Hiking in Little Wolf Nature Preserve

Hiking is one of our favorite activities at Little Wolf Nature Preserve. Hiking allows you to see the Preserve up close and personal in its natural state. Many of Little Wolf’s best features are accessible only by foot.

There are over 8 miles of maintained and unmaintained trails in Little Wolf Nature Preserve and neighboring Daniel Boone National Forest. And in the winter, the vegetation is clear enough to hike openly off trail over thousands of acres of wilderness, if you are careful.

Before you set out hiking, please review our Hiker’s Checklist for your safety and enjoyment on your hike.

Hiking is Like Dancing

Hiking is like dancing: you need to get a good rhythm and stay light on your feet.

Staying light on your feet is essential because each step you take may collapse under your weight. The terrain on a hiking trail is rarely flat and solid like a sidewalk. Often it is uneven or bumpy, full of obstacles such as rocks and tree limbs, and can be wet and slippery. Sometimes the ground may look flat, but a pile of leaves hide a bump or hole.

So the key to preventing a twisted ankle or bruised knee is to step lightly and put your weight down slowly. If you feel your ankle twisting or the ground giving out from under you, quickly bring your other leg forward to bear your weight. If you are still going to fall despite your best efforts, try to fall lightly and gracefully, making sure not break your entire fall with a single body part such as an extended arm or your skull.

The rhythm part comes into play in two ways: With your feet you want to achieve a nice, easy pace. With your head you want to scan for trouble: look up for any low-hanging branches, look ahead to see where you are going, and look down to spot any obstacles in your path. Performing this gentle "sweep" with your head continuously as you hike will not only help keep you safe, but will also ensure that you see all the wonderful features in the forest above, ahead and below.