Valley View Glades Natural Area — Attraction in Central Township

Well marked trail, adequate parking and very scenic views. Some of the terrain can be rough for people who are inadequately equipped. I am not saying you need special clothing or to pull out all the stops but after a rain (or during) as was my case, you need to wear good terrain, OCR or Hiking shoes as there are many slip hazards. Some of these present themselves in steeper areas also. Garmin Forerunner clocked my distance as 2.78 miles with 561 feet in gained elevation and 556 fet of elevation loss during the walk. This is 1117 feet of total elevation change if you walk the entire trail. If you walk half and turn around expect the same. The back portion of the walk (prior to the turn around) provides a great flat area to rest, take in views and / or relax a bit before starting decent. There are multiple areas where you will have to cross water (at least three). Again, wear adequate clothing / footwear for this. Water levels will greatly differ based on rain.

Do not avoid this walk after or during a rain because of the crossings as there are many natural waterfalls and pools in the creeks and water features about the trail. These are obviously augmented by the rainfall.

As of the writing of this It is still Winter (March 11th 2020). The views are good but they are spectacular during the spring bloom, Summer heat, and Fall Colors.

All in all, this is a great little preserve to hike. Great for a little get away to take in good views and can also provide a good area to challenge yourself to...

This is such a beautiful area! At the start of the trail there are great views of the valley, with lots of wildflowers. We visited in late spring, and I'm sure the flowers get better over the summer. The trail descends down some rather rugged trails and there are views looking back up across the valley. The trail goes in and out of woods and through open areas. There's lots of climbing over rocks and tree roots. We almost stepped on a snake sunning itself at one point.

Their description talks about intermittent streams and waterfalls, but those are mostly just hopeful. There is very little water anywhere. That's helpful for walking, because the trails goes across streambeds in several places. But it's not so great if you're like us, and hoping for the scenic value of water.

It took us about three hours to take the entire trail, which is 2.6 miles, according to their pamphlet. For comparison, we hiked a 2.8-mile trail at another park in 2 hours not long before our visit here. Some of the extra time is having to maneuver the trails, and stop for catching our breath! I also took many photos, so some of the extra time was admiring the scenery too.

In the entire time we were there, we only saw one...

Valley View Glades is one of the most scenic trails in the area. The wildflowers are colorful and numerous depending on the time of year. There's lots of shaded walking as well as some pathways in the sun. The babbling creek is very soothing if you get to experience it; that's contingent upon rain levels. I got turned around twice over the last 10 years which turned a leisurely hour and a half walk in the woods into a 3 hour trek. There are a lot of rocky spots and exposed tree root systems, so I suggest you bring a walking stick because it can get a bit challenging, especially on inclines. Overall, Valley View Glades Trail is among my top 10 favorite trails in the...