Living in the burbs and spending most of my time in the city, I always look and seek out some natural green space now and then.  Running on the greenways are great, but it is rare to have a good amount of land dedicated to nature and activities.  Latta Plantation Park is not only home to the Carolina Raptor Center, but also has a number of horse trails (you can use for running and hiking as well) and access to Mountain Island Lake for water activities.\n\nI came here for an open water swimming event (NOTE:  there is no swimming in the lake unless it is a sanctioned event).  It was strange getting into the water right were a big \"NO SWIMMING\" warning sign was posted.  The no swimming rule is probably due to the way the lake was formed and Duke Energy's involvement, but the rules are the rules.  There are plenty of houses that dot the perimeter with docks and watercraft.\n\nThe park facilities are well kept and there is a good sense of trying not to interfere too much with nature.