900 Acres of Old-Growth Longleaf Pine, Five Minutes from the Village
Weymouth Woods protects 900 acres of longleaf pine forest south of Southern Pines at 1024 Fort Bragg Road. The preserve contains some of the oldest remaining longleaf pines in the Sandhills, including trees estimated at up to 500 years old. The ecosystem that once covered millions of acres across the Southeast survives here in one of its most intact examples.
The trail system is well maintained and accessible. Several loops of varying length pass through the pine forest, across small streams, and past the understory of wiregrass and wildflowers that characterise the longleaf community. Birding is productive; the red-cockaded woodpecker, a federally listed species that nests in old-growth longleaf, is present in the preserve.
The Exhibit Hall, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., provides context for the ecology and the history of the longleaf ecosystem. Admission to the preserve and the hall is free. The preserve is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, closed only on Christmas.
For visitors whose primary exposure to the Sandhills has been through golf course corridors, Weymouth Woods provides a different perspective on the same landscape. The longleaf pines that frame the fairways at Mid Pines and Pine Needles are the same species that dominates here, and understanding the forest changes how the golf courses look on the return trip.
Free admission. Located at 1024 Fort Bragg Rd, Southern Pines. Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. Exhibit Hall 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Christmas. Trails are level to gently rolling. Comfortable walking shoes recommended. Insect repellent useful in summer months.
The old-growth longleaf pine. These trees predate the golf courses, the resort, and the village by centuries. The preserve offers a quiet, free morning activity that connects the Sandhills landscape to its ecological history.