"The new Craven County Nature Park is projected to open in early fall 2026." County Manager Jack Veit gave that line to NewBernNow when the paper reported on the new restroom and gravel lot at the County Line Road entrance. Early fall 2026 has come and gone, and the park on County Line Road near Old Airport Road hasn't opened.
The new date came out at a commissioners' meeting few people watched. On July 20, 2026, Recreation and Parks Director Mark Seymour asked the Craven County Board of Commissioners to roll unspent capital money into the new fiscal year. According to the approved minutes, he said the park "is planned for completion in the Fall of 2027."
The delay matters less than it sounds for anyone who simply wants to paddle Brices Creek. The new park is a trailhead on a route that already exists. Two public launches on that route are open today.
What the July Rollover Pays For
The board passed the $337,400 budget amendment on a 5-0 roll call vote. Of that, $20,000 goes to safety netting at West Craven Park. The rest is assigned to the nature park in four line items:
| Remaining component | Rolled into FY27 |
|---|---|
| Site work | $164,400 |
| Trail work | $88,000 |
| Shelter construction | $34,000 |
| Dock construction | $31,000 |
The trail budget is close to three times the dock budget, and trails are where the work is furthest behind. In July, Seymour told the board the parking lots were cleared, utilities were hooked up and restrooms were installed. The dock, footbridge, kayak launch, signs and shelter were still being built. County Public Information Officer Shane Digan sent NewBernNow an update on Aug. 15: the footbridge, dock and shelter were underway, and "Trail work will begin in the Fall." Veit had described at least 3 miles of hiking trails and 2 miles of biking trails. As of August, none of that ground work had started.
The paperwork doesn't agree on two details. NewBernNow's photo caption shows one new restroom, while the county minutes say "restrooms." The land was 172 acres when the Coastal Land Trust deeded it over in December 2023, and the July minutes call the park 176 acres.
The Land Was Almost Something Else
Under the construction schedule is a property that came close to becoming houses. Coastal Review reported that the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust put the preserve together in three phases, buying parcels below market value. One of them had been slated for the Carolina Colours golf and residential development. The acquisitions drew more than $1.5 million from the NC Land and Water Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, White River Marine Group and the Richard Chapman Cleve Fund. The preserve borders more than 1.5 miles of Brices Creek and an unnamed tributary.
The county later secured a $500,000 North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant for parking, a restroom and trails. In 2023, the opening target was spring 2025. It then moved to early fall 2026, and now to fall 2027.
In Veit's description, the dock and kayak launch are meant "to create a 7-mile paddle trail between Creekside Park and this location along Brices Creek." The far end of that 7-mile trail is already open.
The Canoe Trail Is Already on the Map
Craven County's own Creekside Park page calls the park "the mid point" of the Brices Creek Canoe Trail. That trail runs 12 miles from Lawson Creek to just past the Evans Mill subdivision. The U.S. Forest Service manages its own piece of the creek as Brice's Creek Trail, trail number TR508. It's a designated water trail, open year-round and free.
The 2027 park will add a third put-in on that route, with a shelter and land trails attached. These are the two launches you can use this weekend:
| Creekside Park | Brice's Creek Boat Launch | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Craven County Recreation & Parks | USDA Forest Service, Croatan National Forest |
| Getting there | 1821 Old Airport Road, New Bern | Off Perrytown Road, then about 1 mile of dirt road |
| Launch | 200-ft dock, two canoe/kayak launch areas | Boat ramp |
| Hours | Opens daily at 8 a.m. | Open year-round |
| Fee | None listed for the park | No fee |
| Restrooms | Yes, in the park | None, and no potable water |
Creekside, From the Dock Out
Most people know Creekside Park for its ball fields. It's the county's largest athletic park, 111 acres next to the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, and it has been open since 1997. The waterfront is at the back. The 200-foot dock has two canoe and kayak launch areas and two fishing cutouts. The Congleton Shelter, a gazebo, a playground and a walking trail sit beside it.
The shelters and gazebo don't require reservations. You only need to book one if you want exclusive use. On land, the park has a 2-mile accessible loop that was finished in 2022. Three holes of the 18-hole disc golf course run along Brices Creek.
You don't need your own boat. Whenever Watersports lists a self-serve kayak kiosk near the Creekside launch with six single and two tandem kayaks. Its posted rates are $19.99 for a single or $39.99 for a tandem for one hour, and $49.99 or $79.99 for a full day. Rental hours are listed as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The page has no date, so check the current prices and the kiosk's status before you drive over. The county's park page gives an 8 a.m. opening but no closing time.
The Perrytown Road End
The Forest Service launch is plainer. Its own directions start south of New Bern on US 70 East. Cross the Trent River bridge, take the first Craven Regional Airport turn, follow Madam Moore's Lane 1.7 miles, and turn left on Perrytown Road. After 1.5 miles, a Brice's Creek sign marks a mile of dirt road down to the ramp, where the canoe trail starts and ends. The Forest Service lists no restrooms or potable water at the site. One undated local boating directory mentions vault toilets, so go by the Forest Service listing. You can pick up a printed Brice's Creek brochure at the Croatan District Office in New Bern, 252-638-5628.
A Forest Service planning brochure describes this stretch as reflective blackwater lined with cypress and cypress knees. A local paddling guide divides the 12-mile creek into three runs:
- SR 1111 bridge to the Brices Creek ramp, 5 miles
- Brices Creek ramp to Merchant's Store, 4 miles
- Merchant's Store to the Lawson Creek Park ramp, 3 miles
The same guide warns about boat traffic, wind and a slight current, particularly where the creek widens toward open river water. Our sources don't establish whether Merchant's Store is public access, so treat it as a landmark unless you've confirmed you can launch there.
Two Croatan names come up in searches for paddling near New Bern, but neither one gets you onto Brices Creek. Flanners Beach/Neuse River Recreation Area and Fishers Landing are both on the Neuse River, and the Forest Service lists both as closed. The Flanners campground is listed as open.
What Changes in Fall 2027
Once the dock and kayak launch on County Line Road are finished, the 7-mile stretch between the new park and Creekside will have public launches at both ends. That will make a one-way paddle with a car shuttle much easier. The land side will be new too: at least 3 miles of hiking trails and 2 miles of biking trails on a property that borders more than 1.5 miles of creek. In November 2022, a New Bern Sun Journal story republished on the county's website said the park would run from dawn to dusk, with gated entrances locked at night. The current timeline is newer than that, and no final hours, fees or rules have been announced since.
The county's next budget update on the park is the place to watch for an opening date. Until then, Creekside opens at 8 a.m. and the Perrytown Road ramp is open year-round.
If you live near Brices Creek, the new park coming to County Line Road may have you wondering what your home is worth now. The Copeland & Bernauer Real Estate Team knows these waterways and can give you a clear starting number. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, then call us to talk through what the 2027 park might mean for your part of the creek.
