New Hiking Trails Opened Near Creedmoor
Tar River Land Conservancy (TRLC) welcomes visitors to the newly opened Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve, located at 3018 Horseshoe Road, Creedmoor, NC 27522. The nature preserve offers 2.4 miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore. Trail guides are available for visitors at message boards located at the trailhead parking area, or download a PDF trail guide here.
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 over 110 bird species have been documented since last fall. The preserve was recently designated a birding hotspot by Cornell University’s eBird program.
Most of the nature preserve trails were 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. Additionally, 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, City of Creedmoor, Town of Butner, Town of Stem, the Jandy Ammons Foundation, and the Universal Leaf Foundation.
“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.”
The 241-acre Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve was acquired by TRLC in recent years to protect wildlife habitat and drinking water. TRLC purchased 158 acres in 2018 with funding from Granville County, the NC 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. We’d love to hear your feedback after you explore these trails. Please send us an email at info@tarriver.org. Thank you!
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