Swan Creek Trail (North and South)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Swan Creek Trail, marked with yellow blazes on the trees, is divided into North Swan Creek Trail and South Swan Creek Trail. The dirt trail is almost ten miles in length and is pretty evenly divided in half between the east and west side. The two trails are separated by 118th Avenue, which is not very busy, but cars are fast moving along that road.

There may be obstacles within the trail surface, such as tree trunks, as the trail is among an old forest. There are slight elevation gains and losses as you meander around the creek.

This is a beautiful trail around Swan Creek, with creek views along the entire trail, that showcases oak-pine barrens (also called oak-pine savanna)—a unique community of plants and animals adapted to life on the dry, sandy soils in this area.

Turtles and birds are often visiting the trail. Warblers, scarlet tanager, wood thrush, and reddish egret are among many of the bird species, where prickly pear cactus, sassafras, and bear cone are among the edible flora.