Saturday, April 12, 2025, 1:00 PM
Enlow Fork Natural Area, Greene County
Leader: Loree Speedy ; 724-518-6022
We have not been to the EFNA this early in quite a while. This is a flat, game lands road/trail.
Directions: There are many ways to get to EFNA; if you have never been there, use the GPS coordinates 39.96107, -80.4627 with smartphone maps ahead of time. EFNA is located at the end of Smokey Row Rd in PA State Game Lands 302. The directions below are not the most direct, but the simplest.
Take I-79 south to Exit 14 Waynesburg. Turn right at end of ramp and travel PA 21 west for 19 miles through Waynesburg and Graysville. About 2.5 miles from Graysville, make a right onto Nebo Ridge Road (there is a farmhouse here on the right with stone siding ).
Follow Nebo Ridge Road for 2.8 miles. The road will make a sweeping curve to the left and you’ll come to a group of houses (old cars and junk lying around). Turn right onto unmarked Walker Hill Road at a sign for RHL 28. Continue about 1/4 mile, make a sharp left onto Smoky Row Lane, at a sign for state game land; follow that down the hill, through an S curve at the mine conveyor facility, then onto Enlow Fork. Go as far as you can go till you come to a gate and parking lot. Do not stop at the first lot on the left or you’ll have a few hundred yards of walking to do.
GPS coordinates: 39.96107, -80.46265 Google Maps Link to EFNA
Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 12:00 PM Noon (walk)
Wolf Creek Narrows, Butler County
Leader: Meg Scanlon; 724-612-6192
Rain or shine, for a leisurely paced, easy walk. Come early, 11:30, for lunch, 12 noon for start of walk. Meg is willing to transport 5 people in her mini van. Meet at the North Park Ice Rink/Basketball Courts on Kummer Rd at 10:45 AM.
Directions: From Pittsburgh take I-79 north to Exit 105. At the end of the ramp turn left on PA 108. Travel east on PA 108 for about 0.7 miles to West Park Rd (Dairy Queen on the right). Turn left onto West Park Road (SR 1015) and drive north about 1.8 miles to SR 1020 (you can see some large silos on the right). Turn right on SR 1020 (Miller Rd) and drive about 1.7 miles to the small parking lot on the right. (SR 1020 is a winding road and at an almost T intersection, turn right to stay on SR 1020.) If you reach the bridge, you have gone too far. The parking lot is just before you reach the bridge over Wolf Creek.
Arrive at 11:30 AM to eat lunch, weather permitting. No restroom facilities. We will start walking at 12 noon.
GPS coordinates: 41.0637, -80.0879, Google Maps Link to Wolf Creek Parking
Saturday, April 19, 2025, 1:00 PM
Roaring Run in Armstrong County, Armstrong County
May 8, 1915 is 109 years, 11 months and 1 week from April 19, 2025. Spring comes much earlier, but the Botanical Society is still a strange looking company in knock-about clothes. Let’s see if we can beat 115 plants recorded by the 1915 MArvels of Roaring Run troop. Leader: Loree Speedy ; 724-518-6022
We will meet at the parking lot along the river and carpool to the smaller Rock Furnace lot upstream of Roaring Run for a hike of 3 miles, mostly downhill and along the river.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take I-376 Parkway East and continue on US 22 east for 1.5 miles to PA 286 (Golden Mile Highway). Continue on PA 286 – it will become PA 380 after the commercial development and Dairy Queen. Continue on PA 380 to PA 66 and travel PA 66 north (right at end of ramp) to Apollo. Cross the bridge into Apollo and turn right at the traffic light immediately after the bridge onto Kiski Avenue. Follow this road through the town about 0.8 mile until a fork; take the right fork onto Canal Road. The road dead-ends at the Roaring Run trailhead parking lot. We will meet here.
GPS coordinates: 40.5640, -79.5592 Google Maps Link to Roaring Run Trailhead
Sunday, April 27, 2025, 9:00 AM
Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, Beaver County
Leader: Shane Miller, Environmental Educator at Raccoon Creek State Park
Let’s join member and botanist Shane Miller for a trip through one of the most diverse populations of plants in the state. Be prepared for wet trails and moderate hiking.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take the Parkway West – Route 376 west (former Route 60 north) to Exit 52, Clinton (one exit past the Airport). At the end of the ramp, turn left and continue 1.1 miles to US 30. Turn right onto US 30 and drive 4.7 miles to the entrance for the Wildflower Reserve, on the right, just over a hill.
GPS coordinates: 40.5071, -80.3640 Google Maps Link to Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve
Note that we are meeting at 9:00 AM!
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 1:00 PM
Hells Hollow Trail, McConnells Mill State Park, Lawrence County
The half-mile trail leading to a waterfall is easy hiking. Those who wish to continue should wear sturdy shoes.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take I-79 north to Exit 96 – Portersville. Turn left to travel PA-488 about 4 miles to Heinz Camp Road. Turn right onto Heinz Camp Road and continue about 2 miles to a T. Turn right and cross the Armstrong Bridge. Continue up the hill about 2 1/2 miles and make a right onto Shaffer Road. The Hell’s Hollow Trailhead parking lot is on the right about 100 yards after the turn, just before a one-lane bridge.
GPS coordinates: 40.93140, -80.24010 Google Maps Link to Hells Hollow
Sunday, May 4, 2025, 1:00 PM
Indian Creek Gorge, Fayette County
Leader: Lindsay Praksti, Westmoreland Botanical Society
O. E. Jennings, in the gazetteer of his 1953 Wild Flowers of Western Pennsylvania and the Upper Ohio Valley, called this area “good botanizing ground” with woods, marsh and a stream that flows through a deep gorge. We will join the Westmoreland Botanical Society.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take the PA Turnpike to Exit 91 – Donegal. Turn left on PA 31. Travel about 2 miles and turn right on PA 381 at the traffic light. Travel about 11.5 miles on PA 381. Once you cross a bridge over Mill Run Reservoir, look for a Camp Christian sign and turn right onto the next unpaved road. At the Y, turn right and continue to a trailhead parking area.
GPS coordinates: 39.9718, -79.4594 Google Maps Link to Indian Creek Valley Trailhead
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 1:00 PM
Browns Run Sheepskin Trail, ShortCut Trailhead, Fayette County
Leader: Gabrielle Marsden; (412)-496-5266, pawpaw@t-k.org
Gabrielle has a good feeling about this beautiful valley of the Browns Run tributary to the Monongahela River. As we enjoy rich diverse slopes of paw-paw, we will look for the Zebra Swallowtail.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take I-79 south to Exit 14. Turn left to travel PA21 east. Continue 21 miles to the Exit for PA 166 South. Turn right at the end of the ramp. Travel 1 mile north on Ronco Road. Bear right at the Y onto Shortcut Rd (unmarked). Continue 0.3 mile to trail parking on the right.
GPS coordinates: 39.87190, -79.90665 Google Maps Link to Shortcut Trailhead
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:00 AM
Duff Park, Murrysville, Westmoreland County
Leader: Loree Speedy; loreespeedy@gmail.com; 724-518-6022
We will meet at the new Visitor Center along US 22. We will walk the Funk Bikeway and then some narrower hilly hiking trails along Fernwood.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take I-376 east (Parkway East) to its end at US 22 East – Murrysville. Travel US 22 for about 4 miles to the intersection of Trafford Rd (McDonald’s on the left). Continue along US 22 in the right lane about 7/10 of a mile. At The Fireplace and Airgas businesses, turn right into the new Robert Trail Access, where we will meet.
GPS Coordinates: 40.42699, -79.68400. Google Map Link
We are meeting at 10:00 AM.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 1:00 PM
Glade Run Trail, Fayette County
Leader: Ron Zagrocki; cell: (717) 580-5736
We will explore the wetlands, signs of beaver, and azaleas along a game lands trail along a stretch of Glade Run. This is an exploratory hike; bring shoes that can get wet, a walking stick if needed and a sense of adventure.
Directions: Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road in the village of Chalkhill can be reached by traveling US-40 east about 10 miles from Uniontown. Alternately, from the intersection of US-40 and PA-381 south of Ohiopyle, travel west on US-40 for 3.7 miles to the intersection of US-40 and Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road.
Turn north onto Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road and travel 1.3 miles. You will cross Deer Lake (which may be drained or open water). Take the first left turn onto Greenbrier Road. Travel about a mile; you will enter State Game Land 51. Continue straight about 2/10 of a mile to the game land parking lot on the right..
Coordinates for the parking lot: 39.86997, -79.58770. Google Maps Link to SGL 51 Lot
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 12:00 PM
Meg’s Third Tuesday Choice, To be determined
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 1:00 PM
Laurel Summit State Park, Westmoreland County
Leader: Mark Bowers; monarda55@gmail.com; 724-454-4012,
We will meet at the parking lot for the picnic area and head along one of the hiking trails for Painted Trillium and Clintonia. Wear hiking shoes.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, take the PA Turnpike east to Exit 91/Donegal. Turn left onto PA 31 and then, after a short distance, left onto PA 711. Continue on PA 711 north for about 9 miles. Turn right onto Darlington Road (this may be unmarked) and travel about 1 mile to its junction with PA 381. Continue straight onto PA 381 for a short distance, then turn right onto Linn Run Road. Travel through Linn Run State Park to the top of the hill. At the sign for Laurel Summit State Park, bear left and continue to the parking lot.
GPS Coordinates: 40.1182, -79.1761 Google Maps Link to Laurel Summit State Park
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 12:00 PM NOON
Preston Park , Butler Township, Butler County
Leader: Loree Speedy and Liz Spence, with Park volunteers! Loree Speedy; 724-518-6022
Preston Park is an 88-acre English garden donated to Butler Township by Dr. Frank Preston, founder of Preston Laboratories, and Mrs. Jane Preston. Dr. Preston, a glass scientist, ornithologist, and ecologist, created and designed an English garden as a place to live, work and enjoy nature. Dr. Preston apparently walked the entire property daily at dawn, in accordance with his origins in England where a deep interest in nature is a great pastime. Preston Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now maintained by Butler Township. For more information, visit here.
Directions: Travel I-79 north to Exit 83 – PA 528 toward Evans City. Travel PA 528 north for 2.6 miles to a T. Turn right at the T and continue east on PA 68 for 9 miles to Whitestown Rd (the first traffic light after the Butler Farm Show on the right).Turn right onto Whitestown Rd and continue 1 mile to turn right onto South Eberhart Road. Park entrance will be on the left. The GPS address is 415 South Eberhart Road, Butler, PA 16001.
GPS coordinates: 40.8529, -79.9517 Google Maps Link to Preston Park
Arrive 11:30 AM with a bag lunch – picnic table and port-a-potty available.