About the Trail
Downtown isn’t often where most of us think to find a nature trail, but the protected 92-acres of rolling pastures, forested groves, and beautiful views along the Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail in the heart of Winston-Salem means you don’t need to go far from the city for a peaceful, pastoral experience.
Visitors to the trail will be able to journey up to 3 miles and take in views of rolling pastures, large oak trees, and views of the Winston-Salem skyline from the high points along the trail. The trail moves over hills and dips that will provide visitors with a few good climbs. Keep your eyes open for the many varieties of birds flitting between the vegetation.
Stuart & Emma Thomas
“When you lose people you love so much, there is a great desire to make sure they’re remembered, and I knew this would be so meaningful to them,” she says today. “They both were great lovers of the outdoors.” – Andrea Thomas
The trail is named in memory of Stuart and Emma Thomas, a father and daughter who passed in 2011.
Stuart and Emma immersed themselves in the natural world around them. Emma was a cross-country runner who loved running on trails. Stuart was an Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout leader and a hunter. He loved nothing better than getting up before daybreak, crouching in a duck blind and watching the sun rise.
Stuart and Andrea saw their children play lacrosse at Crossnore, and Stuart took his young scouts there from Troop 910. Meanwhile, Stuart and Andrea just loved driving up and appreciating the 212 acres perched atop a ridge that overlooked downtown Winston-Salem.
Dr. Charlie Brady “CB” Hauser
The trailhead on Gillete Street in the Historic Boston-Thurmond neighborhood is named for Dr. CB Hauser, an inspirational educator, legislator, change-maker, and past resident of Boston-Thurmond.
