Visitors to Hitchcock Nature Center will see some new sights along two of our most popular trails. Thanks to the efforts of our staff, volunteers, & the Loess Hills Nordic Ski Patrol new trail routes have been cut on portions of the Badger Ridge Trail & the Fox Run Ridge trail.

These re-routes are part of a large scale plan to better protect our fragile Loess soil while making trails safer for our visitors. Staff first identifies locations where water combined with traffic lead to increased erosion problems. Then, we identify the best possible way to re-route the trail to reduce its incline & alleviate the problem. Finally the new section is cut & the old section is blocked off & re-seeded back to native plantings.

If you come across a sign that looks like this during your next visit to Hitchcock Nature Center please make use of the newly cut route. We know it's a change for our regular hikers but walking on those newly re-seeded sections will damage those young plants & lead to more repair work. Always remember each re-route was created for a reason & we really appreciate your understanding & support.