Exploratory Tuesday Hike - Old Mill Trail - Nockamicon State Park

The children and I returned to the Old Mill Trail at Nockamixon State Park to see if the poison ivy and fallen tree had been cleared from the trail. While the tree is still there the poison was moved aside so we will be inviting our friends from Just Add Nature to join us there on Saturday, August 22 at 10 a.m.

The cicadas serenaded us during most of our hike along this trail which winds through some woods and beside a creek that appears to have once been part of an old mill (thus the name). Near the edge of the creek we ran into this guy. He promptly retreated back into the creek when I showed Z and A how he could pull his head and legs into his shell. A shrieked with delight as he hurried back down the bank. Who says turtles can't move fast? The creek seems to be one of the many that feed into Lake Nockamixon.

We also crossed through a meadow area with many native wildflowers blooming along its edges. There were some very tall thistle which were covered with bumble bees and butterflies.There were also a few black-eyed susans, a lot of goldenrod, and one very lovely plant that I have yet to identify.

This is definitely a keeper. It took us just over an hour to hike the whole loop and there was plenty to keep Z and A interested while we hiked. Remember to take your bug lotion if you go since there are also plenty of mosquitoes.