Visit a Fort Wayne or Allen County Nature Preserve to See Indiana Woods in the Fall

It's fall in Indiana and everyone wants to head to the woods to see some of the beautiful fall colors that Indiana is famous for. But often, the most visited areas are deluged with visitors at this time of year including the most popular, Brown County and the quaint village of Nashville, Indiana. But there are other areas of the state with beautiful fall foliage. Indiana's wonderful system of nature preserves has protected large acres of Indiana woodland so that we can all enjoy its beauty.

In 1967 Indiana's General Assembly established a system of land preserves to protect natural areas within the state. In the past 40 years significant areas have been set aside so that future generations might catch a glimpse of the natural wonders of their state. In the distinct regions of the state you can catch a glimpse of what Indiana might have looked like when the pioneers arrived. We can see how the land looked to the first inhabitants, the native Americans who lived here for thousands of years before European colonization.

The land can be owned by the state, by local park and recreation boards, by colleges, cities or counties. Most of the nature preserves in Indiana are owned and managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Because there are hundreds of these preserves and a limited staff to maintain them, the Division of Nature Preserves relies on volunteers who visit the areas to report any problems. Often a volunteer or volunteer group will adopt one of these preserves to maintain and monitor it.

If you want to go back in time to see Indiana as it was hundreds of years ago, take a hike to one of the many nature preserves in the state in your region or elsewhere.

Rules for visiting a nature preserve in Indiana

Preserves are open to the general public for hiking and nature studies. You do not need to get permission ahead of time just to visit. However, there will be little or no staff in any of these often remote areas. Plan to be safe!

It is against the law to remove anything from a nature preserve or to molest or harm any plant or animal on the preserve! Indeed some of the plant and animal species found there may be endangered or rare. Please protect them!

There is no hunting, trapping, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, rock climbing, off road vehicles or any vehicle allowed on these nature preserves.

There are trails on most of them.Stay on the trails when visiting to reduce erosion and damage to the preserve.

Allen County Nature Preserves

Allen County, Indiana contains many of these beautiful examples of our prehistoric lands.The county and various groups within the county have protected over 1000 acres of land in nature preserves. And with the city of Fort Wayne being a great place to visit, the area makes a good destination for some fall weekend or day trip travel.
You can read about each of these nature preserves at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website where each of them are highlighted with exact directions and details. Some of the highlighted parks below would offer great opportunity to see Indiana woods in the fall.

The Meno-aki Nature Preserve

The Meno-aki Nature Preserve covers 120 acres of land and is owned by the Allen County Park and Recreation Board as part of the Metea Park. There are good hiking trails in the south side of the preserve but none in the north half. In Meno-aki, you can find hill prairie, upland forest regions and a floodplain forest. There are a lot of natural prairie plants especially on the south facing bluffs of Cedar Creek. The prairie gives way to a hickory forest straight back from the creek bluff with many deep ravines that lead to the floodplain. The name Meno-aki means Good or blessed in the Potawatomi language of Chief Metea whom the park is named after.

You reach Metea park by driving west on SR 1 from Cedarville about 2 miles to Union Chapel Rd. Turn right and drive to the park entrance.

Vandolah Nature Preserve

Also in the Fort Wayne area, is the Vandolah Nature Preserve that is similar in topographical feature to the Meno-aki Nature Preserve. It contains a well marked 2 mile trail system that is perfect for a short hike that meanders through old field, crosses steep ravines and allows good views of Cedar Creek from high points along the bluff trails. It's a beautiful little nature preserve that reminds Hoosiers of the larger Turkey Run State Park trail system.

The Vandolah Nature Preserve contains another floodplain forest common to this region of Indianat with a wide variety of spring wildflowers growing in the steep wooded ravines. Wild ginger, jack in the pulpit, and several varieties of trillium are found easily. Sitting quietly along the trails you can watch blue and green herons and wood ducks in the marshy areas. Deer, racoon, beavers, mink and fox are easily found and even an occasional pileated woodpecker. It's Indiana wild woods at its most accessible and diverse. And you can see some of it at the slide show provided by ACRES at their Web site.

Bicentennial Woods Nature Preserve

TheBicentennial Woods Nature Preserve was established in 1994 to celebrate Fort Wayne's 200^th anniversary with a goal of preserving a small portion of the original forest that existed when the city was founded in 1794. It's 80 acres lie along Cedar Creek which flows through the Preserve. It has a wide variety of native trees including shagbark hickory, sugar maple, black walnut, basswood, white cherry, swamp white oak and flowering dogwood. There are many more varieties of native trees found within the preserve. In the spring, the Preserve is a wonderful place to spot some of Indiana's favorite wildflowers, including Dutchman's Breeches, goldenseal, miterwort, rue anemone, and waterleaf.

The Bicentennial Woods Nature Preserve is owed by ACRES, Inc. a not for profit. It can be found by taking I-69 north to Coldwater Road, turn left and go about 2 miles to Shoaf Rd. Turn west or left ehre and continue on for another mile or so. A parking area is on the south side of the road and the preserve as a good 2 mile trail system.

ACRES has put together a wonderful Web site with a beautiful slide show of the Preserve that is almost as good as seeing it in person.

Fogwell Nature Preserve

ACRES, Inc. owns and manages another Nature Preserve in Allen County, the Fogwell Nature Preserve which is south of Fort Wayne off of I-69. Turn east on Lower Huntington Rod and go 1 and half miles to Whippoorwill Drive. Turn right on Whippoorwill and park at the end of the drive. Cross the fence and enter the park by the fence line where you will find a trail that runs through the 28 acres property.

This preserve contains old second growth forest. It has several levels of elevation with differences in the woods in each elevation. The high and drier sites contain sugar maple, beech, white and red oak and other species of trees and plants. The wet and lower areas have bur oak, red maple, swamp white oak and green ash. There are lots of those wonderful Indiana wildflowers in the spring with bloodroot, lily, and trillium in abundance, blanketing the woods floor.

Fox Island Nature Preserve

Fox Island is one of the more unique nature preserves in Allen County with a wide variety of land topography including marshes, swamps and even some dunes left behind after the Wisconsin glacier receeded during the last ice age. Fox Island, with its 270 acres, is the largest nature preserve in Allen County and offers a large trail system and parking for the visitor to the preserve. You'll want to set aside 4 or more hours to really tour the preserve.

You reach Fox Island by taking the US 24 exit off of I-69. Take 24 to the traffic light at Liberty Mills Rd and turn left. Follow the road until it merges into Ellison Rd and go south onto Yohne Rd. Follow Yohne east to the entrance where there is a large parking lot leading into the extensive trail system.

There are several more nature preserves in Allen County. Take a weekend, spend the night at one of the affordable and great hotels in Fort Wayne and venture out to check out some nature this fall. Beautiful trees and colors of Indiana woods beckon and you'll see a wide variety of animal and bird life.

Then go back to Paula's Seafood and Mangy Moose for some great seafood on a cool autumn night. Or if Indiana favorites appeal more, try the steak or chops at the Park Place Grill. Both restaurants are great and you can check them out at http://dinesite.com/info/rstrnt-38478/?&t=382019

Fort Wayne is one of the oldest cities in Indiana and worth a visit even if the beautiful fall woods of Indiana aren't your choice of tourist attractions. Fort Wayne's tourism site highlights it's girls getaway shopping options with word famous Vera Bradley, DeBrand Chocolates and the largest shopping mall in Indiana, Glenbrook Square. For families there are some great museums and the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, one of the top 10 zoos in the United States, according to Child Magazine.Science Central is another great family destination if the woods get too boring for your child to endure!