Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail

Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail
Free to public The 1.7 miles trail is excellent for recreational walking.

Its beautiful surroundings offer opportunities to watch wildlife, examine historical sites, and observe agricultural research done by the Upper Piedmont Research Station. The trail begins and ends at a parking lot on the corner of Trail Way off Wentworth Street, 1/3 mile west of the entrance to Chinqua-Penn mansion.

Our chain-saw gang of Larry, Danny, and Hugh got their motors running and chopped up several trees that had come down ne...
08/27/2026

Our chain-saw gang of Larry, Danny, and Hugh got their motors running and chopped up several trees that had come down near Little Niagara recently. It was just a matter of time for the big old trees whose roots were entwined into the rocks along the creek. This intrepid crew combined power with utility and tidiness, cutting a bunch of the trunks into bite-sized pieces and stacking them neatly, as well as laying out several of the longer trunks on the side of the trail to serve as borders. We'll see if we can get the Gator and a truck down there to transport the logs up to the parking lot for public distribution.

We just found this photo of the light pole at the pump house from 2007 (left). Looks pretty good 19 years later (right...
08/21/2026

We just found this photo of the light pole at the pump house from 2007 (left). Looks pretty good 19 years later (right)!

We are thankful to all those who made donations that allowed us to buy a new John Deere mower! The old Husqvarna mower ...
08/14/2026

We are thankful to all those who made donations that allowed us to buy a new John Deere mower! The old Husqvarna mower had served us for many years, but was ready to retire. Our team of volunteer mowers use the JD, a push mower, weed-eaters, and a zero turn that the UPRS loans us. Donations make up the bulk of the income that allows us to buy the supplies to maintain the trail. Every dollar makes a difference, whether it's for p**p bags or lumber or equipment. We appreciate your support!

08/13/2026

An important reminder to all trail visitors: the trail is on the property of the Upper Piedmont Research Station and only by their generosity are we allowed to enjoy ourselves on the trail.

This is a working cattle research station, and all visitors must respect the gates, fences, and signs that allow them to do their work and that protect them, the cattle, and us. It is not a petting zoo, nor a park.

Trail visitors are not to go into pastures or other work areas indicated by signs and closed gates. Alas, we have seen photographers and other trail visitors open gates and go into restricted areas.

This morning someone went through a closed gate while UPRS staff were moving cattle down the farm road, thus putting staff, cattle, and the visitor in danger, in addition to causing a major inconvenience to the UPRS staff. If you see a gate closing off the trail, such as near the hay barn, please do not open it or go through it; if they are moving cattle, it will be closed for only ten minutes or so.

Again, the trail is available to us only because of the UPRS. They work hard, and deserve our respect. Thank you.

Bear with us, this is a short story made long! A trail visitor recently pointed out to volunteers an old light pole on t...
08/10/2026

Bear with us, this is a short story made long!

A trail visitor recently pointed out to volunteers an old light pole on the ground near the Pump House at the Lake Betsy boardwalk. This is a remnant of the amazing features of the Chinqua-Penn Plantation in its heyday. Much of the following is from Rockingham County Historian Bob Carter’s descriptions of the plantation:

When the Penns began to build the Chinqua-Penn Mansion in 1923 they began to drill wells to supply water for the cattle and the extensive flower and vegetable gardens around the house. A number of wells were drilled at different locations on the plantation; some furnished water; others were a failure….

Jeff solved his water problem by hiring a New York mason, Louis Ross, to construct a half-acre irrigation pond on the stream [now known as Carroll Creek] north of the mansion. Ross and his helpers built a rock dam 30 feet high, 12 feet wide and 157 feet long across a deep ravine. A cast iron pipe was placed under the dam for periodic draining. The rock for the dam was dug from a small quarry on a short distance below the dam site. [Note: this quarry is now mostly covered with bamboo. The larger quarry up the hill is where they mined the stone used to build the mansion and the outbuildings.] The irrigation pond was named “Lake Betsy.”

At the other end of the lake, Jeff had the masons construct a 14’ x 14’ rock pump house. In this building was a large pump operated by an electric motor. An electric line ran from the pump house down a path on the south side of the lake to the dam. The line was located in an iron pipe on the ground. The pump drew water from the lake and pumped it up the hill via an underground iron pipe to the flower and vegetable gardens near the mansion.

Around the lake three rock piers were constructed for fishing purposes. [Note: you can still see remnants of these piers across the lake from the boardwalk.] Near the dam the Penns had a round picnic shelter constructed and six millstones were placed under the structure for use as tables. Quarried rock seats were built around the millstone tables. The Penns referred to the shelter as the “Summer House." Betsy Penn: “We wired the Summer House with electricity so that we could have lights at night. We also wired across the dam so that we could light it at night.”

For many years the Summer House was a favorite destination for one of the Penns' favorite pastimes - riding their horses from the stables near the house down the farm roads they built around the plantation. [Note: the current trail follows the same path the Penns used from the mansion down to the quarry and the dam.]

Getting back to the light pole, the trail visitor asked the volunteers if someone could set the pole back upright. And so Lynn and Ray Carter did. While it no longer provides light, it is a reminder of how intertwined the past and the present are.

Now that August is here, a lot of you are probably thinking about your Christmas gift list, as well as upcoming birthday...
08/05/2026

Now that August is here, a lot of you are probably thinking about your Christmas gift list, as well as upcoming birthdays and anniversaries. We have the perfect gift for you: the official Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail 2027 calendar! For a $15 donation, you get a calendar with beautiful photos of the most amazing trail in Rockingham County. And while you're counting how many people you know who would love this calendar, add one in for yourself! All photos are by our own longtime trail volunteer, Lynn Monsees Carter, and all proceeds to go the maintenance and upkeep of the trail. Supplies are limited, so start working on that gift list now! To get your calendars, contact Lynn at [email protected].

the cows are busy eating for two! the young bulls are busy apparently doing nothing!
08/04/2026

the cows are busy eating for two! the young bulls are busy apparently doing nothing!

07/30/2026

A big "Thank you!" to the kind folks who left a bag of dog harnesses, collars, and other items for dog-lovers to take at the kiosk. We wonder if they may have recently lost their furry buddy recently - and if so, our hearts are with you - or perhaps they were just cleaning out the storage closet. Regardless, people have taken them and they will be used, so a legacy continues.

Address

2258 Wentworth Street
Reidsville, NC
27320

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 6pm
Tuesday 7am - 6pm
Wednesday 7am - 6pm
Thursday 7am - 6pm
Friday 7am - 6pm
Saturday 7am - 6pm
Sunday 7am - 6pm

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