Reynolda House – Perimeter Trail

The Reynolda House Perimeter Trail is the longest of the trails woven across the historic Reynolda estate in Winston-Salem, NC — a 1.5-mile loop trail that circles the ~130-acre estate through a substantive mix of woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and historic estate features. The trail combines wood-chip, gravel, dirt, and paved surfaces across its length, offering a natural walking experience that stays interesting from start to finish.

The Perimeter Trail is also part of the North Carolina Birding Trail — a designation that makes Reynolda a favored spot for birders across the Piedmont Triad. Between the meadow and forest transitions, the wetlands habitat near the former Lake Katharine (now a wetlands landscape supporting owls, turtles, beavers, and foxes), and the substantial variety of native plants across the estate, the trail offers real birdwatching depth for anyone willing to bring binoculars and patience.

Be sure to check out the YouTube video and pictures below to get a feel for the Reynolda House Perimeter Trail before you go — or to relive the visit after. For deeper context on the Reynolda estate as a whole, see our page on Reynolda House Museum of American Art, plus our Reynolda trails guide.

The Trail Experience — Woodlands, Meadows, and the Boathouse

The Perimeter Trail loops around the estate through five distinct landscapes that give the walk its character. Woodland sections take up a substantial portion of the loop, with the trail passing through the estate’s mature forest edges on wood-chip and dirt surfaces for a natural forest-walking feel. One of the more memorable stretches is the meadow section, where a path runs through the middle of an open meadow, giving walkers the feeling of being immersed in nature, miles away from civilization, despite being just a few miles from downtown Winston-Salem. Along the way, the trail passes the 22-acre open field that was originally the nine-hole golf course of the 1917 Reynolda estate, now maintained as open-field habitat.

The Perimeter Trail also passes near the Lake Katharine Wetlands — the wetlands landscape that was originally Katharine Reynolds’s 16-acre Lake Katharine, excavated from the Silas Creek bed as one of her first estate projects and now an educational wetlands area with substantial wildlife habitat. Near the wetlands sits the Reynolds Family Boathouse, a preserved structure that reminds walkers of what the area looked like when the Reynolds family first moved into the bungalow in 1917.

The trail also connects to the shorter Reynolda estate trails — including the 0.25-mile Reynolda Walking Trail (which passes over the Lake Katharine Bridge and past the Reynolda House Waterfall on its way to the Wake Forest University campus) and the 0.75-mile Woodland Trail — making it easy to extend or shorten the loop based on your available time and energy.

Visiting the Trail

The Perimeter Trail is open dawn to dusk year-round and free — no admission or ticket required. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail (as they are throughout the Reynolda grounds, with the Formal Gardens being the one exception).

For the most direct trailhead access, use the lower parking lot behind Silo in Reynolda Village. The trail is generally suitable for hiking rather than strollers or wheelchairs — the wood-chip and dirt sections can be uneven, and some segments are on unpaved forest paths.

Spring is a particularly rewarding time to walk the Perimeter Trail, with the formal gardens in bloom nearby and the estate at its most active for birding. Fall brings substantial color throughout the woodland sections, and winter offers the best sightlines through the meadow and wetland areas for wildlife watching. As Reynolda’s official designation as part of the North Carolina Birding Trail means the estate has been vetted as a productive birdwatching site, bring binoculars, plan for a slower pace, and keep an eye on the treetops in the woodland sections and along the wetlands edges.

Good to Know

• Location: Reynolda estate, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
• Trailhead parking: Lower parking lot behind Silo in Reynolda Village
• Trail length: Approximately 1.5 miles (loop); based on the trail map posted near the Reynolds Family Boathouse at Lake Katharine at the time of our visit
• Trail surface: Mixed — wood chips, gravel, dirt, and pavement
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate; some uneven surfaces and gentle elevation changes; not stroller- or wheelchair-friendly
• Hours: Dawn to dusk (year-round)
• Admission: FREE
• Dogs: Leashed dogs welcome on the Perimeter Trail (and elsewhere on Reynolda grounds except the Formal Gardens)
• Signature features passed: Woodlands, meadow section (with path through the middle), 22-acre open field (former 1917 golf course), Lake Katharine Wetlands, Reynolds Family Boathouse
• NC Birding Trail: Reynolda is officially part of the North Carolina Birding Trail
• Trail network: Connects to the 0.25-mile Reynolda Walking Trail (Village → Wake Forest via Lake Katharine Bridge and waterfall) and the 0.75-mile Woodland Trail
• Best for: Longer walks around the Reynolda estate, birders (NC Birding Trail), dog walkers, meadow and woodland photographers, and fall foliage walkers
• Pair with: Reynolda House Museum of American Art (the parent estate); Reynolda Gardens for the Formal Gardens and Brown Family Conservatory; the Reynolda House Waterfall as a shorter walking option; the Reynolda House Woodland Trail for another short trail option; Reynolda Village Shops & Restaurants for lunch and shopping; our full Reynolda trails guide for additional walking routes; or Historic Bethabara Park — another Winston-Salem NC Birding Trail site with a substantial trail network

A Winston-Salem Highlight

The Perimeter Trail is the longest and most substantive walking option on the Reynolda estate — and the best way to appreciate the full 130-acre scope of what Katharine and R.J. Reynolds built in 1917. The mix of woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and preserved estate features (the Reynolds Family Boathouse, the 22-acre former golf course open field, the Lake Katharine wetlands) gives the loop a sense of place that the shorter Reynolda trails can’t quite match.

For birders, the NC Birding Trail designation is meaningful. Reynolda’s landscape variety — woodland edges, open meadow, wetlands, and mature specimen trees — creates habitat depth that supports a substantial year-round bird population. Bring binoculars, walk slowly, and give the meadow section extra attention.

For a full Reynolda visit, combine the Perimeter Trail with a stop at Reynolda Gardens for the Formal Gardens and Brown Family Conservatory, the Reynolda House Waterfall for a shorter scenic option, and lunch or shopping in Reynolda Village. The trail rewards the substantial time you’re willing to give it — and it’s free to walk any day of the week.

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Resources

Reynolda Website

Reynolda Village Shops & Restaurants Facebook

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Location

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Social Media

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