Dogs Banned From Raleigh’s Schenck Forest

A popular West Raleigh hiking spot will close to dogs beginning June 1.

Schenck Forest, an N.C. State University teaching and research facility on Reedy Creek Road, has become a hotspot for dogs and their owners. However, the presence of a large number of unleashed canines has raised concerns in recent months.

Only 23 percent of dog owners who visited Schenck during the week complied with local leash laws, and that number dropped to 16 percent on weekends, according to a month-long usage survey conducted by the school. Consequently, the College Forest Advisory Committee decided the situation was hazardous to public safety as well as the health of the forest. It specifically cited damage to the root system of the 150-year-old Schenck Memorial Oak.

“We truly regret that it has come to this,” College of Natural Resources Acting Dean J.B. Jett said in a statement announcing the decision. “But Schenck Forest is first and foremost an outdoor teaching and research facility, and we had to act in the best interests of our students and faculty and to preserve our facilities.”

Signs announcing the new policy will be posted, and N.C. State’s Campus Police Department will continue to conduct patrols of the property. First-time offenders will be ticketed for trespassing, and repeat offenders will be subject to arrest.