Piedmont Environmental Center

Great system of trails and building open even on Sundays to use the restroom and see some native animals (turtles, snakes) and natural history information. On the trail I actually couldn't hear the noise from the road which was lovely.

This is an interesting and cool place to visit. Trail options. Convenient forest /nature immersion in minutes. Sure you can faintly hear cars but honestly it doesn't take anything away from the experience. You see squirrels and deer tracks, turtles, fishing and frogs. Do look out for spider webs lol. Love the little hills and uneven dirt trails laced with roots and some rocks in places. You can also walk on pavement. Snakes inside the building in cages. Don’t miss the little signs in various places to bring your attention to mindful thought that help with the experience. I shall return.

Piedmont Environmental Center is a wonderful place for nature lovers. We have been visiting this center for decades now, and we are always impressed with the quality of their hiking trails. While we generally stick to the paved paths, there are also unpaved hiking trails that you can follow. We were delighted to see that they have extended a wooden bridge all the way to City Lake Park. This is a great addition to the center, and it makes the hiking experience even more enjoyable.

While it is quite beautiful, the trails are not well marked especially right near the parking lot. There are many steep climbs which could have been eased by creating trails that zig zag rather then going straight up the sides of the hills.

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit here in fall ‘22! I hiked the Bill Faver Lakeshore Trail (1.8 miles) and was surprised by how hilly the trail was. The trail followed the lake, surrounded by beautiful trees, unique fauna, and wildlife—deer and birds. There were not a ton of people there, so it was particularly relaxing. A beautiful, well-kept local gem!