Hiking at Brumley North

• Dates we visited: Various dates in January & February
• Posted length: Multiple trail options, 2.9 miles total
• Total miles tracked: Varied, see below
• Type of Trail: Dirt hiking trail
• Conveniences:  Parking
• Best Features:  Well-marked trails, varied terrain in a small area
• Worst Features: No bathrooms or water
• Wildlife spotted: Ducks, rabbits, and occasionally deer
• Vegetation: Daffodils, hardwoods, pines, cedars 
• Associated Website:
• https://www.triangleland.org/explore/nature-preserves/brumley-forest-nature-preserve
• Primary Author: James

Most of these blog posts try to capture a single visit, but Brumley North is worth a mention because it's a site we go to repeatedly to get in short hikes after Cheryl gets off from work. In January and early February, when the sun sets before 6, Brumley North is a convenient destination to get to a little after 5:00 and still work in a hike of a mile or two.

Note that there are two Brumley Forest Nature preserve parking lots. Brumley North is the one off Highway 10. The parking lot isn't gated, so even though the preserve closes at sunset, you don't have to deal with the paranoia about getting locked in if your hike runs a little long. Which is great, since Brumley has a couple of good places to watch sunsets.

There's a site map at the parking lot showing the various trails. Most are under a mile but can be linked together. Nearly every trail makes a loop that intersects with other loops. It's easy to adjust the length of your hike as needed, adding on another mile or half mile if you've got the daylight. The trails are plainly marked. Some follow old farm roads, while others just meander through the trees.

 

Brumley used to be a working farm, and there's evidence of its previous life scattered throughout the preserve. February is a prime time for daffodils that mark the sites of now vanished structures. When Cheryl and I spot them blooming in the woods, we know that if we start poking around we'll find rock foundations or maybe the remnants of a tin roof. 

For a fairly small hiking area, Brumley North has a nice variety of scenery. There are open, grassy fields, creeks and ponds, forests, wetlands, and some of the trails take you along side an active railroad line. You can hike here three times in a week and get a different experience each time. You should definitely check it out if you're in the area! 

#hillsborough

#hiking

#Brumley

#trianglelandconservancy