Distance: 0.3 miles (loop trail).
Difficulty Level: easy. 🟢
Time: 0.5 to 1 hour.
Elevation Gain: 42 ft.
Key Features: streams, hiking, wildflowers, birding, family-friendly, forest, loop hike.
Blaze Color: yellow.
Access: The trail can be accessed from a small parking lot (4-6 cars) located at the corner of Blue Ridge Drive and Shamokin Springs Road.
Google Maps directions to parking area.
The Shamokin Springs Nature Preserve Trail is short and on only 13 acres, but the beautiful loop trail with over a dozen little bridges that takes walkers across the gurgling braided streams within a tall, thick forest with a diversity of plants and geology seems much larger. This park on Wintergreen’s mountain very popular, you'll likely encounter others while exploring.
The trail is flat but somewhat rocky in places, so take your time and watch your step.
Parts of the trail are often wet. Look for tracks of white-footed mice, gray fox, raccoon, chipmunk, white-tailed deer, and bears.
Ovenbirds, rufous-sided towhees, ravens, chickadees, juncos, veeries, wood-thrushes, indigo buntings, and woodpeckers can be heard singing. At dusk, a barred owl may glide through the woods.
This nature preserve’s elevation and braided streams allow tree species such as birches and American beech, which are more common further north, to thrive here.
The streams here flow to Upper Shamokin Falls, which feeds Stoney Creek in the valley.
Longer hikes starting at Shamokin Springs Nature Preserve:
Shamokin Falls via Shamokin Springs is a 2.8-mile moderate hike. This out-and-back trail starts on the Shamokin Springs Trail, turns right (heading north) on the Old AT Trail, and then turns left on the Upper Shamokin Gorge Trail to the Upper Shamokin Falls Trail. Details.
Shamokin Springs to Overlook on the Old AT is a 2.1-mile moderately easy hike. This out-and-back hike starts on the Shamokin Springs Trail and goes to a spectacular overlook on the Old Appalachian Trail. Details.
