Hiking the mowed trails of Porter West Preserve in Monroe County

It was a beautiful Saturday in April. The sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was in the 50s. There was a slight chill in the air that made it feel colder. It was definitely a day for layers.

I had decided to drive over to hike at the Porter West Nature Preserve.

Located near West Vernal Pike and Ind. 48, outside of Bloomington, the Porter West Preserve’s trails feature several ponds, sandstone outcrops, sinkholes, woods, and a spring along the south edge of the woods.

The diverse habitat makes this an excellent spot to see a variety of birds, and a wide array of spring wildflowers which are said to be spectacular!

Acquired by Sycamore Land Trust in 2008, the Porter West Preserve is open from dawn until dusk for outdoor recreation activities like hiking, bird watching, wildlife observation, and nature photography.

The 188 acres of land was a gift from the estate of David Porter, who operated a composting business in the open area that is now reverting back to nature.

A mowed trail branches to the left to reach a historic cemetery and wildlife ponds, and also reaches to the right to reveal several loop trails in the woods.

The loop trails are moderate in hiking difficulty and the main loop is about 2.6 miles in length.

I arrived at the small parking lot and set out to explore this preserve. I followed the grassy trail in front of me until the trail split in two different directions. I knew that all of the loop trails connected so I opted to go to the right so I could hike the woodland section of the trail first.

The path lead me by some old foundation stones and walls from old buildings.

I was happy to see a few spring flowers and several butterflies as I walked slowly along, taking in the all sights and sounds around me.

I hiked a little farther when suddenly, a turn to the right brought me around a corner to the forest section of the preserve.

There, I found a big map display that told me exactly where I was.

There were arrows along the path on the trees that pointed out changes in direction.

The first part of the trail took me up to the top of a hill.

It was 800 feet in elevation at the top so it was a good climb up. The dirt trail beneath me and the woods around me set the tone for my hike.

The view of the forest was beautiful.

When I reached the top of the hill, I crossed over the ridge top. From there I could follow a trail to the next section or follow a loop trail that would take me back down to where I started. I opted for the loop.

It led me back down the hill and I was happy to find that the trail had some switchbacks built into it, (zigzags in the trail cutting across the big hill). This made it much easier to descend the hill.

The leaves were growing out on the trees which made a nice shady canopy over my head.

The underbrush was beginning to cover the ground with shades of green and I saw many ferns growing on the sides of the trail.

There were also many wild flowers growing along this wooded path. There were Trilliums, Larkspur, Wood Poppies, Virginia Bluebells, and Wild Violets, just to name a view. Spring had officially arrived in this neck of the woods.

I soon came to an intersection in the trail, and I went to the left to go back to where I started.

This preserve was just the right size for a good afternoon hike and had enough nature in it to make for a pleasant walk.

I explored the preserve a bit longer and then made my way back to the parking lot.

It had been a good visit at this preserve.

To get to this place: From the intersection of Ind, 48 and West Vernal Pike, go north 0.2 miles. Park at the first gate on Vernal Pike. There you will see the trailhead sign.

A quote for your week: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir, Scottish-American naturalist, author, philosopher, botanist, glaciologist, and advocate for wilderness preservation, 1838-1914

Until the next trail, Susan

This article originally appeared on Evening World: What you'll find at Sycamore Land Trust's Porter West Preserve