Blackwood Farm Park

Blackwood Farm Park reopened May 19

After a renovation project that took more than a year, Blackwood Farm Park reopened to the public on Friday, May 19.

The renovation includes more parking, a new entrance off NC 86, a large picnic shelter, a park operations building and an amphitheater.

Park History

In December 2001, Orange County purchased this 152-acre site for a future park from Nannie and Mary Blackwood. The land had been in the family since 1906, when Herbert Blackwood and his wife, Alice Kirkland, bought the land from the Strayhorn family, who had owned it since 1817. 

The Blackwoods farmed the land for many years, growing corn, cotton, wheat and potatoes before opening a small dairy farm in the 1930s.

The park officially opened June 20, 2015, and has become a popular destination for county residents for its wide open spaces, miles of hiking trails and abundant wildlife.

Master Plan

A map of the Master Plan for the future Blackwood Farm Park was adopted by the Orange County Board of Commissioners on March 3, 2011 and amended on March 20, 2018, and February 1, 2021. View a map of the amended Master Plan.

Future plans for the park include a disc golf course.

Reserving a facility

Information about reserving facilities at the park can be found here.