Hiker's Path: A saunter at Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve
I got to hike in one of my favorite places this past week... Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve.
Cedar Bluffs Nature preserve is known for its 75-foot-high bluffs covered in Eastern Red Cedar trees. The preserve was opened in 1976 and is owned by the Nature Conservancy. They partner with the Indiana Department of Resources. Located in Monroe county, the preserve contains 23 acres and a somewhat rocky trail that follows a gorgeous tributary of Clear Creek along the steep walls of the bluff. The trail is only a mile and a half in length but the terrain is challenging in itself. It is considered rugged in ease of hiking.
It was a gorgeous day when I hiked there and I was intent on continuing my mission of hiking on trails that are close to home. I headed over to Bloomington and made the short drive over for an afternoon of hiking. I found the parking lot and the trailhead and was soon headed down the dirt path with great expectations. The temperature was hovering right around the mid-eighties and the sky overhead was sunny and blue. A perfect day to be outside.
I had a clear view of Clear creek as the trail led me right up to the edge of its banks. The water was very clear and I could see the rocks that lay on the bottom of the creek. The water level was somewhat down from the recent dry conditions in the area. Even so, the creek water was still moving, gently meandering its way around the bends in the creek. It was a moment for pause, and I took several photographs. It was a very serene setting. Lots of Sycamore trees growing along the creek banks. Birds making noise in the trees. The sound of the bubbly creek water. I felt myself relaxing and taking it all in. Just what I needed.
The trail became very rocky after this. I continued on my trek, following the length of the bluff which now loomed over me on the left side of the trail, with the creek to my right. The trail was narrow in places and even had a sizable rock or two to climb over. Logs were washed up on the banks of the creek. A reminder that it does rain in Indiana. Sometimes with a vengeance. But not on this day.
The trail continued at the end of the bluffs and to the left. It was a steep but short climb to the top of the bluff. But the view was fantastic. The valley below. The canyon and creek. All of these were spectacular when seen from the bluff top vantage point. There were many Cedar trees on the bluff, of different sizes, twisted into shapes from the elements. They were nature’s works of art, fashioned by the unseen forces of nature. On its website, the Nature Conservancy calls the stand of cedars: “a stunning display of species adaptation and survival in a harsh environment."
Lessons to be learned from these trees. They will bend before breaking. Their roots grow deep. They can withstand drought. They can grow in almost any kind of soil. They survive. Call it a zen moment or an epiphany. But I couldn’t help but be inspired by these remarkable trees. Cedars and other evergreens are amongst my favorite trees. They remind me of my childhood and family and Christmas. My parents used to cut the branches from Cedars near our home to bring into the house. Natures aromatherapy.
It was soon time to finish up and return to my car. I brought photos and good memories home with me. But the Cedars I left behind on the bluff. A little spot of nostalgia to visit on another day.
To get to this place: Take State Road 37 south past Bloomington. A few miles south of town watch for Smithville Road and turn right. Within a mile, you will come to a stop sign at a "T" intersection. Turn left and then immediately turn right onto Ketcham Road. Take Ketcham Road for approximately 2.5 miles; you will see Cedar Bluffs Road to your left but continue past it for another 0.5 miles. The Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve sign is visible on the left side of the road, just past a power line right-of-way.
A quote for your week: “To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the Cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness.” - John Muir - Scottish-American Naturalist, Author, Philosopher, Botanist, Glaciologist, Advocate for the Preservation of the Wilderness. 1838-1914
Until the next trail,Susan
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hiker's Path: A saunter at Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve
