Mapleton Preserve Trail
Deer, wild turkeys, foxes, eagles…. they’ll be startled by you in this tranquil, precious collection of trees and pathways. Several building relics and countless intriguing tree species stand tribute to…
Ventura Harbor Ecological Reserve Trail
Don’t let the chain link fence keep you from exploring this wonderland; the gate off of Angler Court is unlocked daily between 9am and 5pm. Sandy pathways loop around the…
Carpinteria Bluffs Open Space & Seal Sanctuary
….or, “The Train Beach,” as this family pilgrimage site shall always be known to us. With trains, seals, and bathing poolets, this is a great family adventure destination – but…
Coronado & Ellwood Monarch Butterfly Groves
These two adjacent famed Monarch butterfly habitats reached via the Ellwood Bluffs trail attract butterflies November through February. A decade ago, tens of thousands of butterflies would spend the winter…
Alice Keck Memorial Garden & Kid’s World
There’s stiff competition on either side of Micheltorena Street for kids’ attention. On one side, the Alice Keck Garden has a pond full of turtles with an island and a…
Andree Clark Bird Refuge
Tucked between the beach, the railroad tracks and the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Andree Clark Bird Refuge is an understated hideaway for birds and wildlife. With three observation platforms jutting…
Ojai Meadows Preserve
Serenity hovers in this flat basin among the brush and Eucalyptus trees, surrounded by a picturesque mountainscape. At its heart, a bridge and benches are lovely spots to peer at…
Mill Creek Marsh Trail
A former wasteland between Bob’s Furniture Outlet and Interstate 95, this meandering little eden is a beacon of green in the Meadowlands. Narrow pathways snake and intersect across the grassy…
DeKorte Park Trail
Happily ever after its landfill and wasteland past, DeKorte Park is a wide expanse of breathtaking views. A splindling of narrow walkways cuts through a flat tidal marsh and waterscape…
Sunset Park Trail
Hovering between creepy and enchanted, Sunset Park is a veritable sculpture gallery with installations stationed along a 1/4 mile of adventurous tunnels through the junipers. Though the path is short,…
Stonebridge Preserve Trail
Tunnel through the cedar grove, shimmy along the dramatic river ridge, amble around the pastures and drift through the wildflower meadows – four landscapes in one footpath! There are several…
Scott’s Corner Conservation Area Trail
This sweet little gem hides behind cricket fields opposite the mammoth Rowland Park grounds. Your child will love decoding the trail markers to find the lake with its gentle, mossy…
Cider Mill Preserve Trail
What a gargantuan sky. You know you’re in a wildlife haven when every other human you encounter has a super zoom lens dangling around her or his neck. It’s too…
Mercer Meadows Trail
Boardwalks add lots of pizazz, in my book, and this place is among the boardwalkiest of them all! And it’s a perfect place for biking with its endless sprawling acres…
Institute Woods Trail
Timeless pathways for Sunday promenades connect vast prairies, historic landmarks, a wild life refuge and the D & R canal – not to mention the Institute for Advanced Studies. Technically,…
Lawrence Brook Trail
Your choice of paved or unpaved path ambles through this unexpected corridor of wilderness, complete with colonies of beavers, a tranquil river, wetlands and a railroad. ACTIVITIES: Train Gazing DIRECTIONS…
Sourland Ecosystem Preserve Trail
Ambling through woods and along boardwalks and leap-frogging boulders along streams, your path will be fairly level with the exception of one knoll in the Northeast section. LEARN / HELP…
Schoolhouse Trail at Schuss Woods
Squeezed between Orchard Hill and Montgomery Middle Schools and along Back Brook, the trail gets its name from the sweet one-room schoolhouse still perched at the edge of Schuss Woods.…
Davidson’s Mill Pond Park Trail
A lake, lily-padded ponds, vibrant wetlands, creeks, wide open meadows, grand old forests, boardwalks, sweet meandering footpaths with loads of natural stone steps and broad, shaded bikeable trails …. not…
Charles Rogers Wildlife Refuge Trail (a.k.a. “The Swinging Bridge Path”)
Even without the swinging bridge, this would be a worthy adventure. In fact, technically, the Charles Rogers Wildlife Refuge doesn’t encompass the swinging bridge – but it’s our favorite gateway.…
Hobler Park Trail
The expansive recreation lawn, brand new playground and large gazebo with plush BBQs come into view when you pull into the large parking lot. The wonderfully intricate and naturally ornamental…
Heathcote Brook Trail
Part meditatively tranquil and predictable, part rambling meadows and all around, forest that few humans ever breach (at least, that’s what the fox told me). Connects to Kendall Woods trail.…
Audubon’s Plainsboro Preserve Trail
Audoban’s Plainsboro Preserve is as inviting to the rich wildlife it hosts as it is to its visitors with a welcoming nature center and trails that are perfect for little legs and still full of intrigue and adventure as they pass through butterfly gardens, along scenic bluffs, through shaded woods and past bird viewing platforms.