Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. Recently ranked as the most underrated trails in the Triad by Piedmont Legacy Trails, the Great Bend Park Trails were a wonderful surprise and well worth the thirty-minute drive to the park located northeast of Greensboro.
The Great Bend Park has 30 beautifully wooded acres along the Haw River with almost a mile of river frontage which offers spectacular views from the hiking trails and designated fishing areas. There is also access to the 5-acre island with picnic areas available. Glencoe Mill Village is one of the best-preserved mill village complexes in North Carolina.
The Glencoe Cotton Mill was established in the late s by the Holt family in an area previously home to a gristmill and sawmill. If you are passing through on Tuesdays through Saturdays, make time to visit the Textile Heritage Museum , currently the only museum in North Carolina solely dedicated to the preservation of the early textile industry of the Old North State. It showcases life in the mill towns that thrived along the Haw River for more than a hundred years. The easy, almost mile-long, and narrow Highland Loop Trail doesn't offer any notable views, yet is a serene and gentle walk in the dense woods.
We crossed over several wooden footbridges and navigated some slight elevation changes before coming to the connector Island Trail. After spending some time admiring the Dam, we continued along the out-and-back Island Trail for some rock-hopping and many gorgeous riverfront views on both sides of the trail. Since the Underwood and Island Trails were relatively short, we decided to continue our day by taking the short walk from Great Bend Park to the Glencoe Mill Village, an old mill village that looks much the same as it did in the late s when it was thriving.
After exploring the Textile Museum, the old mill, and the perfectly preserved houses lining the street, we stopped at an outdoor learning center for kids of all ages. Other natural materials have been repurposed for the play area as well, including large rocks and logs for decoration, and an old stump-turned-throne for playtime. It was very impressive and definitely the highlight of our day. The Great Bend Park Trails at Glencoe Mill Village are hidden gems that offer visitors a chance to reconnect with nature, experience the beauty of the natural world, and take a step back in time.
