Nesmith Preserve
101 Panther Path
Fayetteville, GA 30215
Hours: Dawn to Dusk Daily (Closed when school is in session)
About Nesmith Preserve
In 2006 the Nesmith family donated 120 acres near the Starr’s Mill school complex to the Trust. This donation currently preserves a large wetland habitat utilized by local patrons and the adjacent schools for environmental education opportunities.
Nesmith consists of a small trail leading past a small pond and canal and giving way to a bottomland forest along a large wetland. This wetland is an impounded section of Camp Creek and is home to numerous wildlife species.
The wetland can be accessed by a 300-foot boardwalk and observation platform.
A Few Things To Look For:
Wildlife species that frequent Nesmith Preserve includes a wide number of songbird species, ducks, great blue herons, Canada geese, pileated woodpeckers, and sometimes beavers!
While many of our visitors like to bring their dogs along for the journey, we would like to remind everyone that dogs are required to be on a leash when at Nesmith Preserve.
Trail Map
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Questions?
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Partnerships
Nesmith is the perfect spot for birders to enjoy and is a Georgia Audubon Certified Bird Sanctuary.
Our Public Nature Areas
The Southern Conservation Trust operates six public nature areas located in Fayette County, GA. Our public nature areas allow the community to experience greenspace and learn about the environment. Our public nature areas are open from sunrise to sunset every day.
Morgan
Grove
Nature Area
181 Morgan Rd, Fayetteville, GA
Nesmith
Preserve
101 Panther Path, Fayetteville, GA
Sams Lake
Bird
Sanctuary
Old Senoia Rd, Fayetteville, GA
The Ridge
Nature
Area
390 Burch Rd, Fayetteville, GA
Wildcat
Woods
Nature Area
100 Wildcat Way, Fayetteville, GA
Education
Center
(FEEC)
305 Beauregard Bl Fayetteville, GA
Nature Area Reviews
Don’t take our word for it – here’s what some of our visitors say:
“Nice and quiet place to walk. Trails are safe and clear of debris. Just watch out for snakes! I have seen deer sipping water at a stream here before. Also great place for watching birds or just enjoying the serenity.”
John W.
Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary
“Beautiful and quiet trails. You can hear the birds and when you walk along the creek on the blue trail you can hear the water flowing. The trails are nice and shaded so even if it’s hot out, the shade keeps you cool.”
Alexis B.
The Ridge Nature Area
“There didn’t seem to be any hard obstacles all the way through the third trail. We saw white tail dear, song birds, and a cheeky toad along this trail. Easily navigated, certainly with the publicly posted map and trail markings.”
Kerry B.
Morgan Grove Nature Area
Volunteer With Us
As a nonprofit, we have several ways you can help us at the Southern Conservation Trust and the Fayette Environmental Education Center. We offer a variety of options such as youth, adult, long-term, and short-term volunteer opportunities. At the Southern Conservation Trust, we recognize our volunteers’ hard work and know that we could not uphold our mission to elevate nature through exceptional stewardship without YOU!
