At Daniel Stowe Conservancy, our promise is to help all discover their path to nature. Sometimes, this is a metaphorical path, allowing visitors to connect to nature through family-friendly events, strolling our botanical gardens or enjoying a picnic outside in The Village. Sometimes, this path to nature is just that: a path. And we’ve got plenty of them! Stowe’s 8+ mile trail system stretches across our 380-acre property and will continue growing for years to come, as outlined in our announcement last weekend of the Stowe Trail Masterplan, which includes:
- Adding around three more miles of hiking trails
- Improving and resurfacing current trails
- Unlocking lakefront access (did you know we’re on the shores of Lake Wylie?)
- Adding mountain bike trails for all skill levels.
In this post, we’re breaking down our current eight+ mile trail system at Stowe to help you plan your next outdoor adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned trail-lover with miles under your hiking sticks or getting your boots in the dirt for the first time, there is a perfect hike for you at Stowe. Let’s explore together!
Starting Your Hike
- Familiarize yourself with our new trail map. We’re in the process of updating signage across the property, so be sure you’re looking at this new map. You can access the new trail map digitally here or pick up a printed copy from The Trailhead Store.
- Determine how far you want to hike. You’re welcome to wander the trails, but we have several different hike recommendations based on mileage:
- For a one-mile hike, walk around the Big Pond Loop three times or start at the Big Pond Loop and take Worrell’s Walk to the Stowe Connector Trail. Turn left on the Connector Trail to pass The Gardens’ parking lot and take the Persimmon Trail back to the Small Pond Loop. This will bring you back to The Trailhead Store.
- For a three-mile hike, follow the one-mile instructions, but go straight on the Stowe Connector Trail. Follow the Connector Trail to turn left on the Duke Kimbrell trail. This trail will lead you around The Gardens and back to the Connector Trail on the other side of the property, eventually taking you back to the Small Pond Loop via the Boulevard Trail.
- For a six mile hike, repeat the three-mile loop!
- Make sure you’re properly prepared for your hike. We recommend taking the following steps before embarking on your adventure:
- Check the weather and dress accordingly.
- Bring enough water to stay properly hydrated, especially on hot days.
- Pack and apply sunscreen and bug spray. We’d also recommend additional sun protection on hot days, like a hat, sunglasses and/or sun-protective clothing.
- Bring a map with you, either digital or printed.
- Be sure you’re properly fueled for your hike. The Trailhead Store offers great snack options that you can grab-and-go!
- Know our trail rules and follow them. These include:
- Leave no trace; pick up after yourself (and your dog!) and don’t take anything with you.
- Speaking of dogs, all dogs must be on a leash.
- No outside alcohol is allowed on Stowe property at any time.
- No motorized vehicles on trails.
- Keep noises down, refrain from playing loud music and be respectful of other hikers.
- Bicycles yield to pedestrians.
- Determine if you need dog-friendly, stroller-friendly, bike-friendly or wheelchair-friendly trails. We’ll break this down in the next section!
When we talk about trails, you’ll see each labeled by material. Determining the type of trail can help you confirm how advanced a hike is and decide if the trail is a good fit for you. We have the following types of trail at Stowe:
- Grass – The softest option of them all – ideal for walking your dog. Avoid grass trails after heavy rains as they can get muddy.
- Concrete – A completely paved, smooth path. Ideal for wheelchairs and strollers – most commonly found in the formal botanical gardens. The Gardens are majority brick pathways for aesthetics, but are just as sturdy as concrete.
- Crushed concrete – A softer, gravel-like path, not quite as sturdy as concrete but still stroller and wheelchair-friendly. Found on most of our trails.
- Natural trail – Dirt trails require more concentration. Be careful not to trip over rocks and roots. Your shoes will probably get dirty walking on a natural trail. We’d recommend avoiding using strollers or wheelchairs on natural trails and skipping a natural trail hike after heavy rain.
Fun fact – we chose our color palette for the Daniel Stowe Conservancy brand based on the different types of trails on our property! You can learn more about that here.
View of the pond loops from The Trailhead Store
Protein bites - a great option for a trail snack from Trailhead!
Road mural by Sketching Summits leading up to the Small Pond Loop
Concrete
Crushed Concrete
Natural Trail
Free Access Trails at Stowe
View of the Large Pond Loop from the trail
The Pond Loop Trails | 0.5 miles combined | Easy | Crushed Concrete
Dog, stroller, bike and wheelchair-friendly!
As mentioned in the last section, the Pond Loop trails are a great gateway to the rest of the trails on the property. They circle around the large and small ponds behind The Village at Stowe and provide access to observation deck where hikers can stop and watch wildlife in our ponds such as birds, turtles, frogs, lizards and fish. This is a super family-friendly, fun trail and it’s great for taking a quick walk with the kids while you visit The Trailhead Store. If you want to adventure further, each pond loop connects to another trail: the Small Loop connects to the Persimmon Trail and the Big Loop connects to Worrell’s Walk.
Persimmon Trail | 0.27 miles | Crushed concrete + natural | Intermediate
Dog friendly!
This short loop through the woods provides a quick connection from The Village to The Gardens and Stowe Connector Trail. Some steep spots may present a challenge for beginners or those using wheelchairs or strollers. We wouldn’t recommend using mountain bikes on this trail. This is a quick, scenic hike through the woods, providing vibrant, woodsy scenery and thriving wildlife. We encourage you to take your time and be present in nature, as Persimmon is home to many different types of trees. See if you can spot Native Oaks, Beeches, Eastern Red Cedars, Tulip Poplars and American Hollies. You’ll likely hear the chirp of birds as you stroll. Look for Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, Cedar Waxwings and Tufted Titmice.
The Persimmon Trail is also the location of the longest-standing citizen science program at Stowe. Our Trail Plant Phenology Group, made of a dedicated bunch of volunteers, meet weekly to monitor around 31 different species weekly to track phenological changes. These observations are submitted to the National Phenology Network, contributing critical data to national climate change research. Additionally, the Bluebird Phenology group tracks the nesting and hatching activity of Eastern Bluebirds across approximately 50 nestboxes across the property, recording key data and contributing to broader efforts supporting this native species.
Eastern Bluebird
Our Trail Plant Phenology Group hard at work
Road mural by Sketching Summits connecting the Big Pond Loop to Worrell's Walk
Worrell’s Walk | 0.25 mile out + back | Crushed concrete | Easy
Dog, bike, stroller and wheelchair-friendly!
Follow the trail past the Big Pond Loop and you’ll reach Worrell’s Walk, a flat wide crushed concrete path makes for an easy, enjoyable stroll through the woods. Worrell’s Walk, like Persimmon, connects The Village to The Garden Pavilion and Stowe Connector Trail, but is slightly longer than Persimmon. Worrell’s Walk is a great lead-in to a longer hike because it takes you to The Stowe Connector Trail that eventually leads you to the Duke Kimbrell Trail on the shores of Lake Wylie.
Stowe Connector Trail | 1.2 miles out + back | Crushed concrete + natural | Easy
Dog, bike, stroller and wheelchair-friendly!
The Stowe Connector trail is our newest trail, unlocking access to the Duke Kimbrell Trail from both sides of the Pond Loops. The Stowe Connector Trail allows hikers to complete a loop around The Gardens at Stowe via the Duke Kimbrell Trail for a pleasant, partially-wooded hike that’s just over three miles. Please note that parts are wheelchair/stroller-friendly, but proceed with caution as some places may be bumpy.
The Stowe Connector Trail running down the length of the Garden Pavilion parking lot
Views of Lake Wylie via the Duke Kimbrell Trail
Swamp Chestnut Oak
Snowbell Flower
Duke Kimbrell Trail | Around 3 miles | Natural | Intermediate-Challenging
Dog and bike-friendly!
While the Duke Kimbrell Trail is not managed by Stowe, we’ve partnered with the Carolina Thread Trail to create seamless access from the Stowe Connector Trail to the Duke Kimbrell Trail. This longer hike is perfect for intermediate or advanced hikers looking for an adventure! The natural trails present steep inclines in places, uneven ground and varying landscapes, from grasslands to forests. It also provides stunning views of Lake Wylie and is almost completely shaded.
If you begin your hike in Daniel Stowe Conservancy and complete the entire Duke Kimbrell Trail, you will end in the Seven Oaks Preserve parking lot a few miles down New Hope Road from Stowe. Or, park your car there and hike all the way to The Trailhead Store for a rewarding half-way pit stop for coffee, treats and relaxation on the patio.
From Carolina Thread Trail:
“The Seven Oaks Preserve, within which the Duke Kimbrell Trail is located, protects sensitive areas around the lake and safeguards habitat for wild turkeys, turtles and native wildflowers. In the spring, visitor will enjoy the fragrant scent of blooming snowbell (Styrax grandifliou). Seven Oaks Preserve also has some magnificent swamp chestnut oak trees (Quercus michauxii) along the lake. This impressive species has a rich history in the lowland areas with their wood once serving to make farm baskets. The swamp chestnut oak trees also produce large, sweet acorns that are an important food for many animals. In addition to these unusual oaks, there are huge tulip poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera), paw paws (Asimina triloba) and persimmon trees (Diospyros virginiana). Opreys, eagles and kingfishers are occasionally seen flying over the water.”
The trail was renamed by the Carolina Thread Trail to recognize a generous gift made by the Warlick Family Foundation to the organization. The Warlick family asked CTT to name the trail in honor of the late leader of Parkdale Mills, W. Duke Kimbrell. It was CTT’s honor to do so because of W. Duke Kimbrell’s service as a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and devoted community servant in Gaston County through his leadership with the United Way, Gaston Day School, the Boy Scouts, the Schiele Museum, Covenant Village, the Gaston Community Foundation, and others. Because of his great leadership and dedication to community service Mr. Duke Kimbrell received numerous awards including North Carolina’s “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine” in 2003. He passed away peacefully on October 22, 2014 leaving a wonderful legacy for all to admire and emulate.”
Grass Cross Country Trail | 1.1 mile loop | Grass trail | Easy
Dog + bike friendly!
The Grass Cross Country trail is a one-mile loop to the left of the small pond; you’ll see it as you turn into the property from the main entrance. This is our only grass trail and makes for a great spot to walk your pup. Since it’s just a mile, it gives you the option to take a quick walk in the sunshine or repeat the loop for a longer hike.
Entrance to the Grass Cross Country trail
Garden Trails
The following two trails are located inside The Gardens at Stowe and thus require admission or membership to access. These trails are well-worth it, though, plus you’ll also access our 90 acres of blooming botanical Gardens!
Family hiking the Adventure Trail
Ramble Rocks Room
Lost Hollow Adventure Trail | 0.5 mile out + back | Natural trail | Easy
Our Adventure Trail opened in Spring 2025 to provide kids with a natural playscape to let their imaginations run wild. It is a half-mile completely shaded trail through the woods beyond Lost Hollow that includes five outdoor “rooms” that encourage creativity, storytelling and play in nature (with benches for mom and dad, of course). The trail itself is a gentle, winding path that’s nice and wide for kids to run and play. While this trail was built for kids, it’s also the coolest spot on the property on hot days due to the shade so many adults enjoy it as well! The trail begins in the Lost Hollow Children’s Garden and ends right at the Prairie Castle Playground. If you do have little ones with you, be sure to stop at each of the five outdoor rooms. More on those here.
Meadowood Walk + Lakeview Loop | 0.8 mile loop combined | Natural | Easy
Stroller + wheelchair-friendly!
Continue down the path beyond the Adventure Trail and you’ll reach Meadowood Walk, a half-mile loop around our Piedmont Prairie, stretching through the woods, where you can walk among ative Pines, Eastern Red Cedars, Sweetgums, Hickories, Tulip Poplars and Oaks. The furthest point of the loop brushes close to the lakefront, so between prairie, forest and the waters of Lake Wylie, hikers can enjoy many different landscapes throughout this short hike. The new 0.25-mile Lakeview Loop trail extension off of Meadowood Walk gives hikers a glimpse of Lake Wylie. There is also a bird blind off of Meadowood, where hikers can stop to birdwatch and enjoy the view. Keep your eyes peeled for Cedar Waxwings and the Brown-headed Nuthatch.
Cedar Waxwing
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
No matter which trail calls to you – whether it’s a quick stroll around the ponds or a longer, more rugged route exploring the forest – every step at Daniel Stowe Conservancy connects you more deeply to the land, its wildlife and yourself. With even more miles and experiences on the horizon through our Stowe Trail Masterplan, there’s never been a better time to lace up your shoes, grab a friend and discover your path to nature here – it might be right under your feet.
