Nice weather gave me a chance to Scout two adjoining natural areas of the Salmon-Morgan Creeks Natural Area and the Gordy Jolma Family Natural Area. The background on these two area are quit different with one being a former golf course and the other area used for timber or left untouched. With doing a lot of looking around my walk was 6 1/2 miles and over four hours.
Salmon-Morgan Creek Natural Area photos
Entry into Salmon-Morgan Creeks Natural Area
Info signs about the area
Map and some history about the natural area
Trail and tall trees
Map post are at intersections on the trail
A tree you can climb inside of
Mature forest understory
Mostly a wide dirt trail on this loop
Down tree and limbs have been cleared from the trail
View of Morgan Creek
Trail through the woods
Summer this would be a wading beach
Information sigh
This is the mature part of the natural area
From a view point looking down at Salmon Creek
Sign about Salmon Creek Watershed
On Alder Loop trail things get muddy
Moving in recovering forest vegetation
Area of new growth fir trees
Over the railroad tracks and into a different natural area
Gordy Jolma Family Natural Area Photos
Gordy Jolma Family Natural Area entry sign
I entered crossing over the railroad tracks to this field
Old gold fairway that is going wild
The trail cross eight bridges over Salmon Creek
The bridges are made of steel beams
Most of the trail is on old gravel road beads
Another fairway field
Houses now back right up to the park
The natural creeks were damned to form ponds
I told that otters have been seen in this pond
Not many water fowls in these ponds because of dogs
A stretch of Salmon Creek
One of the damns to make a pond
A long open fairway going wild
These open areas will be altered when file use plan is completed
This pond is far enough form trails for water fowl to flourish
Native cattails are flouring here
An historic railroad trestle divides the park
The trestle is still used by the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad
In this area I spotted a red tail hawk and two bald eagles. The redevelopment plan for for the natural is schedule to be completed in 2026.