Hike Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge

Piedmont NWR was established in 1939 as a "combination wildlife and game-management demonstration area" to demonstrate that wildlife could be restored on worn out, eroded lands. The vast forest which reigned supreme for eons had been cleared by European settlers in the early 1800's. Cotton became king and farming robbed the soil of its natural fertility. The loss of forest, with its soil stabilizing root system, led to massive erosion problems. The Civil War, the boll weevil and the Great Depression combined to cause large scale abandonment during the Dust Bowl Era. Few wildlife species and sparce timber remained in the early 1900's. Today, through the efforts of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the 35,000 acre wildlife refuge is once again a forest. It hosts loblolly pines on the ridges with hardwoods found along creek bottoms an in scattered upland coves. Clear streams and beaver ponds provide ideal wetlands for migrating waterfowl. Wildlife populations have been restored, many in greater numbers than when settlers first arrived. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge now serves as a model forest ecosystem management for wildlife. There are many reminders of the homes and settlers that once were scattered throughout the area on the Refuge. Length: 5.5 miles. Bring the usual: water, snacks, bug spray, etc.