Brumley Nature Preserve Northern Part

This place is a hidden gem! Our absolute favorite place to explore, snap wildlife photos, hike around and enjoy the scenery. There are two main trails we like to go on one takes you over the stream, to the lake, an old Silo and the other through the forest and along a bluff and on this side there is a nice little hidden spot just of the pain trail that has a nice wooden bench, by a beautiful old tree and the little stream. There is also a meditation labyrinth near the front of the preserve and a very tiny and very old enclosed cemetery. The nature and wildlife is a joy to see here I have seen wild otters, beautiful banded golden orb weaver spiders, monarch Butterfly Caterpillars, a green snake, a black snake, a red fox, a toad, really neat looking native mushrooms and fungi. Watch out for some of the trails toward the train tracks that get extremely narrow and overgrown very quickly. I had a rather scary experience where got caught in the middle of this trail surrounded by bushes of what I thought then was poison ivy but I found out after that it was Box Elder (not harmful). Just wear long pants and big spray when adventuring these areas.

Beautiful nature and soooo many birds. I especially like seeing all the persimmon trees, heavy with their fruits, and the birds having a good feast.

I absolutely love going to Brumley, I usually am running there, but we’ve recently been doing more family walks as well! There are a number of entrances, and I like the one near lava loop the best for running, but near the Zen maze with the kids (north part). FYI, I do not recommend climbing the old silo, very sketch and would not do it again.

Such diverse terrain covered and so many wildflowers! I was pleasantly surprised that the trails were not all through the woods. The Dairy Farm trails were especially fantastic. I spotted lots of bluebirds, a garter snake, painted box turtle crossing the trail, and a Amtrak train passing by. Sadly no herons. You do get a bit of road noise, but still very peaceful! I did all the loops for a total of 3.2 miles.

Note that this is a separate parking lot. It is on Old Route 10. The other entrance is on New Hope Church Road. THIS PARK IS A GEM! The bikers are not allowed, so it is a much better hike with your dog! The trails are well marked with metal tree symbols. They can become a little muddy at times. You can hike to 3 ponds, a silo, and a cemetery. The trails take you through wooded areas and open fields. This is the best park/preserve near Hillsborough. Take a moment and read the sad story of the Brumley family on the parking lot sign. And as always take a photo of the trail map so won’t miss a thing!