Reservoir Park
Managed by Town of Southern Pines
184 acres2.4 mi of trail
David R White GreenwayForest Creek Access Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Southern Pines
Southern Pines has 31 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Reservoir Park (2.4 mi). 454 acres are parks and preserves, 28 per 1,000 residents. 8% of Southern Pines’ land is conserved, about 901 acres.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #26 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
901 acres · of 18.4 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
454 ac
28 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
60%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.1 mi
1.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Southern Pines?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Southern Pines have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Southern Pines is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #26 of 290 in North Carolina. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Southern Pines’ overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land28 acres of park per 1,000 residents (454 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home60% of residents within a half mile of a park · NC 51% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 91%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Reservoir Park, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve
Managed by North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
114 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Memorial Park
Managed by Southern Pines
15 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Reservoir Park184 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Town of Southern Pines
DirectionsWeymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve114 acres · North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMemorial Park15 acres · Southern Pines
Campbell House Park12 acres
J. Pleasant "Hines" Park5 acres · Southern Pines Parks & Recreation
Downtown Park4 acres
DirectionsElizabeth High Rounds Park3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
901 conserved acres
8% of Southern Pines’ land. Who manages Southern Pines’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County303 ac
Joint302 ac
State natural resources195 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits156 ac
Town or city47 ac
State conservation2 ac
Not recorded478 ac
Unknown Easement · 456 acLocal Park · 328 acLocal Recreation Area · 217 acOther Easement · 195 acLocal Other or Unknown · 168 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 352 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 40 of 48 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County Park Local Park | County | 303 | Open |
| Town of Southern Pines - Reservoir Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 196 | Unknown |
| Town of Southern Pines Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 147 | Unknown |
| Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve State Park | Not recorded | 114 | Open |
| Morganton Road Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Moore County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
| Campbell House Grounds Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Armory Field Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Douglas Community Center Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Town of Carthage Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2 | Unknown |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in Southern Pines
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Southern Pines
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Southern Pines
Martin Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Southern Pines
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Southern Pines
Falls Overlook Structure
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
David R White Greenway2.1 mi
Mill Creek Greenway0.7 mi
Forest Creek Trail0.7 mi
Sandhills Horticultural Gardens Path0.6 mi
Nick's Creek Greenway0.5 mi
Forest Creek Access Trail0.4 mi
Longleaf Trail0.4 mi
Upland Trail0.2 mi
Warrior Woods Private Access0.2 mi
Tall Timbers Greenway0.2 mi
2 more trails
The Desmond Native Wetland Trail
0.1 miThe Conifer Garden Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
40Tennis
15Pickleball
10Baseball
9Soccer
9Basketball
2Golf
2Beach volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
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.
James Boyd HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itSouthern Pines Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itShaw HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itWest Southern Pines SchoolBuilding · listed 2023
About itAmos Broadway BuildingBuilding · listed 2025
About itTrinity AME Zion ChurchBuilding · listed 2025
About itOur Lady of Victory Catholic ParishBuilding · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Southern Pines: April and May
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 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 57 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 83 | 74 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.2 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Southern Pines →
Next door
Southern Pines and its neighbors
Southern Pines has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pines | 8% | 1.7 | 28 | 60% | A− |
| Aberdeen | 4% | under 0.1 | 11 | 65% | C+ |
| Carthage | 6% | 0.2 | 22 | 43% | B− |
| Pinehurst | 1% | 0.5 | 14 | 26% | C+ |
| Whispering Pines | 14% | 4.1 | 6 | 87% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Southern Pines
Where can I hike in Southern Pines?
The longest trail networks: Reservoir Park, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Southern Pines is conserved land?
8% of its land, against a typical 3% for a North Carolina town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Southern Pines’ trails?
Reservoir Park and Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Southern Pines?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Southern Pines?
8,546 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Southern Pines or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 454 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Southern Pines have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #26 of 290 in North Carolina. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Southern Pines 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 →