Creekside Meadows Trail
Clear Creek Page
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![[Clear Creek]](creek.jpg)
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| Trailhead | Creekside Meadows Picnic Area |
| Distance | About 3 miles round trip |
| Description |
The Creekside Meadows Trail is the only flat trail in the park, so it's an easy trail to hike. There are two sections - an eastern loop and a western loop.
The eastern loop is about one mile long. It circles through a large field between the creek and the road. This is a good area to watch for butterflies and open-field birds, and it's a good spot to look for black vultures riding the thermals above the valley. In Autumn this area is filled with goldenrod, ironweed, and Joe-Pye weed. The western loop is about two miles long (a mile out and a mile back). It follows Clear Creek to the Fern Picnic Area. You'll have the chance to observe pools and riffles in the creek and you may see wood ducks, belted kingfishers, or great blue herons. Large colonies of scouring rushes, resembling miniature bamboo, line this part of the trail. Parts of the western loop run along Clear Creek Road. Use caution when walking these sections, but take a moment to look at the rock formations, hemlocks, and moss-covered sycamore trees that line the road. When you reach the Fern Picnic Area, retrace your steps back to the Creekside Meadows Picnic Area where you began. |
Clear Creek Page