Most parks have one gate and one parking lot. Bandera Farms Park, which opens this Sunday off Bunch Road, has two of each, plus a separate entrance for horse trailers. One restroom building sits beside the playground and picnic shelter. The other sits near the trailer parking and the trail entrance, according to FOX8's August report.
That layout explains the whole park. Summerfield already has an athletic park and a community park. Its third major park, and its largest, was planned as an equestrian preserve first. Everyone else is welcome on trails built around riders. The grand opening runs Sunday, November 8, from 2 to 5 p.m.
The Layout Splits Riders and Families Before Anyone Reaches a Trail
The 120 acres sit along Bunch Road between I-73 and Reedy Fork Creek, entirely inside town limits. The design gives each group its own front door. Cars pull into one entrance. Horse trailers use another, where the April 2026 design called for pull-through parking, ADA-accessible trailer spaces and an ADA mounting block.
The park also has a resident caretaker. Speaking to FOX8 in August, then-Town Manager Charles "Twig" Rollins said the town would have a caretaker living on site in a house on the property.
"That caretaker will open the gates in the morning. They will make rounds, check the trash cans, check the trails, the bathrooms, make sure they're clean and ready to go for the day."
The park is open from dawn to dusk, so the gate schedule follows the sun rather than a clock.
Most of the Trail Miles Are Horse Trails
The Piedmont Land Conservancy describes the opening trail network in two separate pieces:
- About 4.5 miles of dedicated horse trails. People on foot can use them too. They have natural surfaces and wind through the property.
- One mile of Piedmont Greenway. This is its own segment. It runs parallel to the horse trails and starts as natural surface. The town plans to pave it later as the full greenway is built out.
So a walker who wants the longest loop in the park will be on a horse trail. Bikes have their own rules. In December 2025 the Northwest Observer reported that the natural-surface trails would allow only mountain bikes, and that cyclists would be kept off the equestrian trails. Check the signs at the trailhead on Sunday, because that report came before construction started.
Horses Fit a Park Whose First Job Is Protecting a Creek
The horse-first design makes sense once you look at what the land was bought to do. Reedy Fork Creek, along the park's edge, is a source of Greensboro's drinking water. The park's plan strengthens the protective buffers along it. A nature-based preserve with natural-surface trails disturbs far less ground near a water supply than lighted fields and paved courts would.
That shared interest in the creek also explains the unusual partnership behind the park. The first 115 acres were bought through a joint conservation effort by the Piedmont Land Conservancy, Guilford County, the City of Greensboro, and the towns of Oak Ridge and Summerfield. Later, a 4.8-acre tract next door brought the total to 120 acres. The town says this is the first time all four local governments have teamed up on a conservation and recreation project.
The funding list reflects the same mix of trail, conservation and equestrian money:
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Guilford County | $2.3 million |
| North Carolina Great Trails State Program | $500,000 |
| Land and Water Conservation Fund | $500,000 |
| Parks and Recreation Trust Fund | $500,000 |
| Recreational Trails Program | $100,000 |
| NC Horse Council | $50,000 |
The NC Horse Council grant is the smallest on the list. It is also the clearest sign of who the trails were drawn for. The council has been promoting Sunday's opening to its members as a chance to explore the new equestrian trails.
On the construction side, the Northwest Observer reported in December 2025 that Bar Construction's $2.79 million bid was the lowest. The paper estimated the town's total investment at about $3.9 million once design, engineering and other work were included. Construction officially began with a groundbreaking on January 13, 2026. The Conservancy names Bar Construction and Benchmark Trails as the builders. Pond handled engineering design and managed construction.
What Opens Sunday, and What Is Still a Graded Pad
Not everything on the plans will be there on day one. In its September 17 update, the Northwest Observer reported that Bar Construction was finishing the hiking, cycling and equestrian trails, the picnic shelter and the parking areas. The first of two prefab restroom buildings had been craned into place on August 12.
| Feature | Status heading into November 8 |
|---|---|
| About 4.5 miles of horse trails, open to walkers | Part of the opening-phase network |
| One-mile Piedmont Greenway segment | Part of the opening-phase network, natural surface |
| Picnic shelter and two restroom buildings | Listed among opening amenities |
| Adventure playscape | Scheduled in August to be the last piece installed |
| Dog park | Pad graded, waiting on funding |
| Disc golf | Shown in the April 2026 design as an add-on that could be cut if funding or site conditions didn't allow |
Sources for the table: the Conservancy and the NC Horse Council both list the playscape, shelter and restrooms among the opening amenities. FOX8 described the playground, which is built with natural elements meant to encourage creative play, as the final element. The dog park and disc golf notes come from the September Northwest Observer update and the town council's April 14 agenda packet.
Speaking at the town council in August, the Conservancy's Palmer McIntyre described the park as it neared completion, as the Northwest Observer reported: "It is beautiful; it is very well constructed."
The Greenway Mile Is a Down Payment on a Longer Trail
The one-mile greenway segment is short, but it belongs to something much bigger. The Piedmont Greenway is a planned 19-mile shared-use route between Greensboro and Winston-Salem, passing through Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Kernersville and Triad Park. Bandera's natural-surface section is one of the first pieces finished.
The next pieces are coming from both directions, but they don't connect yet. On the Forsyth County end, the Conservancy lists a 1.25-mile section from Salem Lake Trail on Linville Road to Hastings Hill Road. Closer to Summerfield, Guilford County announced a $500,000 Great Trails State Program grant in August 2025. That money pays for design and engineering of the Triad Park and Reedy Fork section, a stretch of about 2.5 miles the county called a catalyst for future segments. For now, the Bandera mile starts and ends inside the park.
Making the Most of a First Visit
- Come Sunday between 2 and 5 p.m. if you want the opening crowd, or any day after from dawn to dusk for quieter trails.
- Pick your entrance based on why you're there. Families headed to the playscape and shelter will want the lot and restrooms near the playground. Riders unloading horses use the trailer entrance near the trailhead.
- Walk the greenway mile first if you're on foot with small kids or a stroller. It's the segment built as greenway, separate from the horse trails.
- Expect to meet riders on the 4.5 miles of shared trail. The Conservancy describes them as horse trails that pedestrians may also use.
- Leave the dog park off this trip's list. Its pad is graded, but it is still waiting on funding.
The town hasn't posted an opening-day program or parking plan yet. Before you go, check the Town of Summerfield's events page and its Bandera Farms Park project page, which links the master plan and trail maps.
If you live near Bunch Road or anywhere in northern Summerfield and want to know how buyers are likely to see a new 120-acre preserve nearby, I'm glad to talk it through. Colleen Long offers a free home valuation, which is a simple way to start that conversation. Let's Connect.
