Trail Character

The 2011 tornado, and the logging salvage operation that followed, opened up many new sections of the park to the public. However, many of the newer trails left behind from the logging roads face issues of steepness, erosion, and water pooling which all can impact the visitor experience.

The Chestnut Ave trail ties the past and the present together through remnants of a former zoo that existed up until the early 1900s, and by serving as a connection point to the logging road trails. The sporadic sparse trees along its edges produces an exposed feeling, particularly when the playing fields are empty, and the sun is shining on a hot day. (.31 miles)

Located on the side of a hill, this trail traverses through the middle of the the disc golf course over compacted soil. The trail goes through an evenly aged deciduous forest with patches of light shining through sporadic open canopy areas. It is a straight trail path that lacks of a plant understory giving this trail a singular landscape experience. (.17 miles)

Predominantly moving through a mature overarching deciduous forest canopy, low ground cover plants, and large segments of less than eight percent slopes, this trail that connects to the cemetery provides an idyllic forest trail experience but it is reserved as a service road for emergency purposes. (.42 miles)

The legacy of the tornado and the logging salvage operation contributed to erosion, exposed bedrock along steeper segments, water pooling spots, sporadic grassland patches, and an early successional forest along many of these trails. Encircled by some of the logging road trails, the planting of hybrid chestnut trees along the early successional forest serves as a guiding metaphor for the possibility of new beginnings. Culminating this sentiment is the scenic view from the picnic area overlook that sees into the distance.

The Butternut Trail goes along a wetland habitat, and travels into a mature deciduous forest intermingled with patches of evergreens. (.16 miles)

The Christmas Fern Trail is a meandering path aligned with a gallery of forest types and ages, including segments of mature deciduous forests, intermingled patches of scented evergreens, and segments of a thick density of an early successional forest. Along the deciduous tree trail segments, the tree canopy produces a protected feeling, but when the trail reaches parts of the early successional forest it develops a feeling of tightness, as young branches intercede into the trails, and the on-again and off-again water pooling limit easy traversing. Gentler slopes along the westerly segment of the Christmas Fern Trail allow for a slow take in of the surrounding ecology. Additionally, the quarry along this trail serves as a reminder of the intertwined relationship between settler colonial people and the management of this landscape. (.6 miles)

The Meadow Trail starts with a scenic farm field view, and descends diagonally between a community garden and a hayfield to an intermittent brook. Ascending from the intermittent brook, the trail continues between a forested edge and a meadow field. The vibrant meadow produces a great open feeling during the later spring days, and right before connecting to the Christmas Fern Trail, this trail overlooks a picturesque view of the entire meadow and the mountains. (.16 miles)

The Sphagnum Moss Trail is a well-used trail that goes along an intermittent stream that traverses the Keep Homestead Museum from south to north. The intermittent brook is commonly inhabited by a plant understory of moss, skunk cabbage and ferns, as well as an early successional forest. The combination of the flatness, the diverse plant ecology, and the intermittent stream give this trail a serene feeling. (.05 miles)

Incorporating a trail

that celebrates the various landscape characteristics can improve the visitor experience.