Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve

Located in Boiling Spring Lakes, the 6000+ acre preserve includes a bounty of rare flora and fauna, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, a variety of carnivorous plants, rough-leaf loosestrife and a variety of orchids.  Brunswick County cultivates the largest variety of rare plant species in North Carolina.  This preserve contains more than 400 vascular plant species, including the rare Venus Flytrap.  The Boiling Spring Lakes Nature Trail permits visitors to walk through a portion of the preserve.  The trail begins at the Community Center just off Hwy 87.  The preserve is owned by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services' Plant Conservation Program and is managed by the Nature Conservancy.  This site is also featured on the NC Birding Trail.  Species of interest include:  Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, & winter sparrows.