New Bern Civil War Battlefield Park — Attraction in New Bern

Saw my life Wood Storks here on Feb 20, 2019. I am the first person to have ever photographed a Wood Stork in Craven County! Unspoiled natural habitat with a lot of potential for birding. Wood Ducks breed here as do Mallards. Old growth attracts a lot of woodpeckers. You might hear a Barred Owl calling in the late afternoon, and in the spring you can hear the song of the Wood Thrush. The trails are easy hiking, of course as with any outdoor environment, be mindful of snakes and ticks, but in my many visits I have only seen a snake twice (one copperhead and one harmless corn snake). And in wet conditions be careful on the bridges. Stick to the trails and enjoy the scenery. Beautiful park with a rich history, and right across the street from a Dunkin Donuts....

Lots of informational plaques throughout the trail that give a clear indication of the events that happened there in 1862. Would rate the trail as low to moderately difficult; the trail has a couple of hills to climb. Sadly several of the CSA's defensive positions are on private property There is a single monument in remembrance to the 26th NC that lost 11 men(KIA), 68 captured, and 12 wounded. NC gave as good as they got and were forced to retreat. Despite holding the higher ground, union flanking maneuvers and numbers won the day. Union fielded 11,000 troops CSA mustered 4,000 to...

Take the time to read the history, whoever wrote these did a nice job, it really give you glimpses into interesting aspects of history, such as knowing how diverse New Bern once was with thriving Black owned business even before slavery was over. I learned so much about it here and then we enjoyed such a lovely walk. The trails are well maintained and have great benches. Take the time to do the bigger loop and go to the "tree house" lookout over the creek/swamp. My kids adored that part and seeing all the snakes in the water from the bridge. A safe distance away. This is...