Calloway Forest Preserve

Calloway Forest contains excellent examples of open, fire-maintained, longleaf pine forest. Much of the preserve consists of mature, 80-100 year-old longleaf pines with a dense wiregrass understory. Visitors can walk along many miles of roads accessing the remainder of the preserve. Hunting is allowed on the preserve in certain seasons. A 0.5-mile loop provides formal access into the recently opened Calloway Community Nature Park. The trail highlights upland longleaf pine sandhills and streamhead pocosin wetlands. Leave from the parking area parallel to the vehicle access road after visiting the informational kiosk. Hiker and nature information is on the trail side of the kiosk; hunting information is on the vehicle access side. The path crosses the vehicle access road and passes a picnic area before the loop splits. In either direction, visitors will experience the dry sandhills longleaf forest before crossing through the streamhead pocosin wetland along two simple boardwalks. Keep an eye out for Red-cockaded Woodpecker activity and listen for Northern Bobwhite and Bachman's Sparrow, among others. Directions: From Fayetteville or Raeford, take US 211 West. Look for Calloway Road on the left. The park is on the right, a tenth of a mile past Calloway Road. From Aberdeen, take US 211 East. The park entrance is on the left, three miles past the B.P. gas station.