White Pines Nature Preserve

Great scenery, very pretty. And lots of wild life, I'm pretty sure there's lots geocaches out there.

Very hilly terrain and well manicured main trails. The river trail is quite slippery at this time of year. About a 220’ chain in elevation to get down to the bottom so be prepared for a workout getting back up.

Great trails to get some "hiking" in. I walked from the back lot off to the left onto the yellow trail which was a nice down hill to the Rocky River. Jumped over to the blue (river) trail next which was very narrow with overgrown low greenery as to be expected in a preserve, but it didn't last too long before it opened up a bit more. Continued along until I met up with the black trail and then took that to the green. At the green trail I went left to lengthen the hike a bit and about an hour after setting out I was back to the parking lot. Only about 2.5 miles to go around the edge of the preserve.
*update* 1/21/24
With the recent rain the River trail has been flooded at parts, but the water has subsided so it's walkable again. There are some spots where passing through is partly obstructed due to river debris, but it is possible to get all the way through.
*update* 4/4/24
The Deep Bluffs trail is blocked by a very large tree between the Gilbert Yager trail (green) and the River trail (blue).
I climbed over the tree, do not recommend at all, plan your hike accordingly and try to avoid this stretch of trail for now.

Yet ANOTHER GREAT Triangle Land Conservancy property. I've hiked all of their preserves except one (that's on the agenda soon) and they are always great hikes with great scenery.

Easy access and parking. Well maintained and well marked trails. Beautiful trees, frogs, turtles and stunning river views. We only hiked a 2 mile loop but it took us down the Deep River. Walked along that way until the confluence of the Deep and Rocky Rivers. Then a nice hike back up to the parking area.

We will definitely be back to hike this one some more!

Really cool set of trails! Look forward to visiting again.

Multiple trail loops intersect with well marked blazes, so many different trail lengths are possible.

Very serene, low hiking traffic, short trails but if you go in a large circle connecting all the trails then it's a good 2.5 miles. Only problem is I couldn't find any bathrooms.

One of the best parks/reserves in NC. A highly scenic and serene area with plenty of relatively short, interconnected trails ranging in difficulty. You'll get views of the river, ponds, various trees, bluffs, and more.

FYI #1: There are parts of the River Trail and Rocky Bluff trail which are steep and can be slippery. It's best to carry footwear with traction and a walking stick.

FYI #2: The driveway to the parking lot is a tad narrow, so keep that in mind in case you run into two-way traffic.

Nice remote park. Some trails are steep and the river trail was a bit overgrown when I went but it still had a small path to follow. The trails crisscross a lot... I’d recommend taking a photo of the map at the parking area or downloading the map so you can follow the color coded trail markers.

This was a great hike. We drove from CH and hiked for a couple hours. There's a great spot to hang a couple of hammocks by the river. Just be warned that the trails leading to and from the river are hilly. So maybe consider not bringing little ones unless you want to potentially carry them part way back to the parking lot. Its been really buggy on CH trails lately but this trail wasn't bad. Went on a week day and only saw 2 other couples. Perfect afternoon. Thanks Triangle Land Conservancy!

If you are looking for a place to walk in Nature, this is one of the best in central North Carolina. I used to visit this area back in the '80's with family and friends long before it became the White Pines Nature Preserve. It used to be called the "River Forks" Area among locals of both Lee and Chatham Counties. There are several trails that wind through the Eastern White Pines at the upper elevations down to the Bottomland Hardwood Forest next to the Rocky and Deep Rivers and their confluence. The Eastern White Pines, which give this beautiful preserve it's name are the eastern most population of this mountain species in North Carolina. There are several other mountain plants found here too. White-tailed Deer can be seen throughout the park, and if you visit during a weekday, are very quiet, and sit for 20 minutes of so, you might see a raccoon, or maybe more than one at once. Have seen Black Rat Snakes, Copperheads, Worm Snakes, and other snakes here on numerous occasions. While this is not a Wilderness, it is as good as it gets in this part of the state, and you certainly will be able to enjoy Nature here, and feel like you are getting away from asphalt, parking lots, concrete, and drywall.

They have added a new parking area and additional trails, now totaling about 7-8 miles. Was a bit wet in places but with record rainfall the last year was not bad and will soon dry completely. TLC has done a nice job of keeping the land as natural looking as possible while establishing a trail system for for a variety of different uses. Looking forward to seeing the rhododendrons blooming in May and being able to get on the lower trails along Rocky River... Great to have these areas being preserved for future generations. Thanks to TLC and Chatham County, as well as all other interested persons who have made this and other nature preserves possible.

My family of four( 4 and 7 yr old) did the ENTIRE loop around in 2 hrs.. they hate me right now but I got some amazing pictures and even added a stone to the cairn obviously started by others like myself BLESSED BE & SLANGE!! I will be going back by myself or with friends next time... It was to. Long for the kiddos!!! 🤣🤣🤣Ooooops! Definitely going back before we PCS.

So beautiful! Loved the 2 mile hike I did. Look around for angular quartz chunks, there are some really nice specimens littered around the trail.

Multiple trails from the parking area are well-marked and maintained. Trails will intersect at different points which allows the visitor to extend the hike or return to the lot. There is a quick trail to a canoe drop-off point and launch area. Lookout points have benches. We liked the elevation changes and various White Pines towering into the canopy. There is an Eastern Ironwood tree along one of the paths. Look for it !

Beautiful and secluded nature preserve for a few white pines that thrive in this unique microclimate. There are two small parking areas on the gravel road that leads to the trail head. The trail along the river is very quiet. Watch out for thorny plants and look for the belted woodpeckers.

Well marked trails, lovely scenery, and the rivers won't disappoint. For now it's a quiet place but I don't think many people know about it.
A bit hard to get to, but that makes the adventure all the more enjoyable.

The trails are well marked and maintained this is a beautiful place to hike.

Lots of trails. Love sitting where rocky and deep rivers come together. Hike the bluffs... gorgeous overlook spot.

Really pretty, well marked trails. You have to drive on the gravel for a while, but just keep following signs for "parking lot".

Super fun trails and a really awesome hidden gem! Needs a little more maintenance, but a really fun park.