Buncombe Hill Interpretive Trail

Trees
fires
and
turpentine
The Buncombe Hill Trail is a relatively short but very interesting trail in the huge Tiger Bay State Forest. It’s an called an interpretive trail because it has lots of information on signs as you walk along the paths.
The whole area got hammered by a monstrous wildfire in the summer of 1998 that burned almost half of the huge area. Now lots of young pine trees dot the area from the reforestation that took place and fire breaks, burned trees, and scrub from the preventive fires are obvious.
This isn’t a vast or strenuous hike, it’s best to go slow and read the signs and look for different critters and plants. It’s well marked and very easy to hike and a nice place to take the little ones to teach them about nature.
Lots of strange and exotic flora in the forest, and having the signs identify them is a cool idea. There is even the remains of an old turpentine camp that housed the workers that produced the pitch, rosin and turpentine. Just pieces are left and it would be easy to walk right by it if not for the markers.
A cool place to come for a couple of hours of slow hiking and learning. There is even a little lake and picnic area for when you are through with the hiking. A very cool place that allows you to learn while you walk.