In honor of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7, celebrate the joy of the outdoors by exploring one of our many hiking trails.
National Trails Day, organized by the American Hiking Society, is a nationwide celebration of trails and the people who love them. This year’s theme, “Leave it better than you found it,” encourages all of us to enjoy, appreciate, and protect the natural spaces that connect us.
To mark the occasion, I’m sharing a trail review from a recent walk through Woodsville Preserve with my four-legged companion, Fenix. Whether you’re planning your own visit or just want to experience the trail through our eyes, I hope this inspires you to get outside and enjoy the beauty of our preserved lands.
Walk at Woodsville Preserve with Me
Woodsville Preserve is nestled in a quiet corner of the Valley on Harbourton-Woodsville Road, about ¾ of a mile west of its intersection with County Route 612 (Marshalls Corner-Woodsville Road). On this early May afternoon, Fenix and I took our time on the trail, exploring a loop that took us about an hour—including stops to admire stream views, photograph spring wildflowers, and take in the sights and sounds of the woods.
Leaving the parking area, a single trail leads into the woods along what appears to be an old farm road. Multiflora rose dominates the shrub layer this time of year, but flowering dogwood and blackhaw viburnum brighten the trail with soft white blooms. Just a few minutes in, signs of the preserve’s past use appear—pachysandra and periwinkle flanking the trail hint at a long-gone homestead. Near one of those patches stands a tall, dead sassafras tree, its bark carved out in deep, rectangular cavities by Pileated Woodpeckers. Clearly, they found something worth digging for.
The trail winds through a landscape shaped by time and change. Dead ash trees—some standing, others downed—are stark reminders of the damage caused by the Emerald Ash Borer. But life pushes forward. The canopy shifts to red maple and red oak, and soon I find myself entering a more mature section of forest. Shade returns to the path, and I imagine that just over a decade ago, this walk would have been shaded start to finish.
As the trail gently descends, large flat rocks begin to appear underfoot—my signal that we’ve entered older woods. A magnificent white oak with a broad canopy marks the transition from younger second-growth to a more established forest. A white trail blaze confirms I’m on the loop, and I stay right to explore the full path.
In this mature woodland, the trail narrows to a soft line in the leaf litter. Here, the forest feels quieter and more alive all at once. Mayapple, Spring Beauties, and Trout Lily grow along the trail, and an Ovenbird sings from somewhere nearby.
At the next trail marker, I again turn right to stay on the longest route. The woods shift again—tightly packed young birch and oak stand where an old field once likely gave way to succession. A bright Baltimore Oriole flashes overhead, singing, while nearby, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Common Yellowthroat call out from the understory.
Fenix and I follow the trail to a stream, where the forest opens up just enough to reveal the largest persimmon tree I’ve ever seen. We wander down a social trail to the water’s edge to cool off. The trail then hugs the stream a while longer, leading to another vista—this one complete with a bench and blooming wild geraniums. This might be my favorite stretch of the preserve.
We pass a tree covered in neat rows of sapsucker holes and pause at a massive coppiced red oak. From its broad base grow four tree-sized trunks—a testament to oak’s resilience and the forest’s history of timbering. I take a moment to admire its stubborn beauty.
Not long after, we approach a series of small deer exclosures—simple fenced areas that prevent browsing and allow vegetation to regenerate. Some harbor young trees, others wildflowers. None were planted; all grew from seeds lying in wait. These little enclosures show what’s possible when nature is given a break.
Fenix and I finish the loop through the old woods, where trail markers are subtle and the path is soft. I could linger another hour in the dappled shade, lost in birdsong and the beauty of the forest floor. But Fenix has dinner on her mind, so we climb the gentle incline back to the car.
If you’re looking for a place to celebrate National Trails Day, Woodsville Preserve is a peaceful, inspiring choice. Leave it better than you found it—and let it leave you better, too.
