Red Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Red Loop is a short 1.5 mile route that takes you through a variety of habitats, running through forest, meadows, and wetlands.

The meadows can be very sunny so bring your hats and sunscreen.

The Red Loop runs through the 55-acre Hildacy Farm Preserve and contains a diversity of habitats that attract abundant wildlifeparticularly birds. The trail runs from the parking lot down a hill through the forest to Crum Creek before opening up into a meadow. Take a right across a bridge and you'll find the Serpentine outcropping along the Purple Loop.

Keep to the left to continue along the Red Loop along Crum Creek. Eventually you'll see a crowd of new trees where the Preserve is planting a riparian buffer. Make your way up a hill and along a forest trail till you get to Hilda's Meadow, a wide open green space.

Then head back through the forest to loop back to the parking lot. There are several trails that connect with the Red Loop, so you can visit several times and add variety into your journey.

Hildacy Farm has native grass meadows with big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and broomsedge as well as wildflowers such as goldenrod, black-eyed Susan, and butterfly weed.

Birds include Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Bluebird, and resident Red-shouldered Hawk. There is a birding checklist available during office hours in the main building.

Hildacy Farm Preserve is the headquarters of Natural Lands Trust. A wetland created from the former farm pond is home to a variety of native plants and animals.