TAKE A HIKE AS SUMMER SHIFTS TO FALL, SPEND SOME TIME OUTDOORS AT OUR MAJOR PARKS AND HIKING TRAILS IN CHATHAM, ORANGE AND DURHAM COUNTIES BY MADELINE KRAFT
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SOUTHWEST DISTRICT PARK 15124 Hwy. 902, Bear Creek
Amenities: picnic shelter that accommodates up to 50 people, softball/multi-purpose field, compacted trail, restrooms, playground and sand volleyball court. 2
NORTHWEST DISTRICT PARK 2413 Woody Store Rd., Siler City
Amenities: dining hall that accommodates up to 75 people, activity center that accommodates up to 40 people, picnic shelter that accommodates up to 50 people, pool available weekends only from 1-5 p.m., basketball court, playground and a pond for catch -and-release only. 3
BRIAR CHAPEL 37 Cardinal Ridge Rd., Chapel Hill
Nine hundred acres with 20 community parks and playgrounds, a water park, outdoor tennis and basketball courts and 24 miles of trails. The Briar Chapel Mountain Bike Trail (2526 Briar Chapel Pkwy., Chapel Hill – Briar Chapel Parkway entrance, or visit the parking area on Catulo Road) is a 6.6-mile, single-track mountain biking trail for intermediate or advanced riders and features a 3% average grade and 11% maximum grade. This trail is open for night riding. AMERICAN TOBACCO TRAIL (35.8354283, -78.9281510) Pittard Sears Road Access (35.7843596, -78.9224648) White Oak Church Road Access 4
The 22.6-mile-long Rails-to-Trails Conservancy project runs 4.7 miles through Chatham County. The trail is a dual surface of asphalt and compacted granite screenings. Its open for foot, bike or equestrian traffic. triangletrails.org/american-tobacco-trail 5
THE PARK AT BRIAR CHAPEL 1015 Andrews Store Rd., Pittsboro
Amenities: two softball fields, football/multi-purpose field, soccer/multi-purpose field, picnic shelter that accommodates up to 55 people and a playground. 6
NORTHEAST DISTRICT PARK 5408 Big Woods Rd., Chapel Hill
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EARL THOMPSON PARK 170 Bynum Hill Rd., Pittsboro
Amenities: along the Haw River, softball field and a playground.
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CHATHAM MAGAZINE
LOWER HAW RIVER STATE NATURAL AREA AND BYNUM MILL 502 Bynum Rd., Pittsboro 8
NC State Parks owns about 1,025 acres along both sides of the Haw River stretching from above Highway 15-501 near Bynum to below Highway 64 at the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. Enjoy birding, nature photography, fishing, hiking and paddling. While there are not authorized State Park trails at this time, there are multiple unofficial footpaths that you can hike along the lower Haw River. 9
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020
MARY HAYES BARBER HOLMES PARK 304 Old Rock Springs Cemetery Rd., Pittsboro
This 10-acre neighborhood park has a mix of open fields and wooded areas, a 0.33-mile paved walking trail, rain garden, livingroof gazebo, picnic shelters with grills, misting spray fountain and permeable paver parking. 10
TOWN LAKE PARK 529 Hwy. 902, Pittsboro
Pittsboro’s first park was also once the home of the town’s water supply. It features the Town Lake, a soccer field, swings, trails, a picnic shelter with grills, a fishing pier and free WiFi. 11
VISTA POINT BLUE AND RED TRAIL 2498 N. Pea Ridge Rd., Pittsboro
Choose between an easy 1- or 3-mile loop hike on a natural surface in the Jordan Lake State Park. The Blue Trail passes by an old tobacco barn and crosses a boardwalk, while the Red Trail winds through the pine and mixed hardwood forests. Both trails start from the Vista Point Campground. 12
JORDAN LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA 280 State Park Rd., Apex
A collection of nine access areas across an undeveloped 14,000-acre reservoir. The recreation area offers more than 1,000 campsites, various swim areas, beaches, hiking trails and picnic shelters. Visit ncparks.gov/jordan-lake-state-recreation-area to see which spots are currently open. 13
Amenities: softball fields, multi-purpose field, picnic shelter that accommodates up to 20 people, playground, pond, tennis court and a quarter-mile asphalt walking trail loop.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DANIELLE JOSEPH OF MASON DIXON DESIGNS
WHITE PINES NATURE PRESERVE 548 South Rocky River Rd., Sanford
Nestled at the confluences of the Rocky and Deep Rivers, these 275 acres are owned and managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy. Offers great birding in the spring and summer and hosts the world’s largest known population of the Cape Fear shiner, a federally endangered minnow species. Offers 6 miles of hiking trails and a canoe launch site. triangleland.org/explore/nature-preserves/ white-pines-nature-preserve
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