This preserve is a great place to walk, jog, and bird. Although they don't allow bikes or horses for the trail - they do allow LEASHED dogs. (DO NOT HAVE UNLEASHED DOGS ON THE TRAIL- it's irresponsible regardless of how good they are) There are coyotes out there and a fair amount of wildlife. The trail we went on was about 2miles long and has water areas, the path is very obvious and there is signage. Highly recommend it- only down side it the parking lot is quite small. read more

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Beautiful trails! We really enjoyed our hike. We had 3 kids with us and they had the best time exploring! Definitely recommend hiking shoes if it's been a bit wet out - the trails were pretty muddy the day we visited. read more

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Hi everyone found a new awesome park to us and we enjoyed it, before we get to the good stuff here is what I thought needs to be fixed in my opinion. First the parking needs to be a little more convenient by making it a bit wider and longer, I say that because I witnessed three cars being hit one with no one in it and the other two separate incidents where people had pore Vision and no guidance on how to park. Also people took it as If it was nothing and I personally don't like getting hit even if it's tiny and walking off like nothing. The park needs a little more detail about how the trail works and maybe some safety features nothing big, maybe a porta potty needs to be placed because saw way to many people taking a shit in the woods then I needed to see. So if you go here there is no bathroom at all so go before hand and if you have to take a shit lol for god sake go further then 5 feet of the trail. Now to the good stuff the trail a side all the parking and what not I loved it the entrance is tiny and hard to see at first. Love that it's very untouched by humans took dogs there and had a blast maybe a little more communication from dog owners to understand there will be other dogs there and to be respectful around each other and that not every person with dogs wants to meet you, nothing wrong and doesn't mean the dogs are aggressive but sometimes we just want to hike and be left alone, if you have absolutely no control over your dog on leash then don't think it's okay to have them off leash and also not the place for you. The area is gorgeous and has a very nice creek I believe if that's what it's called? Didn't go to far in this time but when I go back alone I plan to go exploring it all and taking more pictures. I would recommend to still hike in pairs of two as it's very thick woods and although people seem to go through here a lot you never know. As always stay safe and bring a pocket knife or pepper spray (no guns please) just something simple in case you need it for example I use my pocket knife wisely and it has many uses such as a lighter source or to use as a whistle or normal I need to cut something maybe if I get tangled or need it as an emergency last but not least if I need to defend myself against something or someone. read more

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I was on my way home from treatment at UNC and my fiancé had to pull over to take a zoom call we live in Clemmons so I told him I wanted to walk around while he was on his conference call. I LOVE this place!! It was not only healing to me spiritually but it was the beginning of fall and the leaves were changing and the water and the trees catch the sun so beautifully. The paths are not too hard rather flat so I did not hit struggle as I had just have treatment. Truly a beautiful place to go off the beaten path to get my zen on. read more

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Easy parking, lots of trails of varying lengths to try. Very peaceful and shady. You can't even hear nearby traffic like you can on some other nature preserve trails. The Triangle Land Conservancy did a wonderful job with these trails, including the nice map and well-marked trails. read more

Beautiful... just beautiful! The Triangle Land Conservancy has set aside these 296 acres of beautiful woodlands and well-marked hiking trails. Although there are no specific picnic sites, we saw a number of places where a picnic lunch would be just the thing! (...but please be sure to pack your trash out, as there are no rubbish cans anywhere that we saw.) It's hard to believe this little treasure is hidden away between Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Durham - and scarcely 15 minutes from each! read more

It's such a wonder that Triangle Land Conservancy preserved this gem within minutes of downtown Chapel Hill. We took a new loop today and got a greater appreciation for the size of the property and the diversity of terrain. Check it out read more

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Incident 3-10-17 @ parking lot on Mt Sinai. Someone's car had every window busted out in the 1.5 hrs I was there. 2 deputies on the scene interviewing. Otherwise, great place for a hike. read more

This is a beautiful preserve that is a great way to get into nature. The trails are extremely well marked and easy to follow when looking at the map. There are few steep hills and few large roots which make the path easier to walk on so that you can enjoy the views without constantly looking where you're stepping. In addition to being extremely quiet and away from the buzz of the city and roads, the paths also provide opportunities to walk close to (and into) the creek. There are plenty of benches and places to sit and take a rest to enjoy the views and nature. The only downside is that the parking lot is a bit small, but if you can find a spot to park I highly recommend visiting. I would recommend this to all ages for walking or hiking. Some areas have very narrow paths so I wouldn't recommend going for a run here as it can be hard to see if anyone is coming up in front of you in these narrow areas, but other than that this is a beautiful spot! read more

This place is exactly what we were looking for, absolutely gorgeous. Almost completely in the woods, beautiful bridges, very scenic. We hiked for 4-1/2 miles. A good mix of nice, flat, easy trails with a few challenging areas as well. We will recommend this place to anyone looking for a great place to hike here in Chapel Hill. read more