Latham-Woodhurst Nature Park: An Autumn Visit

By admin | Published December 30, 2022

Latham-Woodhurst Park

Located a few miles outside of New Bern, North Carolina, the Latham-Woodhurst Nature park provides a nice foray into the outdoors. Craven county’s first nature park, the facility preserves 133 acres of pristine coastal woodland. The main hiking trail leads from the parking area to a boardwalk and overlook of Broad Creek. There are two primitive restrooms on the property. One is located in the parking area. The other is found near the access to the creek. The hiking trails range in length from .16 to .8 miles in length and can be combined for a longer walk. Find the park entrance at 1095 Broad Creek Road, New Bern, NC 28560.

A Late Fall Visit

I decided to visit the park one morning in early December. Autumn arrives late along Coastal Carolina. As such there was still some fall foliage to be enjoyed during the hike. Featuring a mature deciduous forest, the trees in this preserve are quite tall. That can create some challenges for finding interesting photographs. I did find a few interesting (to me) scenes including a lovely Gray Squirrel that was feeding on the forest floor. The morning made for a nice quiet retreat into nature. For the most part I had the entire park to myself only encountering one other human who was exiting the trail as I was starting in. I always find periods of solitude in nature good for my soul.

The Photography

Below are a few selected images from my visit. I hope you enjoy them. If so, I’d love to read your comments at the end of the article. Have you ever visited Latham-Woodhurst Nature Park? Did you enjoy it?

For the photographers the landscape images were captured using a Canon 6D Mark II DSLR body mated with a Canon 24-105MM f/4.0″L” zoom lens. For the shot of the squirrel I used my Canon 7D Mark II body coupled with a Sigma 150-600MM f/5-6.3 “Contemporary” Super Zoom lens. While I often use a tripod, on this morning I decided to travel light. All images were made while hand-holding the camera. Both lenses feature image stabilization features which helps greatly when photographing without the use of a tripod.

For the art lovers all the images below are available for purchase at https://bob-decker.pixels.com/ In addition to prints note cards, coffee mugs, posters, tee shirts and other products are available with these images printed on them.

It was a good morning for a walk. I awoke to a lovely blanket of fog. Visions of wonderfully, mysterious images of mist shrouded woodlands quickly entered my mind. Unfortunately by the time I made it to the forest the fog had lift. None the less a nice stroll through the woods was had. This is the main trail in the Latham-Woodhurst Nature Preserve in Craven county, North Carolina. There are other paths that branch off then loop back onto this walkway. It is a perfect place to seek some tranquility and to reflect on life.
An Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, enjoys an autumn snack on the forest floor in the Latham-Woodhurst Nature Park. The park, located a few miles outside the busy city of New Bern, North Carolina, is a wonderful preserve of forest and wetlands. A well manicured trail leads to a boardwalk and out to a lovely overlook of a coastal creek and marsh. Additional paths loop off and back onto the main trail. It is a wonderful place to unwind and reflect on life in the modern world
A well worn hiking trail winds through the hardwood forest in the Latham-Woodhurst Nature Park in Craven County North Carolina. It is a late autumn morning on the coastal plain. The sun, low in the sky, casts a pleasant light on the scene. The perfect start to the day, a leisurely hike along this picturesque woodland trail. The Lawson-Woodhurst Nature Park is located in Craven county North Carolina. It is a short drive from New Bern, the first state capital of NC. This wooded reserve provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
A splash of autumn color spotted just off of the trail at the Latham-Woodhurst Nature Trail in Craven county North Carolina. The orange foliage really stood out, surrounded by green leaves and bare limbs. The main trail leads to an overlook along a creek and estuarine area. Side trail loop on and off the main path. Bences throughout the park offer many opportunities to just sit, reflect and observe nature. This is a place of tranquility where one can feel closer to nature.


This entry was posted in General Photography, Hiking Trail, Landscape Photography, Natural History in the Carolinas, Nature Photography, Photography Equipment, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photography.

4 Comments

  1. jim hughes December 30, 2022 at 6:15 pm #

    These images make me feel good. I sense the quiet, and I like the mix of green and orange – a bit strange to a Minnesotan.

  2. Steve Heap December 31, 2022 at 8:14 am #

    Lovely images, Bob! The little squirrel is a great capture. I’ve often wondered if you could add an artificial sun and flare to a bright forest scene, I’ll have to try that sometime! The first image with the curving road might be a good one.

  3. Steve Estvanik December 31, 2022 at 1:26 pm #

    Great selection to capture autumn – so many places still to visit in the US!

  4. Bill Swartwout January 21, 2023 at 12:04 pm #

    A walk in the forest can be good for the soul. You captured that feeling perfectly in those images and their captions.

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*