Bandera Farms Park Opens November 8. It Was Built for Horses First.

On August 12, a crane lowered a prefabricated restroom building into place off Bunch Road. It was one of two. Connect2 NWGuilford photographed it as the most visible sign that Bandera Farms Park was nearly finished. The park has two restroom buildings because it was laid out for two different kinds of visitors, and one kind arrives with a horse trailer.

The Town of Summerfield holds the grand opening on Sunday, November 8, at 2 p.m. at 5448 Bunch Road. The North Carolina Horse Council's invitation says the celebration runs from 2 to 5 p.m. It ends with a line that shows who the park was planned around: "A new place to ride is here. Come celebrate & come ride!"

One Park, Two Front Doors

Town Manager Charles "Twig" Rollins told FOX8 that Summerfield already has an athletic park and a community park. Bandera is the third, which he called "this equestrian park that will have normal walking trails, equestrian walking trails, another playground." The same report said the park has two parking lots and two restroom buildings, each pair serving a different end of the site.

Put that next to the site plan in the Town Council's April 2026 agenda packet and the park sorts into two halves:

That split decides where you park. If you're bringing children to the playground, use the lot by the shelter. If you want to start on the trails, use the lot near the trailhead, and leave the pull-through spaces for trucks with trailers. Those spaces only work if a rig can drive straight through.

The Trails Were Measured for Hooves

The park's main trail system is about 4.5 miles of natural-surface equestrian trail. Hikers are welcome on it, but riders set the design. A walker here shares the path with horses.

The other trail is different. The Piedmont Land Conservancy describes a one-mile segment of the Piedmont Greenway inside the park as shared-use for walking and cycling. It starts out with a natural surface. On the site plan it appears as the greenway connector trail, on the same side as the playscape and picnic shelter. If you plan to bring a bike, this mile is the one built with bikes in mind.

The horse focus shows in the funding too. The NC Horse Council gave $50,000 toward the park, and the Recreational Trails Program gave $100,000. Neither is the largest grant, but they explain the ADA mounting block and the trailer spaces. Riders across the region have reason to circle November 8, and some of them will arrive on the trail side that afternoon.

Why Greensboro Helped Pay for a Summerfield Park

The park sits between Reedy Fork Creek and I-73. Reedy Fork is a source of Greensboro's drinking water. That's why Greensboro, Oak Ridge and Guilford County joined Summerfield on a park that sits entirely in Summerfield. The Town calls Bandera the first time all four local governments have partnered on a joint conservation and recreation project.

The grants the Town lists show how the money came together:

• $2.3 million from Guilford County
• $500,000 from the North Carolina Great Trails State Program
• $500,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
• $500,000 from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund
• $100,000 from the Recreational Trails Program
• $50,000 from the NC Horse Council

Those add up to just under $4 million, which matches the "nearly $4 million" that Connect2 NWGuilford credited to the Greensboro-based Piedmont Land Conservancy. The conservancy led the land purchase, then handed ownership to Summerfield. The project took more than five years. Protecting the creek is a big part of why the trails stay natural-surface and why most of the 120 acres stays open land.

Palmer McIntyre of the conservancy told the Town Council in August, as reported by Connect2 NWGuilford, that "it is beautiful; it is very well constructed." Bar Construction Co. built the trails, shelter and parking areas after construction began in early 2026. The groundbreaking was January 13.

What Opening Day Won't Have Yet

A trail-first park built on grants arrives in stages, and a few pieces of Bandera are still plans.

The dog park. The ground is graded for one, but Connect2 NWGuilford reported in September that it will be built only once funding becomes available. Rollins told FOX8 the graded land is ready for "another dog park." Summerfield's existing off-leash spot is still Paw Park at 1001 Ayers Lane. Its posted rules are for that park only. If you're bringing a dog to Bandera, look for the signs at the trailhead before you let out the leash.

The long greenway. The one-mile segment is an early piece of a planned 19-mile shared-use corridor between Greensboro and Winston-Salem. The plan follows Reedy Fork Creek through Guilford County and eventually connects to Greensboro's watershed trails. For now, the mile inside Bandera ends at the park boundary. You can't yet walk from Bunch Road to the trails around Greensboro's lakes.

The playscape is the open question. FOX8 reported in August that the adventure playground was the last piece, due to be installed in late August, with natural elements meant to encourage creative play. In mid-September Connect2 NWGuilford still called it "planned." The Horse Council's opening invitation lists the adventure playscape among the features. If the playground is the reason for your trip, check the Town's project page before you load up the car.

The schedule has already moved once. In September, Connect2 NWGuilford expected the park to be finished that month. The Town's calendar now sets the opening for November 8.

Planning the First Visit

1. Go Sunday, November 8, between 2 and 5 p.m. for the opening celebration at 5448 Bunch Road. The Town's announcements so far don't list speakers or event parking plans.
2. Pick your lot by your plans. Use the shelter-and-playground lot for picnics and kids. Use the trailhead lot for the equestrian trails.
3. Leave the pull-through spaces for trailers. Expect riders that afternoon, since the Horse Council promoted the opening to them directly.
4. Plan around daylight after opening day. FOX8 reported the park will be open dawn to dusk. A caretaker living on site will open the gates each morning and make rounds on the trails, restrooms and trash cans.

Late fall has more on the calendar than the park. Summerfield Farms holds its second annual Merry Market on Sunday, November 22, from 1 to 6 p.m. in The Barn at 3203 Pleasant Ridge Road, with a VIP shopping hour at noon. The Town's Tree Lighting at Summerfield Athletic Park is set for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, with a rain date of December 12.

If you walk Bandera's trails this November and start picturing a home with room for a barn, a trailer, or simply a shorter drive to Bunch Road, I'm glad to talk through what that search looks like in northwest Guilford County. Reach out to Melody Davis when you're ready, and let's connect.