Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve

Horseshoe Farm's rich natural and cultural resources as well as public input led to the concept of a nature preserve. This concept guided the overall planning principle with the intent to preserve the existing character of the property and minimize the environmental impacts to the site.

The preserve was developed using sustainable practices and was selected by the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) to participate in a new program testing the nation’s first rating system for green landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Sustainable features such minimizing site disturbance, eliminating the need to be connected to public utilities, implementing the City's first compost restroom facility, providing on-site stormwater management, protecting wetlands and riparian buffers, using native plants, regional materials, permeable pavement, and solar lighting are employed at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve. We are pleased to have earned SITES certification at a two-star rating.

There are two distinct natural surface trails at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve:
The Meadow Loop Trail is approximately .9 miles long and runs along the wood line and the edge of the lower meadow. This trail loops around much of the open space at the preserve.

The River Walk Trail is approximately .6 miles long and it takes users through the bottomland hardwood floodplain/levee system, down to the Neuse River, and back to the lower section of the Meadow Loop Trail.
A paved connector trail leads to the Neuse River section of the greenway from the preserve’s restroom building.

Features:
Programs and Volunteering
ecoEXPLORE HotSpot
Nature Quest
Trails
Sustainability
Shelter
Hours
Farmhouse is open on the second Sunday of every month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve closing changes monthly. They open daily at 7 a.m. See closing times on the website.