Mossy Ana

Scenic Gorge through my eyes 🪾🍄‍🟫🪲

Scenic Gorge has to be one of my favorite hikes around here, and it holds a special place in my heart♥️. It is a 2-mile trail where we get to see a mix of pines, oaks, hemlocks, and other trees, such as ash and maples, along with a lot of understory, including ferns, weeds, and invasive species like Japanese Stiltgrass.

One of the best things about this trail is the vernal pools and streams that run through it, which provide habitat for frogs, salamanders, and macroinvertebrates, such as dragonfly nymphs🦎. That’s why, after a good rain, it’s so easy to find red efts and frogs all along the trail and see how dynamic this ecosystem is.

I had to visit before autumn really takes hold and watch firsthand how everything is changing.🍂🌲🦋🐌🌳