Hours and Contact InformationMonday - Sunday 10 am-5 pm
Closed on Mecklenburg County Holidays
Joli Reynolds, Nature Center Manager
(980) 314-7878
anjoli.reynolds@mecknc.gov
Click
here to sign up for one of our many programs.
Quest serves as the gateway to the 1,460 acres of Latta Nature Preserve and is the source for educational programs and information on the preserve's natural communities, flora, and fauna. The preserve, Mecklenburg County's largest, forms a green peninsula extending into Mountain Island Lake and protects a natural heritage site and several endangered plants.
Quest is a joint facility of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the
Raptor Center. It features live, native animals, a 3000 square foot interactive exhibit hall including a 6000-gallon aquarium, classrooms, conference rooms, rentable space and the Raptor Center's Gift shop.
The Raptor Center is in the process of building their new Raptor Trail and will be moving their birds once it's complete.
Other facilities located in the preserve include:
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Carolina Raptor Center, an education and rehabilitation facility dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey and home to the Southeast's largest eagle aviary
Latta Nature Preserve offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Paddling enthusiasts will find two launch areas that provide access to Gar Creek and Mountain Island Lake, including an ADA accessible ramp. Numerous fishing opportunities are available, including a fishing dock. Anglers ages 16 and older must have a NC State Fishing License.
A variety of picnic areas can be used on a first-come-first-served basis, while the larger shelters are available by reservation (Call (980) 314-7878). Restrooms are available as well as a sand volleyball court.
Latta Nature Preserve has 16 miles of trails offering hikers, nature enthusiasts, and horseback riders the opportunity to explore a variety of terrain while enjoying scenic views of the lake, forests, and streams. It is the only Mecklenburg County property open to horseback riding. Thirteen (13) miles are designated as horseback and hiking trails and three (3) miles are designated as hiking only. The county does not provide horses for rental. Due to the delicate nature of sharing trails with horses, mountain bikes are permitted only on paved roads within the preserve.
Riding on wet trails causes expensive damage and may lead to closures or even injury to your animals. Please note that after heavy rain the trails will be closed to equestrian use to prevent damage. Call the 24-hour Horse Trails Hotline at 980-314-1004 to check if trails are open before you come.
Visitors bringing their own horses can park their trailer in a designated horse trailer parking lot and base out of that location to explore the entire preserve. Proof of 12-month negative Coggins should be available for inspection. Dogs are welcome on preserve trails, but must remain on a 6-foot or shorter leash at all times. All trails are marked with color symbols.
The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department first opened the 654 acre Latta Plantation Park Nature Preserve in 1981. After the creation of the Nature Preserve Master Plan in 1997, the name was officially changed to Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. In the 1800's, most of the area was a cotton plantation owned by Mr. James Latta, a traveling merchant who first purchased the land in 1799. A portion of the acreage was used as a Boy Scout camp in the 1940's. Military exercises have also been conducted on the property. The property was purchased from several different owners including Crescent Resources and The Nature Conservancy. H. R. Johnson Construction once owned the majority of the property. Crescent Resources harvested timber in some areas of what is now preserve property. The 2,810 square foot Latta Nature Center was first opened in 1982 as the Ranger Interpretive Center. The Center's name changed to Latta Nature Center in 1998 and the facility underwent its first major renovation in 2002. Quest was built in 2019 to replace the old nature center and opens to the public in 2021.
Latta Nature Preserve is the County's largest nature preserve and protects over 1,460 acres of natural communities including the Beatties Ford Basic Forest natural heritage site. The preserve forms a green peninsula extending into Mountain Island Lake, the drinking water source for over 700,000 residents in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. Its diversity of natural communities includes upland and bottom land hardwood forests, open fields, streams, and a Piedmont Prairie restoration site protecting the federally endangered Schweinitz's sunflower and Michaux's sumac. The Preserve is part of the Mountain Island Lake Important Bird Area, designated by the National Audubon Society due to its diversity of wintering waterfowl, breeding and migratory songbird species, and protection of bottom land hardwood forests, a threatened natural community in North Carolina.
Latta Nature Preserve also preserves habitat for 97 species of birds, 17 species of mammals, 14 species of reptiles, and 9 species of amphibians. Among the species that have been found at the Preserve are: Bald Eagle, Wild Turkey,red fox, gray fox, mink, and red-spotted newt. The Preserve also protects two federally endangered plants (Schweinitz's sunflower and Michaux's sumac), a federal candidate species (Georgia's aster), and the largest population of puttyroot orchid in Mecklenburg County. For a complete list of documented species,
download our vertebrate species checklist.
Latta Nature Center is a proud member of the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers and supports Environmental Educator's of North Carolina. The Nature Center is also a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Water Quality Coalition, is a certified National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat, and serves as an ambassador for Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch.