Hoke County
The Carolina Horse Park at Five Points is one of the area's best kept secrets.
Horse people from all over descend upon rural Hoke County each spring to take part in the Stoneybrook Steeplechase, where the infield is the scene of the region's biggest annual tailgating party.
Hoke County, named for a Confederate general, was formed from parts of Cumberland and Robeson counties in 1911. It was once home to cotton plantations. Now a third of the county is covered by Fort Bragg training areas. Thousands of military families have bought homes in new subdivisions near the post. The growth is so rapid that two health systems are competing for the right to build a hospital to serve Hoke County.
The North Carolina Turkey Festival in Raeford each fall has become a regional event, and the town has a city and county museum downtown.
Hoke contains many historical cemeteries, including the Fort Bragg Military Cemetery.