Layers of sand, clay, seashells, shale and gravel form the multicolored cliff face, a rainbow of white, tan, yellow and brown.

The Neuse River followed this fault line and, over time, cut its course through layers of sediment deposited by shallow seas that had earlier covered the coastal plain.

The park was established in 1945 when land on the south side of the river was donated by Lionel Weil and other individuals through the Wayne Foundation.

River margins, flood plains, rolling uplands and ravines are home to a large mixture of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Opossums, raccoons, foxes, and squirrels are common in the campground and along hiking trails, while river otter and muskrat can be seen swimming along the waterways.