TRIAD PARK
© 2003 Dennis Burnette 

Triad Park is unusual in that it is owned jointly by Forsyth and Guilford Counties and straddles the mutual county line. It is located on US 421 on the Guilford side of the line near the town of Kernersville at 9652 West Market Street, also called East Mountain Street on the Forsyth side. This is 426 acre recreational park is administered by Forsyth County. For information about the park, call Forsyth County at 336-727-2945 or Guilford County at 727-2946.
          Triad Park is easily accessible from I-40. If coming from the east (Greensboro) or south (High Point), take I-40 to the Sandy Ridge Road exit and go north (right) to West Market Street/US 421. Go west (left) for about 2 miles and watch for the park entrance on the right. Those coming from the west (Winston-Salem) may take the Colfax exit, turn east (right) on East Mountain Street/US 421, and go about 1.8 miles to the park entrance.
          Although the park already has facilities and is open to the public, it still is undergoing development at the time of this writing. As with all city and county parks in the Triad, development emphasis is being placed on sports and recreation facilities rather than nature. Fortunately, the master plan calls for most of the property to be left undeveloped.
          Some trails already are in place and more are planned. A portion of a paved multiple use path (walking, bike riding, and skating) has been constructed; eventually it will be about 8 miles in length. In the future there will be at least one and perhaps several ponds or small lakes that could attract waterfowl, and plans call for a "natural wetlands and interpretive area." The target date for completion is 2010.
          The birding possibilities of Triad Park are still being explored. Currently there is a bluebird trail that is being monitored by members of Forsyth Audubon, and that organization has had several bird walks here. The Piedmont Bird Club in Guilford County also has had spring and fall field trips to the park, and the two birding groups have met for a joint bird walk at Triad Park.
          The best strategy for birding the park at this time is to first stop at the entrance and pick up a park map to see what areas are available. To the west of the entrance is a trail through mixed pine and deciduous woodlands. Behind the new multi-purpose building is a wetland that should be explored. In addition, the woodland edges around the grassy playing fields and picnic facilities can be quite good for birds if activities involving lots of people are not going on at the time.
          Once birders have had time to study the bird life here, it is probable that all of the expected birds of the Piedmont will turn up in the park. Birding trips have produced a nice selection of migrating neotropical species in spring, and summer residents such as Eastern Phoebes along the edges and Wood Thrushes in the forest. Year-round residents include Pine Warblers and Brown-headed Nuthatches in the pine woods, Eastern Bluebirds along the woodland edges, and typical Piedmont forest birds such as Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Downy Woodpeckers, and Northern Flickers in the woodlands. Canada Geese and Great Blue Herons have been seen overhead.

Read articles about field trips to Triad Park

2002  2003