It was a crisp autumn day with leaves fluttering to the ground when we went to the Historic Yates Mill County Park in Wake County, NC. This beautiful millpond and nature park is home to the stately gristmill named the Queen of North Carolina because it is one of the few left in the region. For just $5 an adult you can get a hour-long tour of the grounds and the mill.
There has been a mill on the grounds since 1750 – yes, that is colonial times. The land was purchased by NC State in the 1960s and turning into a public park in 2006.
The best part of the tour was seeing the mill in action. The creaks, groans and grind of the water turning the giant wheel was a magical sound. It’s a sound of times long since past.
This is an amazing spot for photographs for the whole family. We saw numerous families and couples with professional photographers. Wonderful fall backgrounds and so Southern! See all the fabulous photos here and here from our trip!
We were just a weekend early for the last corn grinding day of the season, so if you are looking for a fun autumn adventure head out on November 19 & 20 to see the Queen hard at work. On corn grinding weekends, tours will start every 20 minutes and volunteers will be in historic dress. Can we say fun?!
Distance from Raleigh: 6 miles ’round about 15 minutes – See the map
Tickets: Tours of the Mill are on the weekends at 2:00 during the spring, summer and fall. $5 for adults – even cheaper for kids, seniors and students.
Wander Well Tips:
- Beautiful spot for a picnic – bring a basket and then go on the tour
- Bring your camera – lots of great photo vistas
- They take cash or checks for the tours – no credit cards
