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Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Reclaimed Methodist Property Trails


Last week Shirley at bell choir told me that a bunch of people cleaned up the trails on the church property. So today before practice I went to check them out.

I started my tracker at the parking lot and walked past the Community Garden which the church also hosts.
community garden
Then I walked past the pavilion and campfire circle which the church uses for various outdoor events. Just beyond there, the trail system begins. I have walked all of these in the past, but that was prior to having electronic tracking, and at that time there were also no markings. I just wandered around until I came back to the church. Today, I recorded a track.

Not only are the trails cleaned up, but there are some simple colored arrows so you can actually tell where to go. There is a total maze of side trails because people who own homes nearby have made trails to get to the loops.
trail markers


There are several loops, interconnected. I'll try to get the map and info on my Get Off the Couch website in a few days. Anyone can come walk there. Long ago, a couple of bridges were put in to cross the small creek, so you don't have to get wet feet. A little topography on the yellow loop, but most of the paths are quite tame.
trail bridge


You can loop back to the pavilion or cut to another trail which leads you to the church Prayer Garden. I don't know for sure that's what it's called, but it's a beautiful space where you could pray or visit with a friend.
walled garden


Best plant find of the day was some of the Rabbit Tobacco, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, I showed you a couple of weeks ago that is in its second year, so it is mature.


Here is a reminder of what it looks like in the first year. rabbit tobacco

I walked all the loops, which meant I had to do some overlapping, and counted the distance from the parking lot to the start of the trails. Got in 2.5 miles before bells. It's an easy place to get a short walk- anything from less than a mile to as long as you want to wander.

Edited, brought in the plants from the rock garden that can't freeze.

Miles hiked in 2025: 389.2.

See Methodist Trails

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