Halyburton Park
Halyburton Park, a 58-acre park located near Wilmington NC at 4099 S. 17th St., is home to 70% undeveloped space and rare gently rolling sandhills – rarely found on the coast of Carolinas. This park has a paved path that circles the perimeter of the park. It also contains natural trails and playgrounds to provide fun for children, as well as two picnic shelters available to rent out during events held at this location.
Nature programs and workshops are offered for adults, children, as well as students. Fall nature programs offer a variety of different classes ranging from fitness to school-based lessons. Special events such as concerts or community festivals also take place throughout the year at this location so check out their website periodically.
Halyburton Park has a large space for events, parties, or meetings. The park also offers two picnic shelters that can be reserved in the event center.
On the first Friday of every month, join park staff for a guided bird-watching stroll around Halyburton Park. They’ll search for migrants, residents and point out year-round species too. These walks are suitable for beginners, and all who want to participate can come along.
Each month, you can explore a different site along the NC Birding Trail in the Coastal Plain. Meet on-site at 9 am and hike for two hours before heading back to the starting point by noon or 1 pm. Selections include Fort Fisher, Sunset Beach/Twin Lakes, and Lake Waccamaw. Registration is $10 per person; all ages are welcome, but you must be 16 years of age or older with parental consent if under 18 years old when registering online. Make sure that registration is complete one week prior to your selected date, so time isn’t wasted waiting around.
Visit coastal North Carolina with Becky Skiba and Andy Fairbanks from the NC Wildlife Resource Commission as you explore Halyburton Park in Wilmington, Carolina Beach, and Ft. Fisher areas to identify warblers, raptors, waders such as sandpipers or oystercatchers who share this habitat. Fall is a great time for bird watching because many of them migrate south during the winter months. In coastal North Carolina, there are various habitats that birds like including marshlands near rivers & estuaries; adjacent upland forests where you might spot hawks soaring above looking out for prey on the open ground below; wooded swamps which support species like Wood Ducks (the state’s official waterfowl); cliffs overlooking seacoasts.