Sunny and I decided to get out on an adventure before the heat that is forecasted for later this week. We found ourselves at the Maple Wood Nature Preserve in LaGrange, Indiana. This is another lovely Acres Land Trust site, but this one is a little different than most of the others. In addition to the trails in the woods, there is a sugar shack and visitor center where an annual maple syrup festival is held in late March. They also host school visits and other events throughout the year at the shack and visitor center.
Our Adventure
After parking the car, we walked between the sugar shack and visitor center to find the trails in the woods. The trails are fairly wide hard packed dirt/gravel that meander through the woods. They are surrounded by a variety of trees including beech, hickory, maple, and oak and other vegetation. A short distance from the start we also found a swamp. It was pretty mucky so Sunny did not get a chance to get down to it like she has on some of our other adventures.
We continued on the main trail and came across some side trails. Despite that we stayed on the main trail which led back to the sugar shack. Since that was less than a mile hike, we did another loop of the main trail until we came across the first side trail. That trail just looped around and back to the main trail so we continued around back to the sugar shack. We did this again and followed the second side trail which also looped back to the main trail. By doing this we ended up logging nearly 3 miles.
We were the only ones visiting the preserve so we had the trails to ourselves, other than the chipmunks. Sunny was thrilled that these little critters were scampering through the woods, but not thrilled that I would not let her chase them.
Our Rating
Sunny and I rate Maple Wood Nature Preserve 3 out of 4 paws up. It’s a nice spot for a peaceful hike in the woods. The only downsides for us are no water feature for getting your toes wet and the trail is not very long or challenging. Despite that it’s a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and get into the woods. The trails are easy to follow and would be suitable for those with mobility issues. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would recommend this spot especially if you are in the area.
How Do I Get There?
The address for Maple Wood Nature Preserve is 4550 E. 100 S in LaGrange, IN. From IN-3N turn left onto E. 100S. Continue 3.5M until you see the Maple Wood Nature Preserve sign on the left. Turn left and then turn right at the sign and arrow. As you drive up the road you will see the Maple Wood Nature Center and maple sugar shack on the right and the parking area on the left. There are only spaces for five vehicles.
For more information about Maple Wood Nature Preserved check out these websites: