Tuttle Educational State Forest 3420 Playmore Beach Road, Lenoir, NC 28645

"Went on a field trip with the third grade from Icard Elementary. The Forest Rangers were wonderful with the kids, very informative and patient. The park is great, very well maintained. Will take Grandchildren again."

"This is a great place to hike and it has a lot of educational experiences for kids and adults. The ranger is so nice, let kids see taxidermy animals and gave them goodies and some educational pamphlets and bookmarks and rulers. They love this place, the bathrooms are nice and they have a lot of picnic tables and it's all free!"

"The wife and one of our daughters took several of our grandkids to this place just out of Lenoir NC. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Tuttle boasts a wide variety of pines and hardwoods plus rolling terrain and clear streams. These features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails accented by exhibits and displays which explain the ecology of the managed forest. Some history about the place: In 1956 Miss Lelia Judson Tuttle deeded 160 acres of family land to the Tuttle Forest Foundation. Miss Tuttle wanted her land to serve the people of North Carolina. The Tuttle Forest Foundation followed Miss Tuttle’s vision requiring that this land be used for educational and recreational purposes yet remain a forest. In 1973 the Tuttle Forest Foundation leased the land to the North Carolina Forest Service to be used as a small State Forest. The grandkids had a blast! Tuttle is open to the public and all programs are free of charge!"

"This park was one of the cleanest, most well maintained State parks we have been to. The hiking trails are well maintained and very well marked. The view of Grandfather Mountain while sitting in the swing was a highlight and so serene. The old cemetery was very well taken care of. The state park and forestry service have done a great job presenting this donated park to the community. The ranger was very helpful. Great job to all that are taking care of the park. I would give it 10 stars if I could."

"Took my nephew and it is a great place to learn about the forest. He loved it! Beautiful and peaceful. We will definitely be making another trip to explore more."