Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
Encyclopedia
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is a joint project between the North Carolina state park system and the Town of Cary
in Wake County
, North Carolina
in the United States
. Located in Cary, it covers approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) in the Research Triangle region of the state. The state owns 97 acre (0.39254542 km²) of the preserve, known as Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area. The Town of Cary owns approximately 42 acre (0.16996812 km²) of the preserve, and the town leases the state's land for management. The preserve protects a population of Eastern Hemlock
trees and other vegetation more typically found further west, in the Appalachian Mountains
. The tall, north-facing bluffs
of Swift Creek
provide conditions similar enough to the mountains to have allowed the plant communities to have survived here since the last ice age
.
The Stevens Nature Center is a nature center
located on Cary's portion of the preserve, which provides the preserve's core visitor facilities. It provides information about the natural history of the area and the plants and animals that live in the Nature Preserve.
The preserve has approximately 3 miles of hiking
trails.
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
in Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in Cary, it covers approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) in the Research Triangle region of the state. The state owns 97 acre (0.39254542 km²) of the preserve, known as Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area. The Town of Cary owns approximately 42 acre (0.16996812 km²) of the preserve, and the town leases the state's land for management. The preserve protects a population of Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
trees and other vegetation more typically found further west, in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The tall, north-facing bluffs
Bluff
Bluff may refer to:* a type of deception* an empty boast-Geography:* a very steep and broad hill or small cliff, frequently next to a river or ocean*feeder bluffAustralia* Bluff, Queensland, a town in QueenslandCanada...
of Swift Creek
Swift Creek
Swift Creek is a creek in western Wyoming. Swift Creek rises in the Salt River Range and initially runs north before turning sharply westward. The creek then winds down through Swift Creek Canyon and passes through the town of Afton, Wyoming before emptying into the Salt River....
provide conditions similar enough to the mountains to have allowed the plant communities to have survived here since the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
The Stevens Nature Center is a nature center
Nature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
located on Cary's portion of the preserve, which provides the preserve's core visitor facilities. It provides information about the natural history of the area and the plants and animals that live in the Nature Preserve.
The preserve has approximately 3 miles of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails.
External links
- Friends of Hemlock Bluffs
- Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve Trail Map
- Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
- Stevens Nature Center
- Harold D. Ritter Park is adjacent to the preserve's northern boundary.