Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette
IV-C2. Cascades Preserve
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7359 Goodwill Church Road, Kernersville, NC 27284
(there is no street number at this site) 336-641-3544 http://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/county-parks/passive-parks/cascades-preserve Administrator: Town of Oak Ridge, 336-644-7009 In conjunction with Guilford County Parks, 301 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 336-641-7275 http://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/county-parks |
Hours of operation: At the time of this writing there are no hours of operation posted, but effectively this type of county preserve is open from sunrise to sunset.
Directions
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GPS coordinates: N 36° 11.409’ W 080° 01.431’
Directions: From Greensboro go north on US 68 to the town of Oak Ridge. Turn left (west) on Oak Ridge Road and go about a mile to Linville Road. Turn right and continue northwest to Haw River Road. Turn left and then make a right at the next road onto Goodwill Church Road. The parking lot will be on the right about a mile and a half from the intersection. The trail into the preserve is across the road. |
Description
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The Cascades Preserve is one of the preserves that were acquired by the now defunct Guilford County Open Space Committee using bond money that was earmarked for that purpose. The name reflects the water flowing downhill in the steep rocky creek. It is located in the northwest sector of Guilford County near the town of Kernersville. Although it has been in use since at least 2012 when the Town of Oak Ridge annexed the property as a nature preserve, the official “grand opening” of the preserve was held by Guilford County staff in May 2016.
This preserve is about 130 acres of beautiful open hardwood forest on a north-facing slope. Because of the steep terrain and rocky stream “cascades,” it is reminiscent of the North Carolina mountains, a rare type of habitat in Guilford County. It’s a beautiful place for a hike in any time of the year. Birders will appreciate the woodland birds in the high canopy. In addition, there are lots of wildflowers for plant lovers to see, especially in spring before the forest leaves are completely formed.
Currently there are about two miles of trails marked out, with the possibility of more to come. Other than a paved parking lot at the base of the hill, there are no facilities so birders need to bring water and plan their trip accordingly. Also birders should be aware that this preserve is rarely visited, so personal safety should be considered. While there is no history of problems, the landscape can be rather rugged for a Guilford County site. It might be best to go with a companion and/or let family and friends know where you’ll be.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette
This preserve is about 130 acres of beautiful open hardwood forest on a north-facing slope. Because of the steep terrain and rocky stream “cascades,” it is reminiscent of the North Carolina mountains, a rare type of habitat in Guilford County. It’s a beautiful place for a hike in any time of the year. Birders will appreciate the woodland birds in the high canopy. In addition, there are lots of wildflowers for plant lovers to see, especially in spring before the forest leaves are completely formed.
Currently there are about two miles of trails marked out, with the possibility of more to come. Other than a paved parking lot at the base of the hill, there are no facilities so birders need to bring water and plan their trip accordingly. Also birders should be aware that this preserve is rarely visited, so personal safety should be considered. While there is no history of problems, the landscape can be rather rugged for a Guilford County site. It might be best to go with a companion and/or let family and friends know where you’ll be.
Finding Birds in Guilford County © 2018 Dennis Burnette