VIII. Greensboro Watershed Trails
An excellent system of about 36 miles of trails has been constructed through woodlands around the Greensboro lakes and along the connecting creeks. Hiking birders could spend several pleasant hours or even days exploring some or all of these easy to moderately strenuous trails away from the noise and highway traffic of the roadway overlooks to the lakes.
Two information resources about Greensboro watershed trails are available. A free folded brochure appropriately called "Greensboro Watershed Trails" provides an overview map and brief descriptions of twelve trails around the lakes. However, a birder who enjoys walking probably will want to spend the very modest amount to get the spiral-bound booklet, Trails of Greensboro, which describes all the hiking and park trails that are operated and maintained by the city. Conveniently, it even comes packaged with a full-sized street map of the city on which the trails are marked. Both publications are available at the lake marinas and from the Parks and Recreation Department, P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402, 336-545-5333.
None of the watershed trails are loops. Therefore, provisions must be made for transportation at the other end, or the hiker must return along the same route to the starting point. All of the normal safety and comfort precautions should be taken when hiking these trails. The trails are rough in places. In addition, although they are near relatively dense human habitation, many places along the trails are surprisingly isolated. In fact, it is possible during a weekday to hike some of the trails without seeing or hearing another human except near the beginning and end of the trip. Therefore, be as careful on these trails as you would in true wilderness areas. That being said, the hiking birder also should be aware that several have been designated as "multiple use" trails, primarily meaning that you could compete with trail bikes, especially on weekends. The trails officially are open to the public from sunrise to sundown unless otherwise posted, and overnight camping is not permitted.
Birding on the trails often is best in ecotones, that is, in areas where two or more ecosystems are adjacent such as along old field edges and where the forest canopy opens onto a creek or lake shore. Watch for mud flats and marshy areas, as well. The deeper woods will have fewer species, but Pileated Woodpeckers and Woodcocks are possible.
Some of the watershed trails are discussed elsewhere in this birding guide as part of the specific lake descriptions for Lake Higgins, Lake Brandt, and Lake Townsend. However, there are other trails that run between the lakes along feeder streams. Three of the trails that have trailheads near Lake Brandt Marina are particularly popular with local birders so are described here.
Two parallel trails along the northern and southern banks of Reedy Fork Creek traverse deciduous forest and wetlands between Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend. Both can be quite productive for birding, and each has its own charm. They are not designed as loop trails, but by using Lake Brandt Road at one end and Church Street at the other as connectors, an ambitious hiker could complete an almost 8 mile loop by walking both. Although both trails are good for birding, birders should be aware that the Reedy Fork Trail on the north bank is open to mountain bikers while the Laurel Bluff Trail on the south bank is not. This could affect the quality of the birding experience, especially on weekends and summer evenings.
Laurel Bluff Trail
The 3.5-mile Laurel Bluff Trail has been designated as part of the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail and is reserved for hikers. It passes along the southern bank of Reedy Fork Creek through laurel thickets on a wooded rise above the stream in a habitat more like the mountains than the Piedmont. The trail route provides good views of wetlands and parts of the creek swelled by the waters of Lake Townsend. The eastern end of the trail is on Church Street 0.2 mile south of the intersection with Plainfield Road where there is a small gravel parking area. The trail is marked with a sign. The western trail head is just south of the spillway at Lake Brandt dam 0.1 mile north of Lake Brandt Marina entrance. Parking is available outside the marina gate as well as at the trailhead.
The 3.5-mile Laurel Bluff Trail has been designated as part of the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail and is reserved for hikers. It passes along the southern bank of Reedy Fork Creek through laurel thickets on a wooded rise above the stream in a habitat more like the mountains than the Piedmont. The trail route provides good views of wetlands and parts of the creek swelled by the waters of Lake Townsend. The eastern end of the trail is on Church Street 0.2 mile south of the intersection with Plainfield Road where there is a small gravel parking area. The trail is marked with a sign. The western trail head is just south of the spillway at Lake Brandt dam 0.1 mile north of Lake Brandt Marina entrance. Parking is available outside the marina gate as well as at the trailhead.
Reedy Fork Trail
The north bank of Reedy Fork Creek is traversed by the meandering 3.7 mile Reedy Fork Trail. It is designated as a "multiple use" trail, open to mountain bike enthusiasts as well as hikers. At several spots along the route there are alternate paths that provide differing views of the habitats but rejoin the main trail further on. The western trailhead is north of the dam on Lake Brandt Road 0.5 mile north of the Lake Brandt Marina entrance; a gravel parking area provides good parking off the road. The trail ends on Church Street near the intersection with Plainfield Road, but the nearest designated parking is south 0.2 mile across the bridge. Another alternative for parking and entering or exiting the trail is where the trail comes out on Plainfield Road 0.6 mile west of the intersection with Church Street.
The north bank of Reedy Fork Creek is traversed by the meandering 3.7 mile Reedy Fork Trail. It is designated as a "multiple use" trail, open to mountain bike enthusiasts as well as hikers. At several spots along the route there are alternate paths that provide differing views of the habitats but rejoin the main trail further on. The western trailhead is north of the dam on Lake Brandt Road 0.5 mile north of the Lake Brandt Marina entrance; a gravel parking area provides good parking off the road. The trail ends on Church Street near the intersection with Plainfield Road, but the nearest designated parking is south 0.2 mile across the bridge. Another alternative for parking and entering or exiting the trail is where the trail comes out on Plainfield Road 0.6 mile west of the intersection with Church Street.
Nat Greene Trail
The northern trailhead for the Nat Greene Trail is on Lake Brandt Road at the Lake Brandt Marina just south of the Reedy Fork and Laurel Bluff Trails. There is parking outside the marina fence if the gate is closed. Nat Greene Trail, which is 3.2 miles in length, ends near Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (described in another section of this guide) on Old Battleground Road. Parking is good at both trailheads. Near the battleground end is a 200 foot boardwalk through a marsh, and there are views of other marshy portions of the creek and back waters of Lake Brandt. About a mile or so from the battleground end, the trail intersects with the Lake Brandt Greenway. By turning northwest onto the greenway, the hiking birder could walk about a half mile to a footbridge that crosses the lake and gives good views of the open water where waterfowl, gulls, and wading birds might be spotted. If one continues north on the Nat Greene Trail, the route follows the eastern shore of Lake Brandt through the woods all the way to the marina. Note that bicycles are prohibited on the Nat Greene Trail but are allowed on the Lake Brandt Greenway.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2003 Dennis Burnette
The northern trailhead for the Nat Greene Trail is on Lake Brandt Road at the Lake Brandt Marina just south of the Reedy Fork and Laurel Bluff Trails. There is parking outside the marina fence if the gate is closed. Nat Greene Trail, which is 3.2 miles in length, ends near Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (described in another section of this guide) on Old Battleground Road. Parking is good at both trailheads. Near the battleground end is a 200 foot boardwalk through a marsh, and there are views of other marshy portions of the creek and back waters of Lake Brandt. About a mile or so from the battleground end, the trail intersects with the Lake Brandt Greenway. By turning northwest onto the greenway, the hiking birder could walk about a half mile to a footbridge that crosses the lake and gives good views of the open water where waterfowl, gulls, and wading birds might be spotted. If one continues north on the Nat Greene Trail, the route follows the eastern shore of Lake Brandt through the woods all the way to the marina. Note that bicycles are prohibited on the Nat Greene Trail but are allowed on the Lake Brandt Greenway.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2003 Dennis Burnette