Zoo Tales

COME HIKE AND EXPLORE THE TRAILS AT THE NC ZOO

Photos provided by the NC Zoo

The North Carolina Zoo has offered recreational opportunities to guests since opening its doors in 1974. But did you know that the Zoo currently provides over six miles of fantastic trails accessible to the public? No matter what level of hiker you may be - brand new to hiking or a trailblazing expert - with nearly five miles of trails on Purgatory Mountain (the main Zoo property) and 1.6 miles at Ridge's Mountain Nature Preserve, there's a hike to suit your needs and preferences. Hiking provides the perfect opportunity to explore new terrain and get some fresh air and exercise. Hiking our trails additionally gives you an opportunity to experience the unique biological, geological, and historical features of these local lands.

Our trails and the land they run through.

The North Carolina Zoo is committed to protecting 2,000 acres of land for conservation, education, and recreation. These protected lands encompass diverse ecosystems with rare natural communities such as old-growth longleaf pine forests, monadnock forest, or upland pools, that can be found on our property at Purgatory Mountain. There are several offsite nature preserves where native wildlife thrive under the conservation efforts we provide them every day. The Zoo’s lands are home to native wildlife, and we proudly work to preserve these lands as they also protect dispersal corridors that allow bobcats, foxes, deer, songbirds, and other species to use when they need passage through the area. The Zoo recently hosted a grand opening celebration of the completed Purgatory Mountain Trail Network. This network began nearly 20 years ago with a single trail that followed an old logging road. Since then, the Zoo has expanded this network to nearly five miles, including 2.5 miles developed since 2019. Many hard-working staff and volunteers have helped make this possible, along with several grants that funded a professional trail builder. These trails on Purgatory Mountain vary in length giving you options for either taking a quick walk or taking a day to explore all the trails and getting in almost five miles of

hiking exercise. From our shortest trail being just under 1/4 mile long to our longest trail at 1.5 miles long, you get to choose how much you want to explore. We also have a handicapped-accessible trail that has wheelchairfriendly terrain for those who want to hike and need ease of accessibility. All of these trails are accessible from the North America Parking lot at no charge any day that the Zoo is open to the public.

More trails to come.

We are not stopping there! Over the next few years, you can expect to see many more new trails added to our current trail network. The Zoo plans to increase opportunities to explore its protected areas by adding 12 miles to its trail systems. The Zoo’s Trail Team, made up of staff members from across the Zoo, is spearheading these efforts and is hard at work building new trails and improving and maintaining existing trails. Some of our Trail Team members have completed specific training courses that give them specialized skills for designing and building sustainable trails using hand tools and mechanized equipment. One piece of equipment, a micro-excavator recently purchased by the Zoo, greatly contributes to our trailbuilding efforts. The excavator comes in handy for clearing debris from the trail corridor, excavating the trail tread, and shaping the trail to ensure proper water runoff. The excavator drastically speeds up trail construction. Using this equipment reduces the amount of hard work that needs to be done by hand. What are you waiting for? Come visit and explore! If you’re looking for a great outdoor adventure, the North Carolina Zoo is definitely worth checking out. With more than 2,000 acres of protected land, there are plenty of trails to explore. And if you want to learn more about the animals that live in these habitats, be sure to swing by the Zoo. We hope you have fun exploring the trails at the North Carolina Zoo!

Micro-excavator recently purchased by the NC Zoo working on the trails