Maple Hill Lodge- a review

Recently I had the pleasure of taking a school group that I sponsor to camp at Maple Hill Lodge in Umstead Park in Raleigh, NC.

They only rent the facility to groups so it was my first chance to check it out and I was very excited. Finally a camping trip that couldn't be ruined by the weather! The place is booked pretty solid on the weekends during prime camping season so I was also really happy that we were camping on a Wednesday.

It rained torrentially all morning but then the sun started peeking out right as we all arrived.

The lodge itself is immaculate despite how old it is. The park has campers clean the space to perfection after every visit and then maintains the site itself. It's a big open room with screened windows and a fireplace so it's even good for winter camping. While it's not the same as wilderness tent camping it was still a really fun time. The bathrooms had flush toilets and running water and were located a short distance from the cabin for middle of the night stumbling convenience.

The outside fire pit was huge and our group enjoyed making sure the fire kept going all night. (Some of them did not sleep at all.) The inside fire warmed the space well even though overnight temps got to be in the low 50s. Our weather was perfect and the leaves around the campsite were gorgeous.

At $38 a night this place is a bargain for any sized group.

The only drawback to staying here is the proximity to the airport. All night long the peaceful sounds of leaves rustling, fire crackling and crickets chirping would be interrupted by the godawful racket of an airplane flying low over head. Except for a few hours in the middle of the night you don't get much peace and quiet. Then at about 6am....it's like a jet a minute taking off. Not exactly a natural paradise.

If you have a sense of humor or if you sleep really hard Maple Hill Lodge is still a great place to visit with your group if you want a taste of the outdoors without any stress.