Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood is a magical forest that could be anywhere, thought Dan Dreyer, Moore County’s artist and “destination storyteller.” So, why not here, in the land of the pines — or, as Pooh calls it in Dreyer’s version, the “sea of groves”?
Follow the Sandhills Story Trail, and scan the QR code at each installation to read along as Winnie the Pooh and friends share adventures in Phillips Memorial Park. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
“The trees here are big and beautiful,” Dreyer says. “They create marvelous open spaces that tug me farther and deeper into their sweet-smelling shadows. It’s the kind of woods that are the best for running in — kids know it instinctively.”
The Sandhills Story Trail at Phillips Memorial Park in Cameron brings the story of Pooh’s Adventures in the Sandhills to life, with child-size cutouts of Pooh and his friends exploring the forest. Dreyer’s favorite: As children listen to the audio of Pooh asking to borrow honey from the bees to give to the pine tree as a birthday present, they stand face-to-face with the bees pouring honey out of their beehive high up in the tree.
Whether you’re in the woods, strolling around downtown, or on perfectly manicured green grass, Moore County’s paths cross natural discoveries that surprise and delight. We recommend these five.
Visitors from around the world will be here for the U.S. Open in June, but you don’t need to wait that long. Plan your getaway to the Sandhills and explore an array of experiences from dining, shopping, outdoor activities and more!
From late March through Earth Day, you can seek out locally made, hand-blown glass pinecones hidden along trails throughout Moore County. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
Delicate glass pinecones tucked along the forest floor in trails across Moore County inspire exercise, a sense of discovery, and an all-new appreciation for nature-inspired art. The Pinecone Pathways program partners with glassblowers at the StarWorks art center, who create 100 colorful pinecones that you can seek out during a five-week period that runs from March 19 to April 22, Earth Day.
Each week, the CVB announces a new series of trails where treasure-seekers may find the glass pinecones, tagged with a special number and QR code. Not only do the lucky finders get to keep their pinecone, but they also are entered to win a prize (one of which is two ground passes for a day at the U.S. Open!).
Stay cool on Reservoir Park’s shaded disc golf course, which leads players under a canopy of pine trees and around the water’s edge. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
Sometimes referred to as “hiking with a purpose,” Pinehurst’s other golf game has its own group of dedicated enthusiasts. Three 18-hole disc golf courses draw players who appreciate the excuse to trek through trees.
At Reservoir Park in Southern Pines, the course skirts the edge of a lake and winds through the wooded area. If you’re new to the sport and haven’t invested in equipment, swing by the Recreation Office for a free, three-day checkout.
The Village of Pinehurst Disc Golf Course at West Pinehurst Community Park boasts some elevation changes across the rolling course and is mostly wooded for an added challenge. You can kick off your game at the left side of the large field at the Community Park.
In Robbins, the Bear Creek course is part of the 14 miles of trails that make up the Bear Creek Trail System. A different organization sponsors each hole, including a “practice basket preschool” by the Northern Moore Family Resource Center. Learn more about the length and par of each hole at their website.
Anyone who’s driven through Moore County can appreciate the many murals coloring walls throughout the county’s small towns — more than a dozen are on display from downtown areas to the southern end of the county. In Carthage, five murals make up North Carolina’s only digital video mural trail. Park your car and walk from one to the next, where you can scan the bronze-plated QR code at each to learn more about its cultural and historical significance to Moore County.
For more history, head to downtown Pinehurst to imagine what life would have been like in the late 1800s. Thirty-two of the original 38 cottages are still standing, making this village a National Historic Landmark. Swing by the Southern Pines Welcome Center on 235 Northwest Broad Street to join a walking tour of the historic district. Your guide will point out all the highlights — history, architecture, and culture — as you meander around the 11-block area.
With a total of nine holes, The Cradle offers a varied landscape that packs challenges within a short distance. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
Whether they call it miniature golf, mini golf, or good ol’ putt-putt, even accomplished golfers can admit there’s a thrill that accompanies a tiny golf course packed with all the bells and whistles.
At Olmstead Village in Taylortown, Wee Pines invites one and all to take a swing at its 36 holes (two 18-hole courses, Calamity Jane and Bullseye) that blend traditional and modern aesthetics for an “old-school fun” experience.
Here’s a secret: You don’t need a tee-time at one of Pinehurst Resort’s courses, and that’s at Thistle Dhu, the 18-hole putting course with greens just as vibrant and lush as the real thing.
On a scale ranging from mini golf to traditional golf, the “short course” just might be the Goldilocks of courses. Moore County has two. One is Longleaf’s Bottlebrush Short Course, where six holes, all par three, combine for a total of 450 yards and include a range of challenges.
Add three more holes, and you get The Cradle Short Course at Pinehurst Resort, where nine holes are pay to play but open to the public. Billed by the Golf Channel as “the most fun 10 acres in all of golf,” The Cradle is known for stunning, undulating greens.
The gardens that surround the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities burst with life year-round, thanks to a team of local volunteer caretakers. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
Executive director for the Weymouth Center for Arts & Humanities, Katie Wyatt loves to get out and explore the gardens, once part of the home of Katharine and James Boyd. The Boyds’ original gardens, filled with colorful bulbs, perennials, and annuals, have been restored and resemble an English cottage garden. Maintained by local volunteers, “these gardens are gorgeous year-round,” Wyatt says.
She likes to cross over Weymouth Center’s manicured grounds through the Weymouth Woods Trail, which gives way to the one-mile Round Timber Trail, a loop through the old-growth, long-leaf pine forest. “It’s really a very quiet, leaf-laden trail,” she says.
Enjoy a moment of quiet reflection in the 32-acre horticultural gardens at Sandhills Community College. Photography courtesy of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB
For another garden stroll peppered with color, head over to the horticultural gardens at Sandhills Community College. Every month grants new floral discoveries — some familiar and some surprising — ranging from the largest Ebersol Holly collection on the East Coast to an azalea garden and a specialized conifer garden. Enter through the Visitor Center to access 32 acres of gardens.
Wherever the day’s activities and pathways lead you, allow your sense of wonder to be inspired by the outdoor experiences in Moore County. For Dreyer, the feeling of seeing familiar things through new eyes color his everyday outings. “I still can’t escape the feeling that we are only visitors here,” he says.
When you head to Moore County this spring — whether for the first or 50th time — lace up your walking shoes and venture out along the trails, pathways, and courses … there’s still so much to discover.
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