Take a break from the city and enjoy the outdoors at this nature preserve. 
 

Located in Huntersville, just north of Latta Nature Preserve, sits a hidden gem. Buckeye Cove Nature Preserve, also known as Stephen's Road Nature Preserve, is 352 acres of marshlands, woodlands, and seasonal growth. Wetlands in this preserve are important to the watershed of Mountain Island Lake. This provides habitat for migratory birds, waterfowl, and other native water species. During the spring, you can see many types of wildflowers blooming. The trailhead is at the end of Stephens Road. The parking lot is small and can hold about ten cars. There is one clean port-o-potty. The trails start off on a wide service trail road. The first set of trails is the yellow blaze Buckeye Loop. This trail is two miles and easy terrain. This will connect you with several other trails such as the orange blaze which will take you down by the water. We took that trail by the water, and it was a great place to sit on the ground and eat a snack or lunch. There are around four miles of trails to hike on with all of them ranging from easy to moderate. All of the trails will eventually lead you back to the service road. There is a trail map at the entrance of the trailhead. I always recommend taking a picture of that before heading out. The trails are well shaded and maintained. Since this is a wetland area, during the warmer or wet months bring bug spray. 

This is a perfect family-friendly trail for those wanting something different than hiking at Latta Nature Preserve.