Trail Talk
Join JWA for Annual Scotch Broom Pull
Please join members of the Jacksonville Woodlands Association for the annual Scotch Broom pull on Friday, February 11, at 10am. We’ve been doing this for about 15 years, and it’s now become a bit of […]
Respect the Path – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – February 2022
A recent article in the Mail Tribune highlighted the efforts of our National Park Service to preserve the natural habitat surrounding the Grove of Titans in Redwoods State and National Park. […]
Outdoor Optimists – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – December 2021/January 2022
With the advent, or shall we say, return of Autumn rains this October, we can breathe a bit easier heading into the colder days of mid-winter. Shortly after the publication […]
Enjoy Forest Park but Beware of Bears… Oh My
Trails in valley bottoms are buried in yellow maple leaves. Streams are coming to life after a long, hot summer. It’s truly a wonderful time of year to be in Forest Park. This fall, we’re […]
A Wonderful Time to Be On the Trails – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – November 2021
So, our Hunters’ Moon has come and gone for another year. With the skies finally rid of the pesky smoke of summer, we can breathe more easily. The crisp morning air […]
Smoke, Smoke, Go Away… Let the Rain Come Back to Play – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – October 2021
That’s the late summer/early fall mantra for so many of us as we venture out for time on the trails. The cool, moist air that heralds the onset of our damp, […]
Mark Burkhalter and the Acquisition of Panorama Point – by Larry Smith
In Memoriam – Mark West Burkhalter (1946-2021)
Back in the mid 1990s, while out hiking the Jacksonville Woodlands with my wife, Linda, we noticed an old mining road branching off of the main Rich Trail and […]
Trust on the Trails – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – September 2021
Returning to the familiar footpaths of one’s local environment after forays far and wide creates a certain deja’ vu. To return to a familiar stomping ground while the temperatures persist in […]
Forest Park Bridge Honors Tony Hess
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a newly-constructed suspension bridge below the reservoir in Forest Park was officially named the “Tony Hess Bridge,” in honor of its long-standing champion. Back in 2003, Tony Hess headed up […]
New Trails: New Adventures! – by Clayton Gillette
Trail Talk – July 2021
Summer is upon us, and it’s a time to get out and explore farther afield. Trails in our local wilderness areas have opened as the snowpack has melted, and though winter […]