Historic Yates Mill County Park offers programs covering history, nature, agricultural and recreational topics. Public programs are open for registration to the general public.
Public Programs
Register for a Public Program
In-Park Public Programs
Park Tales
For all ages (best for ages 6 and under); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in.
Park Tales: Ten Wriggly, Wiggly Caterpillars
Friday, May 23, 10–10:45 a.m.
Join us as we read about bright, bold caterpillars traveling around a meadow, in this fun book that counts down from 10 to 1 and that ends with a colorful surprise. Make a fun craft and explore outside as we look for caterpillars and butterflies! Best for ages 6 & under; FREE. Registration is required for everyone, and adult accompaniment is required for all children. Register here.
Hands-on History
How did people live while Yates Mill was operating as a business from the mid-1700s to the mid-1900s? These drop-in programs explore different aspects of life in the past.
Hands-On History: Map Making
Friday, May 2, 10 a.m.–noon
How did people live while Yates Mill was operating as a business from the mid-1700s to the mid-1900s? Join us for a drop-in, hands-on activity to learn the history of maps in the area and make your own map of the park! This program will meet in the mill yard by Historic Yates Mill. For all ages; registration is not required as this is a drop-in program. FREE.
Field School
Offered quarterly. For all ages (recommended for ages 7 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in.
Check back here for our next offering!
Yates Mill Ponderings
This wintertime program series offers more in-depth looks into topics of scientific and historical interest. Best for adults and older teens; FREE. Registration is required.
Check back here in December 2025!
Hike with a Naturalist
For all ages (recommended for ages 8 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment.
Hike with a Naturalist
Saturday, May 17, 6–7:30 p.m.
Join one of our naturalist staff members on a guided hike around the park to discover the plants and animals that live here! Come prepared to hike at least a mile on natural surfaces by wearing close-toed shoes and bringing a full water bottle. Suggested for ages 8 and up; FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Meet at the park office. Register here.
Yates by Night
Offered monthly, March–November. These evening programs offer visitors a chance to experience the park in the evening. Suggested for ages 8 & up; FREE. Registration required.
Yates by Night: Sunset Hike
Friday, April 25, 7–8 p.m.
Have you ever wanted a closer look at the life that is waking up in the evening? Join park staff on a guided nature hike around Yates Mill as the sun sets to see what we can find. Suggested for ages 8 & up. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment. FREE. Register here.
Yates by Night: Nature Journaling
Saturday, May 10, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Nature journaling is a great way to experience the beauty of the world around us. By slowing down and reflecting on what is around us, we can develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Join us for a guided nature journaling session, where we will learn about the benefits of this practice and learn how to incorporate it into your daily life. Suggested for ages 8 & up. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment. FREE. Register here.
History Hike
For all ages (recommended for ages 7 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in. Offered in December, January and February.
Check back in December 2025!
Recreational Adventures: Paddle the Pond
For all ages (recommended for ages 5 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in. Offered in the spring and fall.
Paddle the Pond
Sunday, April 27, 10–11 a.m. and noon–1 p.m.
Learn basic canoeing skills and a bit about the history of the millpond, then head out for a self-guided exploration of many features of the pond as seen only from the water. Canoes, paddles, and life jackets are provided (no outside boats are permitted). This program is dependent on suitable weather conditions and water levels. For ages 5 and up (with an accompanying adult); FREE. Each canoe can hold 1-4 people (800-pound total weight limit). Registration PER BOAT is required. If you only need 1 boat, please register just 1 member of your group. Please call if you have questions.
Register here for the 10 a.m. session.
Register here for the noon session.
Paddle the Pond
Sunday, May 18, 10–11 a.m. and noon–1 p.m.
Learn basic canoeing skills and a bit about the history of the millpond, then head out for a self-guided exploration of many features of the pond as seen only from the water. Canoes, paddles, and life jackets are provided (no outside boats are permitted). This program is dependent on suitable weather conditions and water levels. For ages 5 and up (with an accompanying adult); FREE. Each canoe can hold 1-4 people (800-pound total weight limit). Registration PER BOAT is required. If you only need 1 boat, please register just 1 member of your group. Please call if you have questions.
Register here for the 10 a.m. session.
Register here for the noon session. (Please note that this session is full, but a waitlist is available.)
Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Center: Open House Tour
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Come get acquainted with some of North Carolina's most imperiled freshwater fishes, mussels, and snails, and see what the Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Center is doing to help conserve these surprising natural treasures. The YMACC is an NC State University laboratory dedicated to the conservation of our state's imperiled freshwater species through propagation, research, education, and public outreach. This is a free open-house style tour of the lab, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; no registration required. This tour is offered as part of the N.C. Science Festival.
Register for a Virtual Program
Virtual Programs: ecoEXPLORE
Registration through North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This online program is geared toward children in grades K–8 and their families, but all are welcome! You will learn about the ecoEXPLORE project during the program. FREE.
ecoEXPLORE: Botany Season Round Up!
Wednesday, April 30, 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Get updated on all the new plant species observed by ecoEXPLORErs and get YOUR observations featured for everyone to see! FREE. Registration is handled through the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
Virtual ecoEXPLORE: Name-That-Frog
Monday, May 26, 6–7 p.m.
How well do you know our local frogs? Join this “hop-quiz” and see if you can identify North Carolina frogs using their calls and/or photos! This virtual program is geared toward children in grades K-8 and their families, but all are welcome! FREE. Registration is handled through the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
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.
Take a Self-guided Mobile Tour
Check out the Historic Yates Mill Mobile Tour and learn about the history of the 200-year-old grist mill, as well as the lives of the people who lived and worked in the area.
Self-guided Activities for the Family!
Self-Guided Activities
For all ages (adult accompaniment is required for all children); FREE. Stop by the visitor center anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up nature journals, activity packs, coloring sheets and more!
Exploration Station
These temporary displays are located inside the A.E. Finley Center in the exhibit hall area. Registration is not required. FREE.
Exploration Station: The State Tree of NC
April 16–30, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
North Carolina is home to a great number of pine trees, and they have been important to the state in many ways. They are so significant that they actually were chosen as the official State Tree of NC in 1963! Join us for this drop-in Exploration Station to learn more about the different types of pine trees we have in this state, and their connections to the history and ecology of the area. This self-guided table will be available from April 16 to April 30 inside the A.E. Finley Center from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. FREE.
Exploration Station: Settling Wake County
May 14–28, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
For thousands of years, the land our park sits on was part of the Tuscarora nation. These Indigenous people lived in different ways than the Europeans who began to settle Wake County in the mid-1700s. Join us for this drop-in Exploration Station to learn more about how European and Indigenous ways of life contrasted, and how European settlement reshaped the county’s environment. This self-guided table will be available from May 14 to 28 inside the A.E. Finley Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. FREE.
Self-Guided StoryWalks®
Join us for this fun, self-guided activity, which will start at the parking lot kiosk near the Visitor Center and end near the mill. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. This wonderful program combines the joy of reading a story while also getting out and enjoying nature.
New to the StoryWalk® concept? Laminated pages from a children's book are attached to signs, which are installed along an outdoor path. As you stroll down the trail, you're directed to the next page in the story. 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.
StoryWalk®: "One Earth," April 3–30
StoryWalk®: "The Busy Tree," May 2–31
Everyone's Welcome
Historic Yates Mill County Park welcomes all visitors and affirms its commitment to offering programs and services that are accessible to everyone. We will make every effort to ensure that visitors of all abilities are fully included in all our programs and facilities. Check back regularly to see what new opportunities become available!
For questions about our accessibility resources or how we may best meet your needs in any of our programs, please contact the park at 919-856-6675 or yatesmill@wake.gov.