The Haw River and The Haw River State Park

After reading Viewfinder Blues article on his expedition into the deep wilderness of what soon will be our newest State park, the Haw River State Park, I thought I’d reprint an old writing about the Haw River and its tributaries in Guilford County. Click on the hyperlinks to find out about the Haw River State Park.

The Haw River and its Tributaries

The Haw River has a humble beginning near Bethel Church Road in eastern Forsyth County. From there it runs roughly to the northeast through the NW sector of Guilford County before taking a northerly turn into Rockingham County. On the way to Rockingham, the Haw River crosses under Highway 68 at the bridge near Harrell Road. From Highway 68 to Highway 220 the Haw River roughly forms the southern border of the incorporated limits of the town of Stokesdale.

The Haw crosses under Highway 220 at the bottom of the big hill on 220 between Scalesville Road and Highway 158. It then crosses under Lake Brandt Road at the bottomland between Scalesville and 158, and then under Witty Road just as Witty crosses into Rockingham County.

Much of the Haw River area in Guilford County remains undeveloped and contains some of the best remaining forest in our county, including the floodplain and adjacent bluffs and uplands. The state of North Carolina has made plans for the “Haw River State Park,” out first state park in Guilford County.

North Buffalo Creek

North Buffalo Creek begins between Wendover and West Market west of Holden. It crosses Holden at its intersection with Wendover, then flows through Lindley Park, through the Greensboro Arboretum, along Wendover behind Wesley Long Hospital, after which it turns right to follow along the south side of Benjamin Parkway, then through Lake Daniel Park, crossing Battleground at the convergence of Benjamin and Battleground. The lovely city greenways that run through Lindley, Lake Daniel, and Latham parks all follow the course of North Buffalo Creek. From Benjamin and Battleground North Buffalo Creek flows through Latham Park, crossing under Wendover in the often-flooded bottom land between Wendover and Elm, crosses Elm street just north of Cone Hospital, then winds northwest just south of old Carolina Circle Mall. Soon thereafter it passes along the North Buffalo Wastewater treatment plant (the city’s treated wastewater empties into North Buffalo Creek there), and then follows a northwest course along the north side of the White Street Landfill. Eventually it empties into Reedy Creek fork in the northwest apart of Guilford County near the High Rock and Hicone road intersections.

The quality of what has become such an urbanized creek has until recent years been quite poor. But the City of Greensboro, encouraged and aided by various citizens groups, has begun a hopeful project of restoring streams throughout the city. Restoring such a prominent city stream as North Buffalo Creek has been a major goal. This restoration includes allowing the creeks to resume their natural more winding paths (thus slowing down stream flow) and encouraging natural stream side vegetation to grow up along the edges, thus reducing erosion and allowing for greater natural purifying processes to take place. This can be easily seen for example in Lake Daniel Park.

South Buffalo Creek

South Buffalo Creek begins its life along Big Tree Way between Guilford College Road and West Wendover. It runs all the way through Big Tree Park, and then roughly follows an eastward course just north of I-40, passing under Patterson, running through Hunter Hills Park, crossing under Holden just above I-40, then runs through Hillsdale Park along Meadowview near Four seasons Mall. The Hillsdale Park Greenway runs along South Buffalo Creek. South Buffalo Creek then winds back and forth along I-40, alongside the south side of Barber Park, before turning northeastward and cutting across Highway 70 near McLeansville, eventually emptying into North Buffalo Creek near McLeansville Road and Butler Road in the NE part of the county.

Horse Pen Creek

Horse Pen Creek begins very near the corner of West Friendly Avenue West and the little spur of Old Friendly Road near the airport. It flows generally to the northeest, running through Longview Country Club, crossing under Old Oak Ridge Road, Bryan Blvd., and Fleming Roads, and then crossing Horse Pen Creek Road in the marshy bottomland area near the Sullivan Lakes development. It crosses Battleground just north of Battleground Plaza (where the bridge crosses over this often wet bottomland area) and then crosses Old Battleground Road at the bottomland between Lake Brandt Road and Horse Pen Creek Road. It empties shortly thereafter into the south spur of Lake Brandt. The Nat Green Trail, accessible at the parking lot at the bottom of the hill on Old Battleground, follows along this last bit of Horse Pen Creek, eventually crossing the Lake Brandt Greenway.

Reedy Fork Creek

Reedy Fork Creek has its origin just west of the new Triad Park on the Guilford/Forsyth County lines, and runs through the middle of the new park. After that it proceeds on a general northeasterly course through northern Guilford County, eventually emptying into the Haw River in Northeast Alamance County. Reedy Fork Creek is the primary source of water for both Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend. Both Horse Pen Creek and North Buffalo Creek empty into Reedy Fork Creek, though the former confluence of Reedy Fork Creek and Horse Pen Creek lay under present day Lake Brandt.

On its way from Triad Park to Lake Brandt, Reedy Fork Creek forms the southern boundary of the town of Oak Ridge, crossing under Highway 68, Alcorn Road, and Bunch Road (twice – the lowland area on Bunch just south of Pleasant Ridge as well as just north of Northwest School Roads are both due to Reedy Fork Creek). Reedy Fork Creek enters into Lake Brandt just west of the bridge where 220 crosses the lake. The lowland marshy area to your left as you cross the bridge northbound is the entry point of Reedy Fork Creek into the lake. Reedy Fork Creek picks up again as a creek just to the east of the pumping station on Lake Brandt road, to your right as you cross over the bridge/spillway going north. It runs along somewhat backed up for a mile or two (depending on lake Townsend levels) before entering into the easternmost spur of Lake Townsend. After leaving Lake Townsend Reedy Fork Creek crosses Highway 29 and winds generally eastward, crossing through the new sight for Northeast Park (at the convergence of North Buffalo Creek and Reedy Park Creek), crossing under Highway 61 and then the Alamance County border before discharging into the Haw River.

Mears Fork

Mears Fork of the Haw River has its beginning right along highway 220N in Elmhurst Estates in Summerfield. From the it runs roughly northwesterly about half way between Scalesville Road and Highway 150 East, crossing first under Strawberry Road, and then Lake Brandt near where Witty Road runs into Lake Brandt. Mears Fork flows into the Haw River just at the Rockingham/Guilford County line, a good stones throw west from where Church Street crosses into Rockingham County.

Much of Mears Fork remains undeveloped, containing some of our finest remaining hardwood forest in Guilford County. Much of Mears Fork will form part of the Haw River State Park, which will be centered near the convergence of Mears Fork and the Haw River along North Church Street.

Richland Creek

Many residents of Greensboro and Guilford Counties enjoy visiting both Country Park, which is owned by the city, and Battleground Park, which is owned and run by the National Park Service. Forming the major ponds of Country Park, and then running through the middle of the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, is Richland Creek. Leaving the park, Richland Creek then crosses Cottage Place, crosses under Lawndale Drive, and follows the south side of Regents Park drive until it forms Lake Jeanette. Much of the most intense fighting of the battle of Guilford Courthouse took place along Richland Creek, which would for a time have turned red from the blood on so many fallen British and American soldiers.