Harris Lake County Park offers programs covering nature, history and recreational topics. Public programs are open for registration to the general public.
Registration for Public Programs & Reminders
Public Program Registration & Reminders
To register for one of our public programs, click the button below the program description to be taken to the registration page on our online registration website.
Having trouble registering for a program online? Contact the park office at 919-387-4342 or email us at harris.lake@wake.gov for assistance.
Important Program Reminders:
- For Family Programs, every participant must be registered online in advance.
- "Walk ups" (those not registered online but show up) may not be able to participate in the program. Register early!
- Pets, except service animals, are not permitted at programs.
- If a program has a minimum age, children who do not meet the minimum will not be allowed to participate. Children who do meet the age requirement must have a parent or guardian with them in the program. Age limits are established for safety and program content.
Self-Guided Activities
Geocaching
The hunt is on during this high-tech "treasure" hunting game, where park visitors come equipped with GPS devices in search of hidden geocaches! The geocaches located in Harris Lake County Park are hidden containers that have been approved by park staff and placed on park property for your exploration and enjoyment. Geocaches can be of varied sizes and hidden in easy to difficult-to-find places. Use GPS devices to help find these hidden containers and then record your find on the paper log provided in the geocache. Some geocaches have little items, such as toys and stickers, that you can collect and replenish as you play, so the activity can be a real "treasure hunt." This activity can be self-guided by getting coordinates from Geocaching.com and bringing your own GPS unit, or you can participate in one of our scheduled “Geocaching 101” public programs.
To learn more about geocaching, watch this short introductory video created by former Park Manager Christina Hester.
NEW in 2025!
There is a new addition to the Harris Lake County Park geocaches! Our newest cache is part of the Cache Odyssey, a nationwide geocaching journey which brings a unique, highly creative letterbox geocache to every state. These caches are specifically designed with everyone in mind and are fully accessible for those with mobility concerns. We are so honored to be the site of the North Carolina location for this cache as part of the East Central Region Geo Tour! If you're interested in finding this new cache, type "Cache Odyssey - North Carolina" in the geocaching.com search engine!
Placing a Geocache
Geocaching on Wake County Park property is handled on a park-by-park basis. Please visit a specific park's website or contact them directly to learn about their geocaching policies.
Geocaching is an accepted recreational activity at Harris Lake County Park. The park maintains a maximum number of caches on park property. Those wishing to establish a new cache must receive approval from Harris Lake County Park prior to placing a cache. Please contact us at harris.lake@wake.gov or 919-387-4342 for more information.
Orienteering
If you love the outdoors, exploring and map reading, then orienteering is for you! Orienteering is the sport of navigating through an unfamiliar area using a map and perhaps a compass. The object is to make your way through a series of points identified on a map and return to the finish line in the shortest amount of time possible. The route of your journey is up to you.
Orienteering is sometimes called, “the art of map and compass reading.” This fun outdoor recreational activity dates back more than 100 years and uses “low-tech” tools to navigate the landscape. Often set as a timed challenge, orienteering is a fun way to exercise and build wilderness survival skills. Finding the points and markers is a sort of “treasure hunt” for participants of all ages.
Harris Lake County Park’s Orienteering course includes a short course (5 waypoints) and a long course (16 waypoints) that navigate you to different parts of the park, including wooded, field and play areas. They are accessible at all times of the year that the park is open. You can use our Harris Lake County Park Orienteering Course brochure as a guide for getting started, as well as our printable course sheets to fill in the points as you find them. Each point has a rubbing – try to collect them all!
Mobile Tours
Take a mobile tour and see the park through a new lens!
Harris Lake County Park has three interactive cell phone tours that you can access from home or while you're at the park. You can access each tour from its hyperlinked title below.
Local Tree Loop
This tour was created to introduce some of the special trees we have in North Carolina and help you identify them in the future. This tour follows the paved trail around the Educational Garden and begins at the Cypress parking lot side of the garden.
Educational Garden Tour
Along this tour, you will learn about some of the history of the park, some of the plants in the garden, and great ways to help wildlife in your backyard.
Cypress Tree Trail
Test your knowledge and learn more about some of our common trees.
Red Fox Run Interpretive Trail
Discover more about the plants and animals found at the park.
Womble Interpretive History Trail
Explore life on a farm as you learn about one of the families that lived on the property before it became a park.
Mobile tours have also been developed for other park sites and you can view them all here.
For more activities you can enjoy from the comfort of your home, visit Harris Lake From Home and find all of our Wake County Parks From Home pages at Wake Parks From Home.
Go for a StoryWalk®
Take a self-guided StoryWalk® at Harris Lake County Park! A StoryWalk® is a children’s book that is presented page by page along a trail or path. It combines the pleasures of reading a children's book while enjoying nature. Every other month, the paved trails in our Day Use (shelter) area or the paths in and around our Educational Garden and Natural Play Area will feature a different illustrated children's book. Interactive activities are included at the bottom of each set of storybook pages to further engage your child as you make your way through the book. StoryWalk® will be available during current park hours.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
Don't miss the December StoryWalk® at the American Tobacco Trail: Winter Dance, written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Richard Jones. It is available from Dec. 6-31 and starts at the White Oak trailhead (1305 White Oak Church Rd., Apex).
Adventure Backpacks
Parents and teachers, would you like to enhance your visit to the park? Our four new Adventure Backpacks contain self-guided educational activities complete with instructions, equipment, guides and take-home activities for further enrichment.
Choose from the following offerings:
- Birds of Wonder Explore the wonderful world of birds! Go birdwatching with binoculars, learn how to keep birds safe, practice your worm-hunting skills and more!
- Bug Out! Be an insect investigator! Go on a big hunt to safely catch insects, discover how to create insect habitat in your own backyard, play a game to move like different insects (Can you fly like a dragonfly? Scurry like a roach?), and make a fun craft and insect-themed snack with take-home activities!
- Exploration Learn how to be a nature detective as you explore the park! Participate in a special challenge to decipher clues as you visit different areas of the park, make your own scat and more!
- Journey to the Past Embark on a journey to the homesite of a family who lived on this land before it became a park. Play games of this bygone era, go on a scavenger hunt, try your hand at our "history mystery," and use props to play make-believe at the Womble family wash house!
Adventure Backpacks are located in a bin at the Park Office building (first right after you enter). Stop by anytime during park hours to sign one out and begin your adventure!
Virtual Public Programs
Wild Wednesday Program Series
Join us for our Virtual Wild Wednesday Program Series! Virtual public programs will be interactive, including games, stories, activities and/or live specimens with suggestions for further enrichment and an invitation to explore the outdoors. Zoom meeting links and other pertinent information provided upon registration.
*Please note that this series is on hiatus while we evaluate the demand for virtual public programs.
Other Program Opportunities
Family Programs
Designed for families to enjoy together, these programs are geared toward all ages, unless a minimum age is specified. For Family Programs, all participants must be registered online in advance.
Each family member attending must be registered in advance through our online system.
Nature Discovery Hike
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2–3 p.m.
In winter, the forest seems to quiet down, but signs of wildlife still abound! Hone your observation skills during this leisurely guided hike along the trails as we search for animal tracks, nests and burrows, beaver chews and more. For all ages. Meet at the Loblolly Shelter. All participants (children and adults) must be registered.
Astronomy Evening at Harris Lake County Park
Saturday, Jan. 24, 5–8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of fun astronomy activities, including stories around a campfire, followed by night sky viewing through telescopes and binoculars. Winter's cool temperatures allow for some of the best stargazing conditions of the year. We expect to see Saturn, the moon and the Orion Nebula! Bring your own viewing instrument if you have one, a chair or blanket, and bundle up for cold weather. You may choose to bring a picnic supper to enjoy while sitting on the field before the sun goes down (optional). For all ages. All participants (children and adults) must be registered online. Meet at the Parking Field (first gravel lot on your left after you enter the park). All participants (children and adults) must be registered.
Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 13-16, 2026
Introduction to Birdwatching and the GBBC
Friday, Feb. 13, 1:30–3:30 p.m.
Discover tips and techniques to identify birds as we introduce you to the rewarding hobby of birdwatching through fun activities. Learn how to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) and hike along the shoreline to practice your new skills as we count the birds. Bring your own binoculars if you have them, but we will have pairs available to borrow. For all ages. All participants (adults and children) must be registered. Meet at the Longleaf Shelter.
Winter Waterfowl Watch
Sunday, Feb. 15, 9–11 a.m.
Be on the lookout for our winter and year-round resident waterbirds as we explore the Harris Lake shoreline. See what you can spot when scanning the water and learn how to identify ducks, grebes, gulls, and more with our guest educator and birder extraordinaire, Zane Fish. Bring your own binoculars and/or spotting scope if you have them, but binoculars will be available to borrow and a spotting scope is available to share. For ages 14 and up. Spaces are very limited. Meet at the restroom building.
Kids Discover Nature
This monthly series for children ages 2–5 with accompanying adult introduces them to the natural world through stories, hikes, crafts and games.
The adult does not register for these programs.
Kids Discover Nature: Beaver at Long Pond
Thursday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m.–noon
You won’t believe how busy beavers can be...even in the middle of the winter! Join us to learn more about beavers and their many fascinating adaptations. Together, we will read Beaver at Long Pond by William T. George and Lindsay Barrett George and explore the park in search of North Carolina's largest rodents.
Kids Discover Nature: Possum and the Peeper
Thursday, Mar. 5, 11 a.m.–noon
Spring Peepers may be small, but they pack a big punch - with their voice that is! Hearing these tiny little frogs is a sure sign that spring is right around the corner. We will discover the magic of the spring peeper's song as we read Possum and the Peeper by Anne Hunter. Then, we'll play some hoppin' good games and make a fabulous frog craft.
Kids Drop-Off Programs
These programs allow older children to explore nature on a higher level and are designed for them to attend on their own, without parent participation.
Nature Lab: Winter Wildlife Wonders
Monday, Jan. 26, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Even though it’s winter and you may not see a lot of active animals, wildlife is still around! Come join us at this drop-off program as we learn about some special Piedmont critters and their winter adaptations. We’ll also investigate different signs of wildlife on a hike and with interactive activities. This is a WCPSS teacher workday. For ages 6–11. Meet at the Cypress Shelter.
Nature Lab: Outdoor Survival Skills
Monday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Would you know what to do if you were stranded or lost in the woods? In this drop-off program, your child will learn introductory survival skills, including essential items to carry on a hike, how to construct a debris shelter, fire building techniques, and whittling! Whittle your own souvenir to take home. This is a WCPSS teacher workday. Space is limited! For ages 7-11. Bring a snack and lunch, a full water bottle, and wear closed-toe shoes. Meet at the Cypress Shelter.
Harris Lake ecoEXPLORERS
Interested in becoming a citizen scientist and improving your nature identification skills with park staff? We’ve got the opportunity for you! Harris Lake County Park is an ecoEXPLORE HotSpot, which means it’s a place where you can make observations of plants and animals and share them with scientists! We'll be offering a quarterly opportunity to explore the park with our staff in search of a certain taxon, or group, of animals or plants. We will add our findings to the park's Natural Resources Inventory Database, which records our wildlife diversity, so we need you, citizen scientists!
Harris Lake ecoEXPLORERS
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2–3:30 p.m.
Our focus for this month’s program will be on mammals! Come learn about the mammal species we have at the park and help us search for them and the evidence they leave behind. Please create a profile at https://www.ecoexplore.net/signup prior to the program. Meet at the Loblolly Shelter and bring your device for taking photos and capturing data. For ages 7 and up—must be registered with an adult. Space is limited!
Harris Lake ecoEXPLORERS
Saturday, Feb. 14, 1:30–3 p.m.
Our focus for this month’s program will be on birds! Learn about the common birds seen and heard at the park and help us search for our feathered friends! If you are new to ecoEXPLORE, please create a profile at https://www.ecoexplore.net/signup prior to the program. Meet at the Cypress Shelter and bring your device for taking photos and capturing data. For ages 7 and up—must be registered with an adult. Space is limited!
Adult & Educator Workshops
Harris Lake County Park periodically offers programs and workshops for adults and older children/teens, many of which are eligible for NC Environmental Education Certification or CEU credits.
*Check back for more information!
Become a Junior Park Explorer!
Do you like to explore parks and preserves? Do you like winning prizes? Our Junior Park Explorers program is for you! Learn more here.