Trailhead for the Woodland Trail

Length: .5-mile loop
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate, very hilly

The Woodland Trail is a short trail located next to the Rock Creek Nature Center. There is a brochure that goes along with hike, and you can get a laminated version from a box located at the trailhead. As you walk around the trail you will come to numbered posts that correspond to information on the brochure about the trees and other plants you can find along the way. When finished, be sure to return the brochure to the box.

Numbered post along the Woodland Trail

To start the hike, if you are outside the Nature Center with your back to the entrance, take the paved path to the right and you will find the trailhead just around the corner of the building. The hike begins down a set of stairs and follows a short trail that leads to the start of the loop. A sign directs you to walk clockwise, and while it normally doesn’t matter which way you go around a loop, in this case you should follow the sign because clockwise is the direction in which the numbered posts progress in numerical order.

The trail is very hilly, but only moderate in difficulty. The Nature Center is located at the top of a hill, and the Woodland Trail makes its way down to a ravine, follows it for a short distance, and then heads back uphill to the starting point, so there isn’t much level terrain. There are benches along the trail for those who need a break or who just want to sit and enjoy the forest. If you use hiking poles, I suggest bringing them. I left mine in the car and wished I hadn’t.

Bench along the Woodland Trail

Where the terrain is really hilly, the National Park Service has installed steps to make the climb or descent easier.

Steps embedded in the hill make the descent a little easier

As you make your way back to the starting point, be sure to keep an eye out for the intersection where the loop begins because it is easy to walk right on by and begin the hike a second time. I missed the turn, but figured it out when I saw the #1 post again.

I don’t suggest going out of your way to hike the Woodland Trail, but if you are at the Rock Creep Park Nature Center and would like twenty minutes’ worth of moderate exercise or want to learn about trees, this is a good trail to take.

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