Anne Springs Close Greenway is 2,100 acres of natural preserve. This nature-lovers paradise has so many things to do. Ann Springs Greenway will provide ample activities for your whole family.
Here are the Top Things to Do at Ann Springs Close Greenway
Paddleboard and Kayak
Paddleboarding is one of my favorite things to do at Ann Springs Close Greenway. The Hagler Lake is a great place to do a leisure paddle. There is a water access point dedicated to launching off paddleboards and kayaks.
You can bring your own or rent one. Rentals are available on Saturdays and Sundays. I do want to mention that the paddleboard/kayak doc is about a mile or so from the parking lot. So, if you are bringing your own, you are going to have to carry a good distance.
Greenway members and people with a day pass can paddle for free with their own board. Members get a discount on rentals.
The calm waters of this small lake make it an excellent place to learn how to stand on a paddleboard for the first time. In fact, I bring my friends either here or to Chester State Park, when they are trying paddleboarding for the first time.
Fishing
Ann Springs Close has a doc for fishing as well. While many activities are available for non-members with a day pass, fishing is only available for members. The lake contains catfish, bass, and bream. Bass is catch-and-release only. You must have a fishing license to fish.
Walk or Run Trails
Ann Springs Close Greenway has trails open to walkers and bikers and trails only open to walkers (and the occasional horse-rider). The two popular walker-only nature trails are the Lake Hagler Loop, and the Blue Star Trail.
The Hagler Loop is my favorite trail for a quick afternoon run. This trail is 1-1/4 mile around Hagler Lake. The Blue Star Trail is a big one (7 miles) and it doesn’t loop back around.
The Praire Loop is biker and walker-friendly.
The other walkers-only trails are historical trails so I am going to talk about them in the “Explore the Historical Sites” section.
Below is a list of Hiker Only Trails:
- Billy’s walk
- Fern Forest
- Archer’s Loop
- Haigler Loop
- Steele Creek
- Trekker Loop
- Blue Star
Ride Horses
Ann Springs Close Greenway is home to Greenway Stables. Riding lessons and riding tours are available here. You can also board your horse at the stables. The boarding and lesson fees are listed here. My daughter rode a horse here once and love it, and we always love seeing the horses when we go on nature walks.
Horseback and Hiker Trails are:
- Dogwood
- Ford Gap Loop
- Hickory
- Muscadine
- Nations Ford
- Timberline
- Wagon Loop
- Wild Azalea
Mountain Bike
My husband mountain bikes at Ann Springs at least once a week, especially in good weather. Mountain bike trails are marked by a specific color. Red and green trails are hiker and mountain biker-friendly. Yellow is just for hikers and red and green are for horseback riders and hikers.
Biking and Hiking Trails are:
- Avery Loop
- Mill Pond
- Prairie Loop
- Tunnel Trail
Grab Lunch or Dinner at Anne Springs Close Greenway Canteen
After spending the afternoon jogging around a trail and paddleboarding at Haigler Lake, our family is ready for a bite to eat. We love to grab dinner at the Gateway Canteen. This is a charming place to grab dinner, ice cream treats, and even a beer or wine. There is lots of outdoor seating along the restaurant patio area. The patio is lined with beautiful handing lights. Families often bring their own chairs and blankets and enjoy dinner in the nearby field. The atmosphere is like no other. Children bring soccer balls and beach balls to play with on the field.
Listen to Live Music at Anne Springs Close Greenway Canteen
On a pretty Friday night, live music is playing from the Greenway Canteen patio stage. Just picture it. Kids are laughing in the field; a cool breeze is blowing through your hair. You are relaxing under the twinkle of string lights as you listen to the sound of live music. You have a delicious salmon taco in one hand and a beer in the other. This is my absolute favorite thing to do after spending an active day paddleboarding or hiking at Ann Springs. Many times my husband and son go for a mountain bike ride while my daughter and I go for a hike. We meet at the canteen hungry, tired, and happy.
Play in the Field
Although I mentioned this earlier, I wanted it to have its own spot on the list. The field by the canteen is so fun for kids and kids at heart. People will bring balls and lawn games while they listen to the music and eat from the canteen.
Explore the Historical Sites
The historical trails include the Nations Ford Loop and the Nations Ford Road.
The Nations Ford Road is on a portion of the Blue Star Trail. Nations Ford Road was once the main “highway” from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to August, Georgia. You wouldn’t see cars on this road though. This road was traveled by horses and wagons. Native Americans, settlers, traders, and Revolutionary soldiers used this very road!
The Nations Ford Loop is handicap accessible a concrete trail. It’s perfect for families with strollers as well. On this loop, you will find a log cabin built in the 1800s and Billy Graham’s grandfather’s home. This log home was built in 1780.
You can also explore the grounds of the Garrison Webb Gristmill. This water-powered mill was built before 1780.
Walk Over the Swinging Bridge
This small swinging bridge is located on the BLANK trail. Kids and adults love looking down at a creel while walking over this bouncy bridge. The bridge is small and a sign on the bridge says only 12 people should be on the bridge at a time.
