North Carolina State Parks

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387 · (910) 692-2167 · E-mail

The Sandhills region consists of nearly one million acres in south-central North Carolina. In the midst of this sandy terrain—famous for golf courses, peach orchards and horse farms—is Weymouth Woods, an 898-acre natural preserve.

A natural preserve, Weymouth Woods is different from traditional parks. This protected area serves to preserve and portray the natural features unique to its region. Weymouth Woods is a place where you can look at the longleaf pine forest and see how human actions have affected the environment, where you can learn about rare and endangered species—the red-cockaded woodpecker, the pine barrens tree frog and the bog spicebush.

Walk the sandy paths of Weymouth Woods. Look to the canopy of its stately trees. Listen to the sounds of its woodlands. The fox squirrel, the longleaf pine and the role of fire are just a few of the subjects nature teaches in this fascinating ecosystem.

Exhibit hall

The exhibit hall at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve allows visitors a deeper look into the significance of the longleaf pine forest. The interactive, hands-on exhibits cover topics from prescribed burning to geology, from flora and fauna of the park to the historical naval stores industry in the Sandhills. The 1,000-square-foot museum was built at Weymouth Woods in 1978 but was completely renovated in 2001. Exhibits include:

• A 10-foot-high "wall of fire," a lighted photomural that introduces the role of prescribed burning in restoring the fabled longleaf pine forests of central North Carolina.
• An underground diorama where visitors can crawl beneath the forest to view wildlife that seek shelter there.
• A large mural by illustrator Brooks Pearce that depicts flora and fauna in the park. Pushbuttons allow visitors to hear their calls.
• A naval stores exhibit that allows visitors to stir an old-time bucket of resin.
• A nighttime diorama allows visitors to experience "Darkness in the Pines," "Ghosts of the Sandhills Swamps and Seeps" and "Things That Go Bump in the Night."

The exhibit hall is located in the park visitor's center and is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Interpretive programs are held in the auditorium of the visitor's center every Sunday at 3 p.m., April through November.

Hiking

Observe plant and animal life along more than four miles of well-marked, easy-to-hike trails.

Bower's Bog Trail is a short, looping nature trail that begins at the visitor's center and skirts the edge of an upland bog filled with ferns, pitcher plants and shrubs.

Pine Barrens Trail begins at the visitor's center and loops for one mile through open stands of longleaf pines.

Gum Swamp Trail, a half-mile loop, branches off Pine Barrens Trail, passes through a stand of hardwoods and travels along the edge of a swamp where James Creek flows.

Holly Road Trail connects with Gum Swamp Trail and loops 1.8 miles through the northern half of the preserve.

Pine Island Trail, a half-mile loop, is entered at the easternmost point of the Holly Road Trail and includes a 300-foot boardwalk over swampland.

Lighter Stump Trail, a half-mile route that connects Bower's Bog Trail with Pine Island Trail, is the most recently constructed trail.

For more information visit: North Carolina State Parks - Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve