Waterfall Hero Hikes: Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is a 140-acre preserve in Wake County, North Carolina. Most of the land is owned by the State Park as Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area. The town of Cary owns the rest and leases the state's land to operate as a nature preserve and environmental education center in the Research Triangle. The preserve protects unusually steep bluffs above Swift Creek that are home to a population of Eastern hemlock, normally found in the mountains at higher elevations. The Stevens Center at Hemlock Bluffs has educational exhibits on the natural and human history of the area. There are about 3 miles of mulched trails and boardwalks that lead throughout the preserve.

Contact Information:

2616 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC 27518

Phone: (919) 387-5980

Map:

Trails:

There are about 3 miles of trails in the preserve as well as access to the Cary Greenway trails.

Beech Tree Cove Trail

Length: 0.9 miles

Beech Tree Cove Trail splits from Chestnut Oak Loop Trail to make a smaller loop and provide access to Beech Tree Cove Overlook.

Chestnut Oak Loop Trail

Length: 1.2 miles

Chestnut Oak Loop Trail makes a loop around the western part of the preserve.

Swift Creek Loop Trail

Length: 0.8 miles

Swift Creek descends the eastern bluffs and makes a loop along Swift Creek and its floodplain.

West Hemlock Overlook

Length: 0.7 miles

West Hemlock Overlook Trail piggybacks on Beech Tree Cove Trail and descends to the overlook on the west side of the bluff.

Points of Interest:

Beech Tree Cove Overlook

An overlook of Beech Cove on Swift Creek.

Chestnut Oak Overlook

An overlook above a tributary of Swift Creek on the west side of the preserve.

East Hemlock Bluffs Overlook

View of the bluffs from the stairs on Swift Creek Loop Trail.

West Hemlock Bluffs Overlook

View of the bluffs from the west side.

Wildlife:

One of the most unique species found in the preserve is the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Normally, these trees are found in the mountains, but the steep north-facing bluffs along Swift Creek provide a montane microclimate that supports the Hemlock right in the middle of Cary.

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis)

The Swift Creek floodplain support a great number of wildflowers. Eastern spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring.