Abbey Nature Preserve
The Abbey Nature Preserve comprises two tracts totaling 63 acres off Scotts Hill Loop Road, under the stewardship of the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. The 14-acre tract of Poplar Grove Historic House & Museum is also under a Coastal Land Trust conservation easement, entered in 2009 to adjoin the preserve.
High and dry trails wind down toward a mill pond that once serviced Cornelius Harnett’s original plantation home and was integral to building the manor house in 1850. Two original mill stones remain at the base of the dam, and a wooden walkway across the pond connects trails on both sides into a complete loop.
The preserve passes through old-growth mixed deciduous forest, regenerating fields, and bottomland wetlands along Scotts Hill Creek — a landscape of oaks, longleaf pines, dogwoods, magnolia, and cypress.
Please note: the Abbey Nature Preserve is not owned or operated by Poplar Grove. Entrance and parking are on the north side of the Manor House. Please leash pets and pack out all waste. More from the NC Coastal Land Trust →