Southern Granville County has 1.5 more miles of hiking trails to explore, thanks to the Tar River Land Conservancy.
The Roberts Chapel Conservation Area opened recently, the result of lots of work by volunteers who constructed it over the past 18 months, according to press information from TRLC director Derek Halberg.
Halberg said 109 individuals spent 1,100 hours building trails, installing fences, constructing footbridges and removing trash at the site, located at 792 Roberts Chapel Road in Stem.
Stem Mayor Casey Dover expressed appreciation for the collaboration with TRLC to open the trail in the community. “We look forward to working together on more trail projects in southern Granville County,” Dover said.
Hikers may use the new trail year-round during daylight hours. “The trail winds through scenic woods and across several several streams,” Halberg said.
There are message boards with rules, maps and trail guides at the trailhead parking area, he said.
TRLC acquired the property in 2019 to limit residential growth around Camp Butner and to protect streams that flow into Lake Holt and Falls Lake, nearby reservoirs that supply drinking water to Granville and Wake counties.
The land purchase and subsequent improvements to create the hiking trail was made possible by financial contributions and support of numerous partners, including the National Guard Bureau, NC National Guard, NC Department of Justice, Granville County Commissioners, the towns of Butner and Stem, the cities of Creedmoor and Raleigh and Universal Leaf North America, U.S., Inc.
Granville Commission Chair Sue Hinman said “we are thrilled to have the Roberts Chapel Conservation Area open and look forward to the citizens of Granville County and surrounding areas utilizing this wonderful trail.”
Lindsay Efird, a manager at Universal Leaf, said the partnership with TRLC makes a positive impact in areas where the company’s employees live and provides “a public place where individuals can go to see conservation work first-hand. Over the last year we have all witnessed the importance of spending time with friends and family and what better way to do that than to spend time together outdoors,” Efird said.
Butner Mayor Terry Turner said TRLC led the way to open the Roberts Chapel trail to the public. “This trail will be another great place for the citizens of Butner to exercise and enjoy the outdoors.”
TRLC is a nationally accredited land trust that preserves natural resources across eight counties in North Carolina, including Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren, Person, Edgecombe, Halifax and Nash. Since 2000, TRLC has protected 22,307 acres of land and 189 miles of streams.
To learn more, visit www.tarriver.org.