Chestnut Hills Preserve
Nature preserve
57 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Gerton
Few parks or trails are on the map in Gerton
40% of Gerton’s land is conserved, about 942 acres. 327 acres are parks and preserves, 2,970 per 1,000 residents. 9.4 miles of mapped trail cross Gerton, 2.5 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
40%
942 acres · of 3.7 sq mi of land
Trails
9.4 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
327 ac
2,970 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
38%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,780 ft
Blue Ridge Pastures
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
942 conserved acres
40% of Gerton’s land. Who manages Gerton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits384 ac
Other state land106 ac
State natural resources72 ac
Not recorded598 ac
Private Conservation · 452 acUnknown Easement · 252 acState Other or Unknown · 146 acRanch Easement · 117 acOther Easement · 98 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 344 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 18 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserving Carolina - Florence Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 324 | Unknown |
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 107 | Restricted |
| Conserving Carolina - Wildcat Rock Private Conservation | Not recorded | 101 | Closed |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 39 | Restricted |
| Conserving Carolina - Chimney View Private Conservation | Not recorded | 24 | Unknown |
| Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy - Strawberry Gap Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 3 | Closed |
Things to do
7 places to go in Gerton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Waterfalls in Gerton
Little Bearwallow Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Gerton
Rattlesnake Knob Observation Point
DirectionsWildcat Rock Overlook
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Gerton
Blue Ridge Pastures3,780 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Gerton
Creekside Mountain Camping
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.2 mi
Wildcat Rock Trail3.2 mi
Strawberry Gap Trail1.1 mi
Bearwallow Mountain Trail0.3 mi
Orange Spur Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Gerton: April to 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) | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 47 | 54 | 63 | 70 | 75 | 78 | 77 | 72 | 63 | 54 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 5.5 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.7 |
February is the driest month (4.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 5.8 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Gerton →
Questions about parks and trails in Gerton
Are dogs allowed on Gerton’s trails?
Chestnut Hills Preserve doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gerton?
8,333 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gerton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 327 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gerton 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 →