A Wintry Forest Trail Walk in Lawrence County

About an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh in Lawrence County, Plain Grove Fens Natural Area is a wonderful place to visit. It’s just a few miles from the Slippery Rock exit off I-79, and once you’re there, you’re greeted with a 400-acre preserve featuring a hiking trail, hardwood forest, vernal pools and woodland stream.

The trail is relatively level and just under two miles out and back. It follows a long fenced livestock pasture before entering the woods and looping around an old field being actively restored to forest. Along the way are glimpses into the deeply forested valley of Taylor Run. If it is a snowy day, the trail is great for cross-country skiing. In early spring, the trail passes vernal pools that are alive with frogs and other amphibians.

The “fens” of the preserve refer to a complex of alkaline wetlands near Taylor Run. These wetlands are fed by water percolating through limestone-rich glacial till pushed across this landscape during the last glaciation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Fens hold a disproportionate share of rare plants, and the fens at Plain Grove support more than 20 rare plant species.

While the public is invited to explore the trail, forest and stream, a different portion of the preserve (without public access) is leased to local farmers as a part of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s program to support farmers and local foods for the Pittsburgh region.

For directions and more information, please go to the Conservancy’s website, WaterLandLife.org/Preserves, and search for Plain Grove Fens Natural Area, or call the Conservancy at 412-288-2777.