Bandera Farms Park opens on Sunday, November 8, with a celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. on Bunch Road near Interstate 73. The park covers 120 acres along Reedy Fork Creek. Its layout came from several years of practical choices about what to build now and what to leave for later. You can see those choices in the finished park: a second restroom building, a strip of natural-surface greenway, and a graded pad with nothing on it yet.
Those choices are a useful way to understand the park. The second restroom, the house on the property, and the empty pad all come from the same set of decisions about money, deadlines, and who looks after the trails each morning.
A Second Restroom, Cut and Then Restored
The park took more than five years to put together. Piedmont Land Conservancy led the land purchase, secured nearly $4 million in state, federal, and private grants, and later transferred ownership to the Town of Summerfield. Greensboro, Guilford County, and Oak Ridge also contributed, according to the Northwest Observer. The Town's project page says it was the first time all four local governments partnered on a joint conservation and recreation project.
Grants covered nearly all of the project's $4.39 million cost. The largest was $2.3 million from Guilford County, drawn from federal pandemic relief funds. Because of that money, the work had to finish by December 2026. To stay within budget, the project cut about $2 million in costs last year, and one of the two restroom buildings was part of that cut.
The restroom came back this spring. The Northwest Observer reported in June that the Town Council voted to draw $400,000 from reserves for the second restroom building and its electrical work. Town Manager Charles "Twig" Rollins explained the timing to the council: "People have always wanted the second bathroom, and it's cheaper to do it now than to do it later." The town uses prefabricated restroom buildings, which are set in place by crane, and Rollins said "a crane can be $1,000 an hour from the time they leave to the time they get back." Waiting would have meant paying for the crane twice. Finance Officer Jen Kelley told the council the request left "about a $25,000 wiggle room, possibly a $50,000 wiggle room," and that any unused money would go back to reserves.
That crane came on August 12 and set one of the two prefabricated restroom buildings in place. Putting the second building into this year's construction meant it wouldn't need its own crane trip later.
A Park Laid Out for Horse Trailers
Bandera is different from Summerfield Community Park or Summerfield Athletic Park. The Town describes it as a "nature-based, equestrian-focused preserve" with about 4.5 miles of dedicated horse trails. The Town's January groundbreaking release lists separate entrances for cars and horse trailers, designated parking, picnic areas, and restrooms. The NC Horse Council was one of the funders, giving $50,000. Its opening-day notice ends with a plain invitation to "come ride."
You don't need a horse to use the trails. Piedmont Land Conservancy says the horse-trail network is also open to pedestrians. The groundbreaking release describes the natural-surface trails as built for equestrians and hikers. The September Northwest Observer report also mentions cycling trails. A one-mile segment of the Piedmont Greenway runs beside the horse trails. That greenway is a planned regional trail that will eventually connect Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
The creek shaped the design too. The Town says the park will strengthen protective buffers along Reedy Fork Creek, which it calls "a vital source of Greensboro's drinking water." Piedmont Land Conservancy says the land is protected by its conservation easement. A preserve built around horse trails and creek buffers needs more daily care than a ball field, which explains the next decision.
Someone Lives at the Park
The house on Bunch Road now has a caretaker. In May, the council voted to rent the house to a caretaker for $1,000 a month starting in August.
Rollins told the council that having someone on site mattered more after a dirt-bike rider damaged trails that were still under construction. He described the caretaker's routine this way: "He will check the bathrooms and the trash cans. He will ride the trails and make sure every double thing is cleaned up and ready to go for the day." According to the Northwest Observer, each morning starts with rounds at all of the town's parks before he returns to Bandera. He then works the rest of the day on the town's other side.
The restored restroom and the resident caretaker come from the same thinking. Both are things that are expensive to add or fix after the fact, so the town paid for them up front.
What to Expect on November 8
The Fall 2026 town newsletter lists the grand opening for 2 to 5 p.m. on November 8. In the same issue, Mayor Lee Haywood wrote that readers should "stay tuned for an official announcement on our website." The Town's project page still says "details will be forthcoming." Here is where each piece stands as of mid-October:
| Feature | Where it stands | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Horse trails, about 4.5 miles | Listed for opening day | Natural surface, also open to pedestrians |
| Piedmont Greenway segment, about one mile | Listed for opening day | Natural surface now, paved in a later buildout |
| Restrooms | Two prefabricated buildings | First one set by crane on Aug. 12 |
| Picnic shelter and parking | Under construction in September | Two parking zones, separate horse-trailer entrance |
| Adventure Playscape | Listed by the NC Horse Council for opening | Called "planned" in the September news report |
| Dog park | Graded pad only | Waiting on funding |
The two reports on the playscape came out two weeks apart. The Northwest Observer's September 17 report said "an adventure playground is planned." The NC Horse Council's notice, published September 30, lists it among the opening-day attractions, along with the shelter and restrooms. In the September 17 report, Bar Construction was still finishing the trails, picnic shelter, and parking areas, with completion expected in September. We haven't found a report confirming that construction is finished. Benchmark Trails also worked on the trail network.
Some details aren't public yet. As of mid-October, the Town hasn't published park hours, rules for dogs or bicycles, or a street-numbered entrance address. Until it does, the best directions are Bunch Road at I-73.
The Northwest Observer reported that Piedmont Land Conservancy's Palmer McIntyre gave the Town Council a preview in August: "The public is certainly going to love this new park. It is beautiful; it is very well constructed."
What's Still a Pad, a Dirt Path, or a Closed Bridge
The parts of Bandera that aren't finished were each set aside on purpose, and each one points to a later phase.
- The dog park pad. The site has a graded pad for a future dog park, which will be built once funding is available. Like the restroom, the expensive groundwork is done now and the remaining work waits for money.
- The greenway surface. The Piedmont Greenway section opens as natural surface. The Town says it will eventually be paved as part of the full greenway buildout.
- The connection to Greensboro's trails. We haven't found a source showing a direct trail link yet from Bandera to the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway or Bur-Mil Park. The A&Y also has a gap of its own. Its northernmost trestle, between Bur-Mil Park and Strawberry Road, is still closed. The City of Greensboro's February 2026 update projected replacement work to start in fall 2026 and finish in fall 2027.
For now, Bandera's mile of greenway is a starting piece of the regional route. The rest of the line between Greensboro and Winston-Salem is still in planning.
The opening is a little more than three weeks away. If you want more outdoor time before then, Summerfield Farms hosts its Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash on October 22 and 23, with gates opening at 5 p.m. and wagon rides, farm animals, and food trucks on the schedule. After the opening, the town's next big gathering is the Tree Lighting at Summerfield Athletic Park, 5200 US-220, on December 5 at 5:30 p.m.
We'll be watching for the Town's official announcement, and we'll pass along hours and trail rules once they're posted. If you have questions about the Bunch Road and Reedy Fork corner of Summerfield, or about how a new park like this fits into your own plans, the family team at Headen Homes is glad to talk it over. Let's Take the Next Step.
