Some say all publicity is good publicity and that’s especially true of good publicity – which is exactly what the Guilford County Parks Department is getting from the “North Carolina Weekend” show on PBS.
The show highlights some of the state’s best attractions.
County officials were very pleased to find that Guilford County’s own Company Mill Preserve would be featured in the first episode of PBS’s weekend series focusing on the “Year of the Trail.”
In the past decade, county parks staff has put in a whole lot of time and effort enhancing Company Mill Preserve, which was highlighted in the episode along with the Fonta Flora State Trail and Elkin Valley trails.
In the piece, Company Mill Preserve is called a “really wonderful spot,” and the scenic bridges and old mill are highlighted.
This Preserve in southern Guilford County is 240 acres of scenic outdoor land next to Hagan-Stone Park. According to county parks officials, this preserve was “uniquely designed to provide outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to view the multitude of wildlife and historical structures that can be found along the trail.”
The first phase of development of the trail system at Company Mill featured natural elements along with historical attractions. It opened in 2017.
The second phase was completed in 2019.
Walking the trail is considered “moderately challenging” and hikers will “immediately feel immersed in nature.”
The trail is open year-round. Dogs are welcome – however, you must keep Fido on a leash.
Parking is available at Hagan-Stone Park at the end of Cedar Road.
During 2023, PBS is highlighting 10 trails from across the state. Shows can be seen at video.pbsnc.org as well as on PBS.
The NC General Assembly has designated 2023 as the “Year of the Trail,” and the year is being used to celebrate North Carolina’s extensive network of greenways and blueways that help lure a lot of outdoorsy visitors to the state each year.
The Year of the Trail – an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition– is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina’s history.
The PBS series showcases the state’s diverse landscapes – everything from mountaintop views to small river banks, coastal forests and a constantly growing statewide greenway.
Guilford and Greensboro’s trail system, started in the late 1990s when the citizens overwhelmingly approved bond issues to purchase open space and watershed land, has been a resounding success for the community. More delightful trails are being regularly added, lakeside and through the woods; there are now dozens, including those at Hagan Stone. It is the best group of trails in the state, a boon to Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages..
It’s sad that such a lovely rural place with these lovely trails for hiking has a huge highway running right next to it so the ambiance of natural sounds is drowned out by the cacophony of constant traffic. A dear friend once owned the land across the road from this wildland and the beautiful area was so remote, beautiful, and calming, as was the area that I live in in the Northeast area of Church St. and Hwy. 150E. Bad development decisions by the Board of Commissioners (who tend to be tied to real estate lawyers, developers, and construction companies) have continued to pack in housing and multi-unit structures as well as use our tax money to bribe large businesses that recruit employees from outside our county to enlarge the tax base in order to increase their wealth and self-importance believing it gives them political power. What it really has done is ruin the quality of life for those of us who live in the county. We have fewer quiet and beautiful green trails to enjoy lovely hikes on, we can’t enjoy the night sky with its stars and meteor showers, and we aren’t able to walk outside in the evening to savor the natural sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and tree frogs getting louder with the humidity, we have fewer lightening bugs to show off like fireworks at the end of May. I wish the politicians would begin to realize the damage they are doing to the people of this county by pressuring “growth” at all costs. The continued stress of a hurried life must be a major cause of the unhappiness, anger, depression, dissatisfaction that people feel as they no longer have those nice quiet evenings to walk in their small communities with their dogs, kids, cats, neighbors and enjoy the natural beauty of plants and trees all around them because it’s all being scraped off to build more, more, more.