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Visitors to the new Southwest Park won’t find basketball courts or paved walking tracks.

The grass grows long there, and little of the land is developed.

The area, Guilford County’s first “natural park,” provides habitat for wildlife and some solitude for human visitors.
“People who come out here are really interested in nature,” park manager Berry Bynum said.

Audubon Society members counted 80 species of birds at the park in a single morning. Bynum has seen owls, otters and a bald eagle.

The park, which opened last month, is adjacent to Randleman Lake. Its borders encompass 90 acres of land and more than 400 acres of the reservoir.

The park is owned by the county in conjunction with the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority. When the authority built the dam and lake, it destroyed natural wetlands and was required to rebuild the natural area. The land was previously a family farm.

A single, paved road runs through the park, and visitors can walk or bike along seven connected trails. The park also includes playgrounds and five shelters with grills available for rental.

One short, winding trail leads to a 2.5-acre dog park, divided into two sections for larger dogs and smaller dogs or puppies.

In the fall, two youth baseball and softball fields will be available to the community.

The water authority will allow boating and fishing on the lake in March. Southwest Park built a boat launch and marina office and will rent canoes, kayaks and johnboats with electric motors. No boats with gas engines are allowed on the lake north of N.C. 62.

The community has been very involved in the development of the park, Bynum said. Carpentry students at Southern Guilford High School built the 65 or so birdhouses hanging throughout the park. Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts also have helped with projects.

A local businessman donated hundreds of pounds of birdseed. And people who live in nearby homes keep an eye on the property.

“If anything goes on here I know about it,” Bynum said. “I’ve got some good neighbors.”

To provide more wildlife habitat, Bynum and other county parks staff planted 500 pine saplings, 130 dogwood trees and 100 white oaks, as well as many perennial flowers and shrubs.

The surviving trees will grow taller, but besides that, the park won’t change.

“What you see out here is what you’ll see in 10 years,” Bynum said.

On Sept. 12 the park will celebrate a grand opening with events throughout the day and fireworks.

Southwest Park is southeast of the intersection of Wall Road and Jonquil Drive in southwest Guilford County.

During the summer, the park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For information visit www.southwestpark.info or call 674-3475.

Contact Jamie Ke nnedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610.