George and Julia Brumley Family Nature Preserve

Pond Brumley Forest Nature Preserve Orange County NC

If it has recently rained, please check for a RED trail alert banner at the top of this page. This banner will communicate which trails are closed. Trail status can also be found online by visiting Triangle MTB or TORC. Please help us prevent erosion by respecting trail closings. Do not enter Brumley South or park along the side of the road if the gate and trails are closed.

Entrances

  • Brumley South New Hope Church entrance: 3055 New Hope Church Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514
  • Brumley South University Station entrance: 3801 University Station Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
  • Brumley North entrance: 3620 Old State Hwy 10, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

About The George and Julia Brumley Family Nature Preserve

In the 1990s, a “rural village” with stores, hundreds of homes and a golf course was planned for this area off of New Hope Church Road. Orange County citizens organized vigorous opposition and eventually stopped the ambitious project. George and Julia Brumley were passionate about land conservation and purchased the land to manage it for conservation and for traditional uses like forestry, farming, and hunting. After the Brumleys’ unfortunate passing, the Zeist Foundation sold the property in 2010 to Triangle Land Conservancy. Brumley was purchased with the help of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Warner Foundation, the City of Raleigh, the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative, and the Pearson Stewart Land Opportunity Fund established through TLC’s Our Water, Our Land campaign.

The George and Julia Brumley Family Nature Preserve is a 673-acre compilation of mature and healthy hardwood, young pine, and alluvial forests surrounding streams, wetlands, ponds, small elds, and the ruins of several homes. The Brumley Nature Preserve is a model for sustainable land management practices. It also benefits the region by connecting people with the land through a variety of recreational and educational opportunities, protecting ecological communities, and safeguarding Raleigh’s water supply as part of the Neuse River Basin. The preserve is located in western Orange County, approximately 2 miles southeast of the town of Hillsborough.

The Healing Labyrinth

The “Healing Labyrinth” at Brumley is a place for reflection, meditation, and restoration. It is currently a work in progress, as we add the finishing touches. There are now two trails from the parking lot that lead directly past it at the intersection of Stoney Creek and Cemetery Connector trails. If you’re familiar with Brumley North, it’s by the cemetery, about 100 yards into the property.  Please visit this page for more information.

Map

Brumley Trail Map, Updated April 2022

View trail map as a PDF


The preserve is open every day from dawn to dusk. Please follow all posted signs.

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