Beech-Maple Trail Hike May 2010

The Beech-Maple Trail is located just north of the Ornithology Center at Eagle Creek Park, and is a lovely example of mature, second-growth forest. Several large American Beech trees are found along the trail, easy to spot with their smooth bark that resembles the leg of an elephant (or a dinosaur...). In the understory the large leaves of the Paw Paw give the forest an almost tropical feel, and a Sycamore tree with a long hollow section in the trunk is a favorite discovery of hundreds of school children every year during their field trips to the park. In mid-May the forest is still full of migrating warblers and many other birds - you can hear several different species singing along the way. At the end of the trail you are treated to a gorgeous view of Eagle Creek Reservoir from the observation deck.