900 Acres of Old-Growth Longleaf Pine, Five Minutes from the Village
Free
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Weymouth Woods is the quiet, free morning that connects the Sandhills landscape to its ecological history. The 900-acre preserve south of Southern Pines holds some of the oldest remaining longleaf pines in the Sandhills, with trees estimated up to 500 years old. The longleaf ecosystem once covered millions of acres across the Southeast and survives here in one of its most intact examples.
Walk the well-maintained loops through pine forest, small streams, and the wiregrass and wildflower understory that defines a longleaf community. Birding is productive, and the federally listed red-cockaded woodpecker nests in the preserve. The Exhibit Hall provides ecological and historical context. The longleaf pines that frame the fairways at Mid Pines and Pine Needles are the same species that dominates here, and once you know the forest, the courses look different on the way back.
Free admission. 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Preserve open daily 8 a.m. to sunset, closed Christmas. Exhibit Hall 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails are level to gently rolling, so comfortable walking shoes are enough. Bring insect repellent in summer.