Walnut Bottoms
Park
38 acres1.1 mi of trail
Black Walnut Bottoms Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Bethania Historic District · Photo: Ceh2624 · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Bethania
20% of Bethania’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Walnut Bottoms (1.1 mi), God's Acre Buffer (0.6 mi), Old Orchards (0.6 mi). 20% of Bethania’s land is conserved, about 85 acres.
Conserved land
20%
85 acres · of 0.7 sq mi of land
Trails
2.5 mi
3.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
90 ac
203 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Walnut Bottoms, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
God's Acre Buffer
Park
20 acres0.6 mi of trail
Graveyard Hill TrailUpland Field Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Old Orchards
Park
17 acres0.6 mi of trail
Orchard Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Muddy Creek Trail Corridor
Park
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
85 conserved acres
20% of Bethania’s land. Who manages Bethania’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources15 ac
Other state land7 ac
Not recorded90 ac
State Historic or Cultural Area · 83 acState Conservation Area · 15 acState Other or Unknown · 7 acUnknown Easement · 7 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 4 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Bethania State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 83 | Unknown |
| Graveyard Trail State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 15 | Open |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
Trails & water
4 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.5 mi
Black Walnut Bottoms Trail1.2 mi
Orchard Trail0.5 mi
Graveyard Hill Trail0.3 mi
Upland Field Loop Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bethania: April to June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 49 | 53 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 71 | 60 | 52 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.3 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Bethania →
Questions about parks and trails in Bethania
Where can I hike in Bethania?
The longest trail networks: Walnut Bottoms, 1.1 miles; God's Acre Buffer, 0.6 miles; Old Orchards, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Bethania’s trails?
Walnut Bottoms and God's Acre Buffer don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bethania?
4,614 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bethania or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 90 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bethania neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →