This seems like a great place to take a leisurely Sunday hike. There's a small, stone-covered parking lot. I got out of the car and immediately heard several birds. I put on my hiking boots (which are almost always in my car), and trekked through about two acres of the hundred and forty-one acres of land hete. It's ownwd by the Allegheny Land Trust. While sitting in my car, I saw a nice orange cat making its way through the marshy grass. I didn't see any Wildlife but I did hear a lot of birds. Among them Cardinal, blue jay, sparrows, and what I swear was a Whipporwill, and a NutHatch. I also heard a couple of woodpeckers, but unfortunately couldn't see them. I could tell they were very close by, but I didn't want to interrupt their brunch by trying to find them.
I gave this four stars because although there is a significant amount of land to hike, there are no directions on where the trails are. From my car I walked straight ahead (diagonally) and eventually ran into some trails. There are some jumps for horses because this land is also used by equestrians. The two trails that I saw were not marked or groomed. It's early in the year so perhaps that will change over time. The only thing I saw what is a small green sign posted on the fence on the edge of the parking lot. It stated some basic activities you can enjoy, and some prohibited activities. There are places here to fish and hunt if you have the proper permits, but didn't state where.
I parked my car and walk diagonally straight ahead it eventually ran into to Trails. Neither of them were groomed or marked. I chose the one heading west and eventually came to a very strange and eventually came to but I assumed was some sort of a picnic shelter. I love picnics look like a great spot. As I approached, I noticed two things one that the device is hanging from that shelter that indicated it clearly was not for picnicking. It reminded me of an episode of CSI, and a real-life crime scene. Let's just say there are some things that you clearly don't want to know about your neighbors' activities. Second, there was barbed wire protecting this property. Beyond this "structure", I noticed a house with a very nice in-ground pool. I clearly wanted to stay on this side of the barbed wire and not possibly get shot for trespassing.
On my hike back to the car, I noticed some milkweed pods on the ground. I marveled how their silky, soft insides had survive the harsh winter. I also saw what looked like some very small blue berries that the deer and the birds hadn't eaten.
The second star was for no restroom or port-a-john. I thought that a 141 acre spread would have a restroom.
For those of us that love stargazing, March 20th there is a Spring Equinox stargazing event here. It, like the hiking here, is free. read more