January Trail Spotlight: Sandy Creek Park Trail Loop
Durham Parks and Recreation(DPR) joins communities across North Carolina in celebrating the 2023 Year of the Trail, a statewide campaign inviting every North Carolinian to get outside onto the trails, greenways, and blueways that stretch across the state. Each month DPR will highlight a trail and provide Durham residents with a trail focus self-guided activity. Residents are encouraged to visit the monthly Trail Spotlight and complete a self-guided activity and photo challenge for a chance to win a DPR Play More Pack! We’ll also share activities, programs, and events taking place on DPR trails all year long to make it easy and fun for residents to experience our trail network.
January Trail Spotlight: Sandy Creek Park Trail Loop
Sandy Creek Park, is a small but productive birding location. Located on the site of a long-abandoned sewage treatment plant, the 102-acre tract was being offered for sale in the early 1990s. It became a City of Durham park in 1997 following its identification as a key access parcel in the 1992 New Hope Creek corridor Master Plan. The park sits on 101.7 acres in South Durham and has a variety of natural spaces, such as woodlands, open fields, and wetlands. This makes the park optimal for bird-watching. In addition to some 100 species of birds having been sighted, there is also an abundance of other wildlife, including beavers, deer, otters, coyotes, red foxes, and turtles.
Sandy Creek Park is largely an environmental park with educational signs peppered throughout, and that’s what many children will find enjoyable. There are wetlands in the center of the park where you can spot ducks, turtles, salamanders, and herons. A wide variety of wildlife (especially birds) has been seen in the park. Some species of birds are especially visible this time of year before the trees leaf out, and many of the early spring flowers are blooming. The web pages of local organizations have posted pictures and lists of wildlife seen in the park.
The park has an observation deck and a butterfly garden, though it’s a bit early in the season to see lots of butterflies. There are also four short trails and greenways, each with a slightly different character:
- A lovely access path to Garrett Rd
- A wide, paved greenway to Pickett Rd, on the left side of the wetlands
- A nature trail encircling the rest of the wetlands, beginning and ending at two points on the greenway
- A mountain bike and pet trail that runs up and down hills, roughly parallel to the nature trail
Learn More and Follow Along:
DPR strives to ensure trails are accessible, safe, and welcoming to all residents and visitors. Learn more about current trail repairs and upcoming construction. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter by following @DPRplaymore.