Hucks Road
Charlotte, NC 28269

Directions:
From 1-77 north of Charlotte, take 485 east to 115. Turn left on 115/Old Statesville Road and go 0.7 miles to Hucks Road. Take a left on Hucks Road and go 0.6 miles to the Clarks Creek Nature Preserve, which will be on your left. There are no amenities at the preserve.

Description:
This 98.6 acre nature preserve consists of over 70 acres of open fields and about 28 acres of forest. A tributary of Clarks Creek runs through the property. There are also small wetlands and a pond. The variety of habitats here, along with the presence of water, makes Clarks Creek Nature Preserve an ecologically diverse property and an excellent place for wildlife.

While exploring the preserve, look for signs of white-tailed deer, raccoons and beavers along streams, ponds and wetlands. These animals are usually nocturnal, or active at night, but they are occasionally seen in daytime. Birds to look for include red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, eastern bluebirds, common yellowthroats (summer), prairie warblers (summer), and eastern meadowlarks. Eastern meadowlarks nest on the ground in grassy fields. Their beautiful, clear whistled song, which sounds like “Tea Sir, Tea-See-er” or “Spring of the-year”, was once commonly heard in rural Mecklenburg County. Meadowlarks are now in serious decline due to loss of habitat.

There are some impressive trees bordering Clarks Creek, including a shagbark hickory that is over 2 feet in diameter. Shagbark Hickories are very slow growing, so this specimen could be well over 150 years old. A swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii) with a diameter of over 4 feet is also found along the creek. This swamp chestnut oak is listed as a treasure tree with the Mecklenburg County Treasure Tree Program.

As in all County parks and preserves, County Park and Recreation Ordinances apply to Clarks Creek Nature Preserve. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. There is no fishing allowed in the pond.