Display Gardens Open
Our main display gardens in Chapel Hill are open for outdoor visitation as of Tuesday, August 18. We are taking extensive precautions to make sure the Garden is a safe place to visit, and we need your help to keep it safe for everyone. If you visit, we ask you to follow these safety precautions:
Check yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 before you visit.
These include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, loss of sense of taste or smell, congestion, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms apart from existing health conditions, please do not visit. Come see us when you are symptom-free. Read more on the CDC website.
Bring a face covering.
You will need to wear it to enter the restroom or if you’re unable to maintain six feet of distance from anyone you’re not isolating with.
Keep your distance.
Please stay at least six feet away from other visitors, volunteers and staff. Before starting down a narrow path, check for others ahead of you and be prepared to wait in a more open area for them to pass by.
Our nature trails and preserves are also open, including the Piedmont Nature Trails, Coker Arboretum, Battle Park, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Parker Preserve, and Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve.
Watch our land managers’ video about social distancing on our trails.
Piedmont Nature Trails
This 88-acre forest behind our display gardens is bustling with life. Come explore! Three miles of trails follow creeks and wind around hills. Look for critters in Morgan Creek, and check for wildflowers along the paths.
Coker Arboretum
This 5-acre gem on the UNC campus is now open to the public. We ask that you follow standard safety precautions so we can keep the Arboretum open and safe for everyone. Note that guidelines and restrictions may change according to UNC policies as time goes on.
Battle Park
Walking trails wind through this old-growth forest on the edge of the UNC campus. Most of this 93-acre forest has been around since before European settlement in the 1700s: it has never been clear-cut.
Mason Farm Biological Reserve
A two-mile loop trail circles this 367-acre wildlife preserve and natural area in Chapel Hill, home to over 800 species of plants, 216 species of birds, 29 species of mammals, 28 species of fish, 28 species of reptiles, 23 species of amphibians, and 67 species of butterflies.
Parker Preserve
This 127-acre tract crosses oak-hickory forests pine woods. Look for signs of 18th century home sites as you walk! A trail connects Parker Preserve to Mason Farm Biological Reserve.