Best day trip, weekend getaways and short vacations a few hours from Fayetteville

As national gas averages reached an all-time high at $5 a gallon according to the AAA, some travelers may find themselves adjusting vacation plans.  

AAA found in a survey earlier this year of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers that more 58% said they would consider changing their plans if gas prices were too high.  

A survey conducted on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that 60% of those surveyed said they wanted to take trips, but 90% are concerned about gas prices and inflation. 

For Cumberland County area residents and families, there are still plenty of options to get away without having to fill the gas tank multiple times.  

Here’s a look at destinations that are one hour, two hours or three hours away and less than 250 miles away depending on budgets.  

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1 hour or less 

• Raven Rock State Park is about 34 miles away from Fayetteville in neighboring Harnett County and features a 150-foot tall natural formation known as Raven Rock that overlooks the Cape Fear River.  

The park includes hiking and biking trails with other attractions like Lanier Falls and Fish Trap Rapids.  

Camping is available by reservation. 

• In neighboring Bladen County, at about 52 miles away, White Lake features a sandy-bottomed crystal clear lake fed by subterranean springs with an average temperature of 63 degrees, according to the town's website. 

 The area offers camping, dining, hotels and motels, along with jet skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding and nearby White Lake Waterpark. 

• Jordan Lake is slightly more than an hour away from Fayetteville at about 61 miles is at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, 280 State Park Road in Apex. 

The park has about 14 miles of hiking trails and seven swim beaches.  

2 hours or less 

• The Uwharrie National Forest is about 75 miles away from Fayetteville and includes the Uwharrie, Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers and the Uwharrie Mountains. 

Outdoor activities allowed in the forest include mountain biking, lake and pond fishing, hiking, disc golf, boating, swimming, horseback riding, hiking and camping in designated areas. 

•  While North Carolina features about 300 miles of beaches along the Outer Banks, Wilmington area beaches are closer to Fayetteville at about 95 miles or a two-hour drive. 

Beaches in the Wilmington area include Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach. 

The Carolina Beach boardwalk features shopping and dining, amusement rides and weekly fireworks and concerts. 

Carolina Beach State Park offers camping if reservations are made. 

Kure Beach features fishing off its pier and the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, which also offers campsites. 

Visitors to Wrightsville Beach can find surfing, the first concrete fishing pier in the state — the 1,200-foot Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier — and scuba diving charters to shipwrecks. 

While in nearby Wilmington, take a stroll on a boardwalk that stretches along the Cape Fear River or tour the Battleship North Carolina.  

3 hours or less 

• About 120 miles, or about two hours, the Mount Airy area is close enough to nearby Winston-Salem and features two state parks.  

Pilot Mountain State Park has the 2,000-foot Pilot Mountain, Big Pinnacle and Little Pinnacle to provide views of the Piedmont, Sauratown Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Rock climbing and rappelling are allowed on portions of the park’s steep cliffs. 

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The park, which connects to the Yadkin River and has 13 trails, has a 42-site campground, too. 

Nearby Hanging Rock State Park has five waterfalls on its trails, and the allows activities for swimming, hiking, mountain biking and canoeing.  

In Mount Airy, the hometown of actor Andy Griffith, visitors can find vintage squad car tours, the Andy Griffith Museum and a statue of Andy and Opie carrying their fishing poles. 

• Charlotte clocks in at about two hours and 30 minutes away from Fayetteville and is home to the Carolina Panthers football team, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Carowinds Amusement Park and U.S. National Whitewater Center. Nearby Gastonia features Crowders Mountain State Park, which provides 25-mile views of the surrounding piedmont and hikes to the Pinnacle and Crowders Mountain. 

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.