Clemmons Educational State Forest

Clemmons Educational State Forest in Clayton, North Carolina, is an 825-acre protected public forest operated by the North Carolina Forest Service and notable as the state’s first educational state forest. Designed as a place to learn in the landscape, it combines an exhibit center on forest ecology, soil, water, wildlife, and cultural history with self-guided trails that interpret the outdoors through audio stations. Rangers also lead programs for school groups, making the forest a hands-on classroom. Its four main trails offer about 8 miles of hiking, while picnic areas, a covered shelter, and a deck overlooking a 3-acre pond support day visits and broader lessons about North Carolina’s river basins.

North Carolina · United States