No foolin’!  The Wildflower Hike that remembers Sue Browning, an individual that started this event 40 years ago, falls on April Fool’s Day, April 1, 2023.  

There are two hikes: Woodpecker Trail and the Fitness to Shawnee Trail.  The hike and the walk both start at the Museum in the Park. Participants of all ages are welcome. There is no fee to participate. If you show, we go regardless of rain, chill or some years snow.  Closed toed shoes or hiking boots are recommended.

Woodpecker Trail Hike

9:00 a.m.

Early and intrepid hikers are rewarded with the best wildflower show that Chief Logan State Park has to offer, perhaps the best spring wildflower hike in West Virginia.  This is the original Sue Browning HIke and the reason that nature-lovers have been coming back for almost four decades.  The Woodpecker Trail is a moderate trail of approximately three miles. We’ll pace ourselves and make plenty of stops for photographs and wildflower identification.

Consider spending Friday night at Chief Logan Lodge so you’ll be fresh as a daisy at 9:00 a.m. for this hike.  

Fitness to Shawnee Trails Walk

1:00 p.m.

If an early morning hike is not your speed, maybe roll out of bed at Chief Logan Lodge and join us for a post-lunch stroll!  While we may not see the same number of flowers that we will see on Woodpecker Trail, we will usually see every species of the flower but fewer in number.  This walk is a great option for families with younger children.  There is one short steep start at the Shawnee Trail and then easy walking.

Sue Browning, Ester Hinchman and other garden club members that encouraged folks to discover Chief Logan’s trails forty years ago, would want us to keep a list of spring blooms observed in 2023.  

Have questions?  Email Lauren.E.Cole@wv.gov.

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