IX. Bicentennial Greenway
The Bicentennial Greenway is an ambitious joint project of Guilford County, City of High Point, and City of Greensboro to link the communities of Greensboro, Jamestown and High Point with a paved "multiple use" walking/jogging/bicycling trail. It is envisioned that when completed, it will be a continuous trail from the Piedmont Environmental Center on High Point City Lake to Greensboro’s Country Park and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Construction was begun in the 1980_s, and upon completion is expected to comprise 19 miles. To date portions of the Bicentennial Greenway have been constructed both in High Point and in Greensboro. However, they are not yet linked and plans to do so are on hold. Even so, hiking or biking birders have many miles of birding opportunities available; currently completed are about 7 miles in High Point and 3.8 miles in Greensboro. The Greensboro section links with the paved Lake Brandt Greenway (2.45 miles) and an extensive network of about 35 miles of unpaved trails around the three city reservoirs.
Parts of the Bicentennial Greenway are heavily used during peak periods, but especially in early morning and on weekdays, the greenway can be a pleasant birding experience by foot or bicycle. The southwestern portion of the trail passes through varied habitat, including second-growth forest, old farm fields turned to meadows, and marshes. The latter may be birded from short boardwalks and at least one overlook. Along the trail there is the possibility of seeing nearly all of the birds recorded in Guilford County.
It isn’t necessary to walk the whole length. In the southwestern portion, which has the most birding opportunities, there are at least nine major access points, most with parking, for instance. One good beginning or ending point is the Piedmont Environmental Center (PEC) at the southern terminus of the trail on High Point City Lake. (See the PEC entry for directions and information.) From here a birder can walk north toward Guilford County’s Gibson Park, which is near the middle of the southern portion. At mile point 2.8 there is an observation deck.
Gibson Park is 3.5 miles from PEC and also is a good ending or beginning point for a walk because there is plenty of parking as well as water and toilets there. The park is about 6 miles from I-40 on Wendover Avenue. The park itself has been developed into a sports field complex, so provides few opportunities for birding. The best strategy is to drive to the end of the entrance road and park next to the toilets and water fountain. There is a posted trail map at that point, and the Bicentennial Greenway may be entered just 100 feet or so behind the map board. The observation deck is just 0.7 mile south of here.
The northern portion 3.8 mile of the Bicentennial Greenway in Greensboro could be walked from the terminus of the trail at Country Park to Horsepen Creek Road. It skirts both Country Park and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (see entries for directions and information to these parks). Although birding in these parks can be good, most of the route is through suburban residential and business neighborhoods and offers little for the birder. About a half mile is off road between Drawbridge Parkway and Horse Pen Creek Road. For Bicentennial Greenway information call Guilford County at 336-641-3544.; for information about the Piedmont Environmental Center, call 336-883-8531; for Gibson Park information, call 336-884-2209; for Greensboro trails information call 336-545-5961.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2003 Dennis Burnette
Parts of the Bicentennial Greenway are heavily used during peak periods, but especially in early morning and on weekdays, the greenway can be a pleasant birding experience by foot or bicycle. The southwestern portion of the trail passes through varied habitat, including second-growth forest, old farm fields turned to meadows, and marshes. The latter may be birded from short boardwalks and at least one overlook. Along the trail there is the possibility of seeing nearly all of the birds recorded in Guilford County.
It isn’t necessary to walk the whole length. In the southwestern portion, which has the most birding opportunities, there are at least nine major access points, most with parking, for instance. One good beginning or ending point is the Piedmont Environmental Center (PEC) at the southern terminus of the trail on High Point City Lake. (See the PEC entry for directions and information.) From here a birder can walk north toward Guilford County’s Gibson Park, which is near the middle of the southern portion. At mile point 2.8 there is an observation deck.
Gibson Park is 3.5 miles from PEC and also is a good ending or beginning point for a walk because there is plenty of parking as well as water and toilets there. The park is about 6 miles from I-40 on Wendover Avenue. The park itself has been developed into a sports field complex, so provides few opportunities for birding. The best strategy is to drive to the end of the entrance road and park next to the toilets and water fountain. There is a posted trail map at that point, and the Bicentennial Greenway may be entered just 100 feet or so behind the map board. The observation deck is just 0.7 mile south of here.
The northern portion 3.8 mile of the Bicentennial Greenway in Greensboro could be walked from the terminus of the trail at Country Park to Horsepen Creek Road. It skirts both Country Park and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (see entries for directions and information to these parks). Although birding in these parks can be good, most of the route is through suburban residential and business neighborhoods and offers little for the birder. About a half mile is off road between Drawbridge Parkway and Horse Pen Creek Road. For Bicentennial Greenway information call Guilford County at 336-641-3544.; for information about the Piedmont Environmental Center, call 336-883-8531; for Gibson Park information, call 336-884-2209; for Greensboro trails information call 336-545-5961.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2003 Dennis Burnette