Features of the Trail
The Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail has been designated as a National Recreation Trail (NRT), a program that is part of the National Trails System, and coordinated by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and American Trails.
The trail is part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, a collection of noteworthy birding locations all over the state. Bird watchers have identified more than 190 species of woodland and grassland birds, and waterfowl along the trail. The varied habitat attracts woodland birds, such as warblers and woodpeckers; grassland birds, such as meadowlarks, bluebirds, and hawks; and waterfowl, such as herons, kingfishers, and geese.
It’s also an official stop on the North Carolina Butterfly Highway, a statewide conservation restoration initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats to areas impacted by urbanization, land use change and agriculture across North Carolina. There are two wildflower gardens and butterfly bushes at the start of the trail, and numerous wildflowers abound, including mountain laurel beside Lake Betsy, rhododendron along the woodland trail, and springtime flowers at the Summer House.
The area surrounding and along the trail is a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, providing the four components of wildlife habitat – food, water, cover and places to raise young – and being maintained in a natural, sustainable way.
The trail is part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, a collection of noteworthy birding locations all over the state. Bird watchers have identified more than 190 species of woodland and grassland birds, and waterfowl along the trail. The varied habitat attracts woodland birds, such as warblers and woodpeckers; grassland birds, such as meadowlarks, bluebirds, and hawks; and waterfowl, such as herons, kingfishers, and geese.
It’s also an official stop on the North Carolina Butterfly Highway, a statewide conservation restoration initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats to areas impacted by urbanization, land use change and agriculture across North Carolina. There are two wildflower gardens and butterfly bushes at the start of the trail, and numerous wildflowers abound, including mountain laurel beside Lake Betsy, rhododendron along the woodland trail, and springtime flowers at the Summer House.
The area surrounding and along the trail is a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, providing the four components of wildlife habitat – food, water, cover and places to raise young – and being maintained in a natural, sustainable way.
Trail History
The Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail (CPWT) was the created in 1997 by Dr. Joe French, superintendent of Upper Piedmont Research Station (UPRS), and his staff for the benefit of the public. The UPRS is one of 18 research stations across the state, within the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (NCDA&CS) Research Stations Division, in partnership with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University and School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at NC A&T State University. The trail lies within the station's 900 acres of land that includes pastures, grasslands, crop and rotational land, where you'll see the descendants of an historic herd of Black Angus cattle. This area also contains hundreds of acres of native hard wood trees, as well as Carroll Creek, a tributary of the Wolf Island Creek watershed.
Volunteers from the Rockingham County Naturalist Club and the Dan River Basin Association worked tirelessly with the UPRS in the early years to help form the trail you see today. In 2010 the Friends of Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail (FCPWT) formed its own organization, and still relies on volunteers and the generous assistance from the UPRS to maintain and improve the trail. Donations from individuals and community organizations have truly made keeping the trail a community effort. Generous grants from the Reidsville Area Foundation, American Partners Credit Union, Pella Rolscreen Foundation, and the state of North Carolina have funded major improvements to the trail, parking lot, boardwalks, and historic structures adjacent to the trail. In 2024, the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation at North Carolina State University partnered with FCPWT to become the trail's fiscal agent.
Volunteers from the Rockingham County Naturalist Club and the Dan River Basin Association worked tirelessly with the UPRS in the early years to help form the trail you see today. In 2010 the Friends of Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail (FCPWT) formed its own organization, and still relies on volunteers and the generous assistance from the UPRS to maintain and improve the trail. Donations from individuals and community organizations have truly made keeping the trail a community effort. Generous grants from the Reidsville Area Foundation, American Partners Credit Union, Pella Rolscreen Foundation, and the state of North Carolina have funded major improvements to the trail, parking lot, boardwalks, and historic structures adjacent to the trail. In 2024, the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation at North Carolina State University partnered with FCPWT to become the trail's fiscal agent.
Guidelines of the Trail
The guidelines of the Trail are simple and designed to improve everyone's enjoyment.
The Trail is only for walkers, joggers, people with strollers, and people with motorized wheelchairs--no cycles, horses, or motorized vehicles.
Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Please pick up your dog's poop (there are bags at the trailhead) and deposit them in the trash can. You can always tie the bag to your dog's collar and let him/her carry it!
Please take out all trash that you bring to the Trail. Thank you for picking up any stray litter. Trash cans and recycling bins are provided at the trailhead.
Please respect the wildlife--keep your distance and do not feed the animals.
Please leave the flowers for others to enjoy.
The Trail is only for walkers, joggers, people with strollers, and people with motorized wheelchairs--no cycles, horses, or motorized vehicles.
Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Please pick up your dog's poop (there are bags at the trailhead) and deposit them in the trash can. You can always tie the bag to your dog's collar and let him/her carry it!
Please take out all trash that you bring to the Trail. Thank you for picking up any stray litter. Trash cans and recycling bins are provided at the trailhead.
Please respect the wildlife--keep your distance and do not feed the animals.
Please leave the flowers for others to enjoy.
