Saturday, September 29, 2012

Balm Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve (Hike or Bike)

This hike was on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

There are two sides to this nature preserve.  On this day I hiked in the one on the east side of Balm Boyette Road.  I specifically chose a weekday because I knew that the bike traffic would be reduced.  This is a popular spot for mountain biking.  If you park here on Saturday or Sunday make sure you arrive early - preferably 30 minutes before sunrise.  The lot fills up very quickly.

Here is a trail map published by the mountain bike club:

Trail Map


It was a misty cool overcast morning.  Very nice for hiking...
Two Track Trail

Here is the Trimble Map.  Under the map you can click on Trip Details for more info.  You can also click on Download GPX to get a GPX file to use with your GPS.

Here is an example of one of the many mountain bike trails that enter and exit off the two track trail...
Bike Trail
I hiked through a beautiful peaceful area with lots of butterflies and bird sounds...

Here is a short video of butterflies and bird sounds.  Make sure you turn the volume up to hear some really nice sounds of nature...


A little while further on the far east side of the preserve I saw this gator getting a little sun!


I just had to get a picture of this Spanish moss.  It made for an impressive walkway...


There are also some nice vista views too.


Current weather...


If you head out and hike here, I'd love to know about it.  It is a beautiful area.

Ray