The Aleen Steinberg Center opened in 2013 as an educational and visitor center. It contains an information desk, a diorama of the forest, and various displays related to early settlement, the DuPont operation, black bears, and forestry. An adjacent building houses restrooms with running water. The volunteers staffing the facility were friendly and knowledgeable. Group educational spaces are located on the lower level. Even though there is a large gravel parking area, visitors often have to circle around to find a vacant spot on busy summer days.
The center is located at the intersection of Staton Road and Buck Forest Road. To reach the center from US 276 in Cedar Mountain, NC drive north on Cascade Lake Road for 2.5 miles. Turn right onto Staton Road and drive 1.4 miles to the forest entrance at Buck Forest Road on the right. Turn right and head up the hill on the one-way gravel road to loop around to the far end of the parking area. The center is also 0.9 miles south of the Hooker Falls parking lot on Staton Road. I visited in July 2017.
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| Forest entrance |
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| End of the parking lot looking back at the entrance |
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| Aleen Steinberg Center |
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| Information desk |
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| Daily updates and bear safety video |
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| Forest diorama |
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| Managing multiple uses |
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| DuPont operations |
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| Early history |
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| Another view of the center |
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| Restrooms |
Entry to DuPont State Recreational Forest is free.
The friends of the forest website is http://www.dupontforest.com/.
The forest website is http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Contacts/dsf.htm.
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