I previously wrote about Hemlock Bluffs in Cary and how it was the closest to mountain hiking that you could experience here in the Piedmont. I stand corrected! Flower Hill Nature Preserve is described as a 25 acre “freak of nature” that will make you feel like you’re in the high country even when you’re still only at 200 ft elevation.

Discovered in the 1930s, Flower Hill was described as a disjunct mountain community. This geographic anomaly creates a cool, shaded area that is perfect for Catawba rhododendron and other plants more commonly found in the Appalachian Mountains 200 miles west of Raleigh. 

Rugged Hiking

We are not usually a hiking family but we started going for more nature walks during the pandemic. This was a bit more of a rugged hiking experience than we are used to. This preserve is owned by the Triangle Land Conservancy, so they keep the terrain as natural as possible. There is a small path carved into the land, with steep inclines and drop offs at various points. There are a couple bridges for you to safely cross at a few points, but other than that it’s just a dirt trail covered with roots and sticks. We also walked through LOTS of spider webs, so heads up – literally!

Directions

If you enter the preserve from Flower Hill Road, there’s a small gravel parking lot where you can start your hike. Look to your right and you will see the trail head. In there beginning you will be walking downhill, so keep that in mind for your return trip! We could see Moccasin Creek at various points, but I’m not sure if the trail actually led you down to the water since we turned back before we reached the end.

I had taken a picture of the map at the entrance that I could use for reference. However, I quickly learned that there were extra turns not pictured on the map. Once you start your trek, there are no signs to direct you. After walking a while, I realized I couldn’t keep up with all of the different turns. So we turned around and headed back to the car.

Steep Drop-offs

There was one scary part on our hike where the trail got extremely narrow and had a steep drop off. I didn’t trust my 2 and 4 year old in this part, so I was clutching them for dear life while we shimmied across the ledge! Because of this spot, I recommend baby wearing or only bringing the older kids 7+ on this hike.

Rhododendrons

We visited in late June, which was too late to see the Rhododendrons in bloom. I did see the plants scattered throughout the area while we walked, but there were no flowers in sight. Visit in April or May in order to see them in their full glory.

If you make a visit to Flower Hill be sure to complete the TLC Hiking Challenge and submit your visit to win a prize!