Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area

In the spring the 1.5-mile loop trail leads hikers through a tour of Virginia bluebells, spring-beauty, trout-lily, and white trillium. Later in the summer, water willow, a low, shrubby plant with violet and white flowers, grows in thick beds within the shallow, rock-bottomed stream. Turks-cap lily adds color to the open floodplain at the southeastern corner of the property. The unusual walking fern, a small calcium loving species, can be found growing on some of the limestone boulders. The uncommon crepis rattlesnake root is found along the floodplain.

The footpath begins by leading upstream over level terrain to the point where the creek is pinched between rocky bluffs. The trail then climbs steeply along the sloping shoulder of the gorge’s eastern flank, meanders through an upland deciduous forest, and then descends back to Wolf Creek just upstream from the starting point. The trail is moderately-difficult, but suitable for families with children.

An active floodplain, mature northern hardwood forest, and scenic cliffs make this property one of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy most popular. It is believed that the steep, narrow gorge of Wolf Creek Narrows originally formed when the ceiling of an ice-age cave eroded and collapsed due to runoff from the melting glacier. The site now consists of a high -quality stream meandering through towering 50-foot cliffs. These natural processes, including annual flooding and ice scouring, as well as limited human activities, have resulted in diverse natural communities.

The mixture of riparian and upland communities provides habitat for a variety of wildlife. Birds include belted kingfisher, Louisiana waterthrush, wood thrush, and the occasional osprey or bald eagle. Small, isolated pools of water provide breeding habitat for amphibians. Abundant logs on the forest floor offer cover for salamanders and snakes.

Address: 195 Miller Rd, Slippery Rock, PA 16057