Trail Safety Guidelines

Our trails are very natural. That means they are sometime uneven. There may be low stumps, stones protruding, potholes, fallen branches, rain washout gullies, and slick spots. Please stay present and mindful of the immediate steps you are taking on your walk.

There are a couple of things you want to avoid on your nature walk: poison ivy plants, copperhead snakes, and ticks.

We attempt to keep all the poison ivy off the trails, but be observant if you are inclined to step off of a trail to look at something. Poison ivy is very abundant in random places. Avoid the temptation of petting the nice, furry vines growing up trees: that is poison ivy, too. Look for the leaves grouped in threes. They may be shiny or dull. When in doubt, do not let it brush against you. Only the larger vines are hairy, so best not to pet any vines you see with three leaves in the vicinity.

Copperhead snakes are very beautiful, but are venomous. If you see one, please turn around and go the other way. They do not chase and will not strike unless you step very close to them, or on them. They may coil and raise their head in the air: that means “Back away!”

Ticks are active during warm weather and can carry diseases transferred through their bites. Feel free to spray tick/insect repellent on yourself to ward them off, especially around your shoes and ankles. Wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, and long socks with closed-toed shoes if possible. Tucking your shirt into your pants, and your pants into your socks, can help hinder ticks from getting to your skin. We recommend you check yourself for ticks after a nature walk, even if you don't feel or see any on you. They often settle in hard-to-see places like head hair, armpits, the back of the knees, groin, and behind the ears.