The Nature Center & Nature Play Area
The preserve's headquarters is a nature center with exhibit halls, classrooms and a gift shop, a National Wildlife Federation certified habitat garden full of bird feeders, and a nature play area where kids can build forts and balance on logs.
What's here
- Exhibit halls, classrooms and a gift shop.
- A National Wildlife Federation certified habitat garden with bird feeding stations.
- A nature play area (opened in 2010) with stump jumps, a sand play area, log balancing, a grapevine crawl, fort building and a stage.
- Naturalist programs, guided hikes and animal encounters.
- Trailheads for the preserve's trails.
Good to know
The nature center is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.; the park grounds are open dawn to dusk. Staff at the desk can suggest trails and distances. Call 980-314-1119 for programs.
Inside the nature center
Exhibit halls introduce the plants and animals of the Piedmont forest, classrooms host school groups and public programs, and a small gift shop carries field guides and nature gifts. Staff at the front desk are a good first stop for trail suggestions and recent wildlife sightings.
The habitat garden
Outside, a National Wildlife Federation certified Habitat Garden is planted for wildlife, with bird feeding stations that draw a steady stream of visitors: chickadees, titmice, cardinals and, in summer, hummingbirds. It's an easy place to sit and watch birds up close.
The nature play area
In May 2010, with more than $50,000 in donations, the county opened a nature play area beside the nature center designed for unstructured outdoor play: stump jumps, a sand area, log balancing, a grapevine crawl, a fort-building area, a 'messy materials' area and a stage for make-believe performances. Bring a change of clothes for younger kids.
Programs and the Hummingbird Festival
Mecklenburg County naturalists run guided hikes, animal encounters and nature classes here, many of them free. Each year the nature center also hosts its Hummingbird Festival, which draws up to 3,000 visitors to see the tiny birds up close; check the county's event calendar for the date.
Planning a visit with kids
Start at the nature center for the exhibits and the play area, then take the 1-mile Dragonfly Pond loop, short enough for small legs, with turtles and dragonflies to spot. Restrooms are at the nature center and the picnic areas. Pack snacks and water.
See the rest of the park
Nature Center is one of 6 featured areas at Reedy Creek Park.