March and April make for good reptilian-spotting months as ectotherms leave their burrows in search of food and mates. Join Galen and Rachel Freed in this easy 2-mile hike in search of snakes, lizards, and other wildlife. We’ll start off with a presentation inside the Robert Ferguson Observatory classroom and then hike Lower Bald and Creekside Trails, whose habitats is preferred by these species.
Meet at the White Barn parking lot. Tickets are $5-$10 sliding scale for adults and free for children under 12. Wear sun protection ad comfortable shoes, bring at least a quart of water, and if desired, a snack. Rains cancel. Parking fees apply.
The 2024 City Nature Challenge runs from April 26 to 29. It’s a bioblitz-style friendly competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people. Learn more about City Nature Challenge or view the Sugarloaf Project here!
Participants of any level of experience can help find, photograph, record, and/or identify life in the park. Smartphones with the iNaturalist app will be our main tool, but those lacking phones are also welcome to participate. If you haven’t used iNaturalist, or haven’t made an observation for a while, this is your chance – just make sure to load the iNaturalist app on your phone before you arrive. This event is part of the Challenge along with other events scheduled from April 26-29. View the rest of our City Nature Challenge activities here!
Ease of access: The White Barn parking area has one van-accessible designated parking spot and one accessible porta-potty. There is a flat, paved 1/4-mile road from the parking area to the observatory. The observatory is wheelchair-accessible by a wooden ramp and deck. The Lower Bald Mountain Trail has two trailheads: one outside of the observatory, and one at the main parking lot. It is a single-track trail with sections of dirt, and some sections of gravel, with switchbacks, steps, and a cumulative elevation gain of 54ft. The Creekside Nature Trail is ADA-compliant from the main parking lot to the White Barn parking lot, about 0.48mi.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.