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Scavenger Hunt: Tallgrass Prairie Trail

Try to find these few things as you walk the trail.  Some are obvious, and some are not.

Tallgrass Prairie Trail

     The Tallgrass Prairie Trail is a small trail in the tail of Whitewater Forest Park.

     Being the only trail in Whitewater District, I like it because it is the closet to where I grew up.  Besides that small fact the trail is quite interesting.

     The attractions are the overland bridge, the prairie itself and the vernal pond.  Vernal ponds are areas of water important to many amphibians' life cycles, but they are only around for a short time.

     Vernal ponds allow amphibians to breed without the fear of their young being eaten by fish.

     Just past the vernal pond is the overland bridge.  It travels over the sloping hill creating an easier walk for most.  The bridge has a few steps so be careful when walking down.  The drop is not far, about three or four feet, but it would still hurt.

     There is also the prairie.  This is home to many wildlife including rabbits and deer.  I have seen many different forms of wildlife here.  Once in those first months I with Noki, one of my sisters and I were followed by coyotes or dogs around the trail.  If you are walk this trail, walk it during park hours and you will not risk this.  My sister and I started the trail late and it was dark by the time we finished.

Tallgrass Prairie Trail

Length: 2/3 mile

Paved or Trail: Trail with gravel, dirt, grass, bricks and a long wood bridge.

     

The quickest access is off of Harrison Road.  If you get off of the highway near Harrison, you travel west on Harrison Road to the park to entrance.  The trail is on the right after a very sharp bend to the left.

Overall rating: 8/10

     This trail is very good for casual walkers.  Although it has a steep incline in places it is not as rough as the Badlands Trail.

     Strollers and wheelchairs are near impossible because of a long wooden bridge.  It allows for an easier walk over some tough terrain, but the steps onto it and off of it make anything with wheels dangerous.  I do not suggest walking this trail if you need something with wheels to get around.

     This trail is good for people who like a little seclusion from the harbor's crowd and an easy yet interesting small trail.

Tallgrass Praire Trail

My apologies

My paying job is working in an ice factory and due to the weather being 90+ degrees on a holiday weekend I am working 15+ hours a day and have not been able to give the blog my full attention.  Please look back in a few days for the update on the Tallgrass Prairie Trail at Whitewater Forest.

Next Post

Next update will be this Saturday, May 26, 2012.  I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am!

Badlands Trail

         
            This week Noki and I traversed through the seas of green covering the Badlands trail at Miami Whitewater Forest.

            This has to be my favorite trail. 

The reason I like it is because it is a trail rich in plant life.  Each time I walk the trail I notice something new.  I noticed just recently there are many ferns around the various streams that litter the forest floor.

I noticed other interesting things as well.  A birds nest, high in a tree, with chicks in it calling for food and a tree fallen into another tree to make an arrow point aimed at the sky are just a few examples.

This trail reminds me of a description of a game called “go.”  Go was once explained to me as a very simple game with a lot of depth, it always changes but is always the same.  This is very much the Badlands Trail.

Once we noticed a small clearing where there was a flourish of activity with birds and squirrels, but the next time we came there was a calming silence.  Even the one squirrel, which appeared around a tree suddenly, was not making any noise.

            One day we walked past some green plants only to find the next they had all suddenly sprouted white flowers.

When walking, Noki and I can be very forward thinking, eyes front, never looking back and certainly not stopping unless we see something to give us pause.  To help experience the whole trail, we tend to walk it in different directions.  It allows us to see some things from different angles.

I would strongly suggest this strategy with this trail.  There are things you can only see if turning around or from looking at a completely different angle.

To every trail there is a small downside as well. Unfortunately, there was a bit of trash.  Not enough to ruin the trail, but we saw water bottles and pop cans in various places.

This, I understand, is not so much a failing of the trail but a failing of some of the people who walk the trails.

If you are going to take food or drinks on the trail, please do not litter.  Bring a bag or something else to hold your trash.  I usually bring my backpack filled with drinks and extra weight.