Opened in November 2025, the Pondberry Bay Trail is the first publicly accessible natural surface trail in Sampson County. As it winds its way through the Pondberry Bay Plant Conservation Preserve near Roseboro, it traverses longleaf pine forests in all stages from seedlings to mature trees, along with a few areas of bottomland hardwood forests. Eventually, it will connect through as part of the permanent route of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, but for now it is open as a 5.5-mile out-and-back trail with loop, or “lollipop trail.”
The Pondberry Bay Trail is open during daylight hours from Friday at sunrise through Sunday at sunset. The only public access location to the Pondberry Bay Preserve is the trailhead at 20 Straw Den Lane, Roseboro, NC, off White Woods Rd. at N34.97538°, W78.47121°. Entering the preserve from any other point or at any other times will be considered trespassing.
For more information about the route and the preserve, click the image below.
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is proud to have led the effort to bring this beautiful trail to Sampson County, and we thank our partners who helped make it possible:
- The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Plant Conservation Program
- Friends of Plant Conservation
- Sampson County Visitor’s Bureau
- Sampson County Department of Parks and Recreation
- Town of Roseboro
