwing tortillas. Sounds weird, but you will see. Aloha Safari Zoo is amazing – go to it if you have the chance.
Pinehurst Resort Clubhouse
Ok, so the Sandhills are definitely known for the crazy amount of golf courses in the area. You can’t drive too far without finding one. These are some of the best golf courses in the state and some are known worldwide. The most famous of them all is Pinehurst No. 2. This course has hosted some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world and is simply stunning. Of course, to play this track you need to have $305 in the winter and $485 in the spring and fall (not counting the $130 caddie fee). However, the Pinehurst Resort has 8 more courses all of which are awesome (and way cheaper) plus a little par-3 course. Justin has played every course on the property (except No. 2) and loves the place.
Even if you don’t golf, you should still try and visit the clubhouse. This is an iconic building in golf and a great place to buy a gift for anyone in your family who loves to play. There is a ton of great memorabilia in there and a couple of good places to eat. It really is a beautiful place. If you make it there, make sure you check out the Payne Stewart statue around back or sit on one of the many rocking chairs while watching people tee off.
Carvers Creek State Park
Carvers Creek State Park is located in Spring Lake just outside of Fayetteville. This park has two different access areas. The Long Valley Farm Access is the main area. This area has the visitor center where you can get your passport stamp and maps.
This is also where you can find the Rockefeller vacation home, gristmill, and other historic buildings. There is about three miles of trails here that are flat and easy. It is a great way to see the natural beauty of the area. Last time we were there we saw the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. It is beautiful. You don’t want to miss this park.
Dunrovin Country Store
So, last time we went to Weymouth Woods we saw a billboard for the Dunrovin Country Store. It really stood out so we did a quick Google search. What we saw online fascinated us. It seemed like an awesome place to visit and every review we read was fabulous. We weren’t able to visit that trip but we stopped by the next time we were in the area. Boy was it worth the wait.
Dunrovin is located in Vass right on Highway 1. This place is an eclectic general store, roadside attraction, rescue aviary, and fudge factory all rolled into one. The general store is full of unique items, locally made crafts and foods, Amish wares, weird sodas, any sweet you could think of, and just plain weird (in a good way) stuff. They have homemade fudge and ice cream too. One of the best things about the place is the decor. You could spend all day just looking at everything hanging from the rafters or checking out the yard art around the building. It is nuts.
The highlight though is the rescue aviary around back. This was one of the reasons we wanted to go there, to check out the exotic birds. We thought there might be a couple of birds there, but there were probably close to 50. They were everywhere. These birds would talk to you, screech at you, play peek-a-boo with you, and have you crying with laughter. They have macaws, parrots, peacocks, toucans, and so many other types. It is something to see and totally free! You have to make a stop at Dunrovin Country Store if you are in the area.
Village of Pinehurst
Pinehurst is such a sweet little village and it is perfect for an afternoon stroll. The village is picturesque and so much fun to explore. There are some great little shops and alleys to duck into and there always seems to be something going on. There are plenty of options for food in the area with a wide range of menus and pricing. We love the Villager Deli. It is really great food and the prices aren’t too high. It gets cramped in there, but they have some great seating outside. Right next door is the Roast Office coffee shop. They do have lunch food options there too, but the coffee and pastries are the thing to get there.
Have you been to any of these Sandhills must dos? Which one of these Sandhills must dos do you want to check out? What are some other Sandhills must dos we should visit in the Sandhills? We will be back soon and are always looking for new things to do to Go The Adventure Way!
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