Explore Bluestem    
Bluestem is open to the public dawn to dusk every day. Bluestem has so much to offer -- wide open sky, birdsong and activity, native wildflowers and grasses, hiking trails for enjoying (and enhancing with us), a pond for sitting beside, a natural sanctuary for private services, individual contemplation, or community gatherings, and most of all, the quiet and healing properties of nature. 
We encourage walking, reflecting, praying, meditating,
​and remembering at Bluestem. 
Pathways around the fields and through the woods and grasslands, provide visitors with a hiking network of approximately 3.5 miles, all built and managed by volunteers. Park on your left, walk through the gate, and begin your walk at the Barn, where you'll find more info and maps. 

Pathways and trails are all natural surfaces. Please watch your step and travel thoughtfully. Stay on the marked trails and do not trespass on our neighbors' properties. Keep a trail map with you at all times. ​If you enjoy the company of other outdoor enthusiasts, consider joining us on Friday mornings to help extend the trail.

Early Trails     

  • Bluestem Road  From the parking area travel west on Bluestem Road to the Pope Family Cemetery. Gravel surface trail. Up and back is 1 mile. 
  • Pond Trail  From the Barn, head north, pass the bonfire and turn west at the corner. Stop in at the reflection area. Pop back out and follow the path down the hill around the pond, up through the Pond Sanctuary, and back to the Barn. Grass surface trail. Roughly 1/3 mile. 
  • Sanctuary Trail  From the Barn head west through the Pond Sanctuary, turn left at the Pond Road and find the Trail sign into the woods. Drop onto this trail and travel along the edge of the First Field. Pop out on the eastern edge of the First Field. Travel to the Black Walnut trees, and return the same route back to the barn. Gravel, earth and grass surface trails. Roughly 1/2 mile.   
  • Inner Circuit Trail  From Barn, west through the Sanctuary, follow yellow arrows, cross into the  woodland trail to the Black Walnut trees, back into the woods east of the Meadow, down along the creek, and around the interior woodlands, traveling south. Exit at Bluestem Road and cross into First Field heading east, return to the Barn and parking area. Approximately 1.5 miles. 
  • First Field  Walk past the Conservation Cemetery sign on Bluestem Road, and take the first right into this grassland. Two natural pathways run north- south and east-west, providing an intimate experience of prairie life.
  • Woodland Cartways Equally part of the trail network, these short, usually graveled pathways provide access into the woods and natural sanctuaries, and to quiet spaces for reflection.  

The Barn      

Built in the early 1930’s this typical Piedmont barn was used to store crops, and housed farming animals and equipment. Bluestem is repurposing the barn for storage, as an information center and for burial services. A color coded map provides visitors with an overview of Bluestem's trail network, communal space for services, and burial areas currently open in the conservation cemetery. Beyond the barn is Bluestem Community's bonfire area, off-limits, unless reserved for a community event. 

Natural Sanctuary    

 From the Barn, travel west towards the signs indicating Sanctuary and Trail. Choose yellow arrows for a pedestrian pathway that winds toward the pond. Choose purple arrows for a route past the Poem Box. Find a canopy of hardwood trees standing over natural cedar benches. Enjoy the quiet. This reflection area can hold private family services, community gatherings, and sacred space as needed. Move the benches around the sanctuary as needed but please do not remove them from the sanctuary. 

The Pond   

The pond was built in the 1980s to serve as a water source for the previous farm. It is fed by a natural spring emerging just below the barn and drains below the dam, feeding the creek on the northern boundary. Find the pond benches for a quiet sit. Take the trail (yellow arrows) back into the woods and follow it to the Black Walnut trees. Sit at the picnic table under the shade. Travel further onto the Woodland Trail beside the Meadow, or back along Bluestem Road. 

Gravesites  

Gravesites are all natural and blend in with the landscape. Recent burials are covered in pine straw and can be found in the prairie, in the Meadow and the northern Woodlands. All graves are marked with a central locator, an aluminum grave marker placed in the center of the grave. GPS coordinates are assigned to all burial plots. Flat gravestones are allowed. Some families have chosen to place a gravestone at a grave, others are satisfied with the grave marker. Please be respectful of Bluestem's residents and family members paying visits to their loved ones. Click How it Works for more information about natural burial and the burial of cremated remains at Bluestem. 

Pope Family Cemetery 

This private family cemetery belongs to the Pope Family of Orange County and sits on high ground near some of the only pine trees on the property. Four  cedar posts and a sign distinguish the cemetery from conservation burial areas, and protect graves that date back to the early 1800s. The Pope Family has a perpetual right to visitation and cares for the upkeep of the cemetery. A picnic table under the pine trees is a popular spot for visiting families and local artists. 

Beech Sanctuary  

This beautiful old beech anchors Woodland 1 and has been the site for many private memorial services. 4-6 cedar benches are permanently situated in the sanctuary. Depending on the number of guests at a burial or memorial service, families choose the layout of the benches. Woodland 1 is one of three woodland areas currently open for burial. Click Burial Areas for more descriptions about available burial areas at Bluestem. 

Bluestem Neighbors

Bluestem neighbors are longstanding farmers and hunters. We coexist respectfully. Please do not trespass on their property and do not explore any of the buildings in the interior. Thank you.