Hiking at the Historic Reynolda Estate in Winston-Salem

The Reynolda Estate in Winston-Salem, NC — the 170-acre 1917 country home and model farm of Katharine and R.J. Reynolds, now part of Wake Forest University — offers a substantial network of walking trails that adds up to more than two miles of paved pathways, thick woodlands, and open meadow. Whether you’re planning a short walk to see the Estate’s signature waterfall, a mid-length wooded wander, or the full 1.5-mile Perimeter Trail loop that circles the entire property, the Reynolda trails offer a substantial outdoor experience in the middle of Winston-Salem — free daily from dawn to dusk, dog-friendly (leashed), and officially part of the North Carolina Birding Trail.

The three Reynolda trails also pair beautifully with the Estate’s other destinations. The Formal Gardens at Reynolda Gardens and the restored 1913 Brown Family Conservatory are just steps from the trailhead parking lot behind Silo in Reynolda Village, making it easy to turn a walk into a half- or full-day Reynolda visit — with lunch and shopping in the Village and a stop at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art rounding out the experience.

All trail lengths in this guide are based on the Estate’s own posted trail map near the Reynolds Family Boathouse at Lake Katharine at the time of our visit.

The images below are clickable, allowing you to view more pictures and a YouTube video of each trail. We also have a quick list view available in a table format if that’s more your style. Happy adventuring!

Perimeter Trail
Waterfall
Woodland Trail
Closing Thoughts

Perimeter Trail

🌳 The trail starts at the Reynolds Family Boathouse and concludes near the Reynolda House and Formal Gardens.

🚶‍♂️ It spans approximately 1.5 miles as a loop trail.

🌄 The trail features a mix of terrains, including wood chips, gravel, dirt, and pavement.

🌿 It winds through five distinct landscapes — woodlands, an open meadow with a path through the middle, the 22-acre former golf course open field from the original 1917 Estate, the Lake Katharine Wetlands, and the historic Reynolds Family Boathouse.

🐾 Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail (as on all Reynolda grounds, with the Formal Gardens being the one exception).

🦜 Reynolda is officially part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, making the Perimeter Trail a productive birdwatching option for meadow and wetland species.

🚤 The Perimeter Trail passes near the Reynolds Family Boathouse at Lake Katharine — a preserved structure from the original 1917 Reynolds Estate that sits on what was once Katharine Reynolds’s 16-acre man-made lake, excavated from the Silas Creek bed as one of her first Estate projects and now reverted to a wetlands landscape.

🌼 The Perimeter Trail is the longest of the Reynolda trails and rewards a slower pace — bring binoculars, wear proper walking shoes, and plan for about an hour or so to complete the loop.

Waterfall

🚶‍♂️ It spans approximately 0.1 miles as an out-and-back approach from the lower parking lot behind Silo in Reynolda Village.

💧 The man-made waterfall cascades over the historic stone Lake Katharine Dam — the original 1913-era dam that Katharine Reynolds built as part of the Estate’s water infrastructure.

🌿 The waterfall is spanned by the historic stone Lake Katharine Bridge, which offers one of the more photogenic views on the Reynolda property and serves as the entry point to the 0.25-mile Reynolda Walking Trail connecting Reynolda Village to the Wake Forest University campus.

🏞️ The waterfall’s water source is the Lake Katharine Wetlands — the modern name for the once 16-acre lake that Katharine Reynolds excavated from the Silas Creek bed as one of her first Estate projects; now reverted to wetlands supporting owls, turtles, beavers, and foxes.

🖼️ The waterfall is part of the Reynolda Estate — completed in 1917 by Katharine and R.J. Reynolds and now a public property under Wake Forest University.

🌳 The waterfall is at its most photogenic in spring (when yellow daffodils fill the knolls around the falls) and after periods of substantial rainfall (when the flow across the dam is at its strongest).

Woodland Trail

🚶‍♂️ It spans approximately 0.75 miles.

🌲 The path is primarily wood-chip and winds through mature forest sections of the Reynolda Estate.

🏛️ The Woodland Trail passes through forest that has been part of the property since Katharine and R.J. Reynolds established the 1917 country Estate — mature hardwood canopy that has been standing for more than a century.

🌿 Signature natural features along the trail include mature oaks, a fern understory, and seasonal wildflowers along the trail edges (spring is particularly rewarding for wildflower observation).

🎶 As part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, the Woodland Trail is prime habitat for songbirds and woodpeckers — the forest canopy differs meaningfully from the meadow and wetlands habitat along the Perimeter Trail, giving the two trails complementary birding value.

🌼 The Woodland Trail can be combined with the 0.25-mile Reynolda Walking Trail for about a 1.0-mile walk that also includes the Reynolda House Waterfall, or with the Perimeter Trail for about a 2.3-mile fuller Estate walking experience.

Closing Thoughts

The Reynolda Estate trails are one of Winston-Salem’s better-kept walking secrets — free, open dawn to dusk every day of the year, and substantial enough to fill anywhere from fifteen minutes to a full afternoon depending on which combination you choose. The Perimeter Trail gives you the fullest sense of the property’s scale. The Woodland Trail drops you into century-old hardwood forest. And the short walk to the waterfall delivers what may be the single most photogenic spot on the entire Estate.

What makes these trails worth returning to is how well they pair with everything else Reynolda offers. Park behind Silo in Reynolda Village, walk whichever trail suits your energy that day, then wander over to Reynolda Gardens for the Formal Gardens and the restored 1913 Brown Family Conservatory. Add lunch or shopping in Reynolda Village, and finish with the American art collection at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art. That’s a full day at one address — and only the museum requires a ticket.

If you’re a birder, plan your visit around the trails rather than the buildings. Reynolda’s official North Carolina Birding Trail designation is well-earned: the Estate’s mix of mature woodland canopy, open meadow, and wetland habitats supports a substantial year-round population, and the Perimeter Trail and Woodland Trail each favor different species. Bring binoculars, walk slowly, and give the meadow section and the Lake Katharine Wetlands extra time.

Have you walked the Reynolda Estate trails? We’d love to hear which one is your favorite — and if you’re exploring more of Winston-Salem, check out our full Winston-Salem attractions guide for more to see and do while you’re in town.