This Land, Your Land

A free festival Sunday afternoon offers a look at what is to eventually become the open park area at Haw River State Park in Browns Summit near Greensboro.

The festival is set for 1 to 4 p.m. on a 692-acre tract just west of the state park’s Summit Environmental Education Center. The land is to be developed into traditional park amenities, such as hiking trails and picnic grounds, beginning in 2013.

Sunday afternoon's activities will include hayrides and hikes across the property to Haw River wetlands, a turtle scavenger hunt, a campfire, storytelling and crafts.

Get to the festival though a temporary park entrance at the end of Oak Arbor Road, off N.C. 150, just west of Northern Elementary School.

Haw River State Park encompasses 1,374 acres in Guilford and Rockingham counties. In addition to an environmental education center, the park has an entrance road and parking area, a network of hiking trails, restroom facilities and picnic grounds. Work has begun on an extensive loop trail and design of the park’s entrance road.

So far the facilities are only open to organized groups that make reservations for use of the environmental education center. The rest of the park will only open to the general public after interim facilities have been completed, a news release said.