NC's Lumber River State Park grows by 3,005 acres. Here's what to know
North Carolina has purchased 3,005 acres along the Lumber River in Robeson County, making Lumber River State Park the second-largest in the state system. The park now spans 16,594 acres, trailing only South Mountains State Park in Burke County. FULL STORY: With purchase of 3,005 acres, this state park is now NC’s second largest Here are key takeaways: The state paid just over $3.8 million for the land near Fair Bluff, with $3.6 million coming from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and the rest from the state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit, bought and held the property before selling it to the state. Guenevere Abernathy, the group’s North Carolina director, said negotiations with Ivy Lodge Timber took about three years. Roughly 1,000 acres are upland, while much of the rest is cypress and hardwood swamp forest that supports wildlife including American alligators, Abernathy said. The new tract is bordered by the South Carolina state line, N.C. 904 and about four miles of the Lumber River. State spokeswoman Kris Anne Bonifacio said staff have begun marking boundaries, and officials hope to eventually add river-access campsites, though no timeline has been set. Lumber River
