There are so many activities and ways to build nature connections. One of the more relaxing ways for us is to find an easy trail with plenty of variety, such as the presence of water, mud, trees and bushes, birds, and bugs. If there’s a fort there, that’s a bonus! This trail provides all of this!
On the map (below), I included the loop for the trail. We usually find the last stretch of it (the straight line that parallels the canal, frontage road, and Interstate) more stressful than fun. The interstate traffic can be rather loud, making it difficult to hear each other. It’s a straight road with not as much exploring as the nature trail. Additionally, you have to be aware of traffic (and dog poop). For these reasons, we backtrack. We park, hike and play along the trail, make it to the fort and play some more (and snack), and then we turn around. By doing this, we avoid the straight road and actually don’t add on much distance. Maybe 1/10 of a mile or so.
This is a great trail for young ones. It’s less than a mile in length whether you do the full loop or the out and back. It’s flat, but with enough other variety (other than topography) to keep little ones interested in what’s up ahead. It can get muddy if littles wander towards the water so I recommend rain boots or not worrying about their shoes getting muddy (or I suppose having the water off-limits?). 🙂
There is a variety of vegetation and wildlife along the trail. When our 2 year old hikes here, there are a couple locations early in the hike where the vegetation is taller than him and crowds the narrow trail. But we make a game out of it (and I push some of the bushes and grasses to the side), and he doesn’t seem to mind too much having it all in his face! Also, be on the lookout for deer, a variety of birds, rabbits, and of course all sorts of bugs.
A few other notes about this trail:
- It is a dog friendly area. In fact, the majority of users we have encountered have been running their dogs.
- The interstate traffic can be hard to ignore. It only really became a distraction when I thought about it, or we walked on the straight road where it was harder to enjoy the trees and nature.
- We haven’t been here when it’s really hot out, but I’m guessing the mosquitoes show up.
- It’s a narrow trail, so I don’t consider it stroller friendly. I suppose parts of it would be okay, but there are other parts of the trail where it would be difficult to maneuver.
We have yet to hike this trail when the leaves are changing in the autumn, but I’m really looking forward to it! If it’s as pretty as I’m hoping, I’ll post some photos on Instagram. That’s also the place to see new microadventure places around the area before I post on the blog! 🙂