Another 2.4 miles of hiking trails has opened up in Granville County, thanks to the Tar River Land Conservancy and a lot of hard work by volunteers and other partners.
The Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve officially opened on Friday, June 17, with a ribbon cutting that included local officials, funding partners, volunteer and neighbors of the tract, located at 3018 Horseshoe Road in Creedmoor.
“This trail project is the culmination of a lot of planning, hard work, and investment by our staff, volunteers, and partners,” said Derek Halberg, TRLC Executive Director. “We are excited to open the Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve for the community to explore and enjoy.”
Most of the nature preserve trails were cleared and constructed with hand tools by crews with the Conservation Corps North Carolina, a nonprofit group that partners with land trusts and governmental agencies to expand public trail access across the state.
Work began September 2021, with 80 volunteers contributed 400 hours of service to build trails, construct footbridges and install benches and signs at the preserve. TRLC received generous funding for the trail project from Granville County, the City of Creedmoor, the towns of Butner and Stem, the Jandy Ammons Foundation and the Universal Leaf Foundation, according to a press statement.
Trail brochures are available for visitors at message boards located at the trailhead parking area. The trail network includes two loops. Red directional signs mark the 1.1-mile Pine Trail while blue signs mark the 1.3-mile Beaver Trail. Both trails wind through scenic pine and hardwood forest and across numerous streams. The highlight is a large wetland along the Beaver Trail where more than 100 bird species have been documented since last fall.
The 241-acre Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve was acquired by TRLC to protect wildlife habitat and drinking water. TRLC purchased 158 acres in 2018 with funding from Granville County, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, the City of Raleigh Watershed Protection Program, and the Wake County Open Space Program. In 2021, Mark and Tara Rein of Raleigh donated 83 acres to TRLC to be added to the nature preserve.
In addition to the Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve, TRLC maintains hiking trails at the Ledge Creek Forest Conservation Area and the Roberts Chapel Conservation Area near Butner and Stem. The three preserves offer a total of seven miles of hiking trails that are accessible to visitors year-round during daylight hours.
