Beaver Creek Wetlands Series: Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve

Hike the Beaver Creek Wetlands Series - Phillips Park/Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve

The wetlands are beautiful places. So let's get outside and visit the reserves of the Beaver Creek Wetlands. These places are very important to me and I love to show them off.

This will be a discovery hike. Pace will be slow as we will stop frequently to look, take pictures and talk about features of this reserve.

We will meet at the Phillips Park and then hike down to the Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve.

Stay tuned as we will visit all 11 of the reserves of the Beaver Creek Wetlands.

About Phillips Park/Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve

This combined Greene County, Greene County Park District and Beavercreek Township park features a floodplain wetland. The trail descends to the Beaver Creek. The park features reconstructed wetlands and is the site of wetland research by the Wright State University Biology Department.

Phillips Park was acquired by Beavercreek Township in 1990 from the Phillips Family. The trail northward is the access point for the Beaver Creek Wetlands Nature Reserve, owned by Greene County Park District.

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/c/e/3/600_432284259.jpeg

Meeting Location: Entrance and parking on Dayton-Xenia Rd. just east of N. Orchard Ln. (look for big red barn and pond adjacent to parking lot)

Meeting Directions: Take US 35 toward Xenia. Turn left on Orchard Lane. Turn right on Dayton-Xenia Rd. Park is just ahead on left.

Google Maps Coordinates: 39.712774,-84.013333 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/39%C2%B042%2746.0%22N+84%C2%B000%2748.0%22W/@39.712774,-84.013333,705m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0)

Trail length: About 2.5 miles total (can add more if we feel like it)

Trail difficulty: Flat but prepare for mud.

What to see:

This area of mixed habitat provides birdwatchers with great birding opportunities and is often a "hotspot" during the annual Audubon spring bird count. Primary habitats are floodplain woodlands, marsh, wet prairies, woodland pools, the creek and scrub shrub wetlands.

Amenities:

Acreage is a combined 92.8, Township 41 acres, County Parks 51.8 acres. Adjacent green space includes: Rotary Park adding 113.6 acres and another 32.6 owned by Greene County Sanitary Engineering. Parking, picnic shelter, picnicking, fishing pond (catch and release), hiking trail, observation deck, portable restrooms

Hike Extras: Bring water, camera and binoculars.

About the Beaver Creek Wetlands: The Beaver Creek Wetlands encompass over 2000 acres along the Beaver Creek and Little Beaver Creek watershed. The Beaver Creek Wetlands were preserved through a community partnership that encourages the restoration of wetland and traditional upland habitats, such as forests and prairies. The wetlands are managed by the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, a non-profit land trust that promotes the use of these protected areas for education, research and recreation. www.beavercreekwetlands.org (http://www.beavercreekwetlands.org/)

Links

Phillips Park/Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve (http://beavercreekwetlands.org/maplocations-phillipsrotarybcwnr.html)

Pet Policy: Please leave pets at home. Thanks!