Patch Picks: Trail Gets Makeover

If you’re like me, is a kind of addiction.

You live nearby, the weather’s beautiful, so why not take a walk in the woods? It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve passed the same parking lot or open-air shelter. If you don’t take a dip into Fern Hollow, you start feeling withdrawal symptoms. Nature calls!

But as I recently discovered, Frick Park has changed. Last week, I toured the ravine with a representative of the , and I couldn’t believe how much the land has evolved. Footpaths have been widened and paved with crushed limestone. Rocks have been arranged for easier treading. And as we walked along the creek, walls of cattails rose all around, like thatching grass on an African safari.

Even if you visit Frick often, may surprise you. After a few hot days, the water level will drop, and you can step onto rocks and see tiny fish circling pockets of still water. The improved trails make passage easier, but they also allow hiking deeper into the glade. The stream itself has been reworked and revised for years, and its current form is a triumph for the Army Corps of Engineers. The old rugby field has been removed, allowing for increased wildlife.

If you do venture into Nine Mile Run, just be careful where you step. As my guide kept reminding me, this is a tender habitat, and every footfall makes a difference. Nine Mile Run has come a long way since the 1990’s, when its toxic, lifeless waters were known as “stink creek.” But this stretch of land is still a work in progress.

And go soon. Fall is just around the corner.