Explore this Sycamore Land Trust nature preserve, featuring wetlands and forest. Barred Owls and Red-headed Woodpeckers are resident year-round, along with 5 other woodpecker species. The Red-headed Woodpeckers are almost guaranteed to be easily heard and seen.

Cancelled if rain.

There may or may not be lingering Prothonotary Warbler; they nest there and are easy to see spring and summer.

Late summer into fall, migrant warblers may also be seen, some at eye level in the bushes in the wetlands next to the trail boardwalk.

Walking is level, about 2 miles, most of it on plastic or wooden boardwalks. No uphill or downhill slopes.

Meet 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot for the shopping center at Rt 46 (Ellettsville Road) and Union Valley Road. From downtown, find your way to Rt 46 heading northwest. Watch for a traffic light with an Old National Bank behind it on the right. Turn right at the light onto Union Valley Road, then left into the shopping center lot.

Car pool or shuttle from there 5 miles to the tiny parking lot entrance to the Preserve.

Bring insect repellant; some portions of the woods are infested with hungry mosquitos summer and fall.

This place is easy to visit weekday mornings, but on weekends the small entrance lot at the preserve is likely to be full, it only has room for about 6 cars at most. Directions to Bean Blossom Bottoms: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3aywiiCMvzkjbEGXA