Overview

      Are your little natives restless? Or perhaps the grandparents are in town and you’re looking for a way to entertain them for a few hours? Then consider Blackacre State Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Blackacre offers a fine example of farm life in the 1800s among the landed gentry. Docent tours and several miles of trails provide an interesting and relaxing visit for all. The loop trail described here is an easy walk along the Waterfall Trail, past Jackson’s Pond, then back to the springhouse and double-crib barn.

      Route Details

      Comprising 170 acres of historic buildings, open pasture, and wooded trails, Blackacre Nature Preserve was created in 1979 by Judge Macauley Smith and his wife, Emilie Strong Smith, who sought to preserve the working farm and homestead. Moses Tyler first settled the land in 1795, and later Tyler’s son, Presley, and his wife, Phoebe, built their home here in 1844. With 10 children, the younger Tylers had plenty of mouths to feed and a built-in labor force to work the fields. Built in the Federal style, the house is open seasonally for docent-led tours. Historic Mann’s Lick Road traverses the property and at one time led to other farms owned by the Tylers.

      Six trails are available for hiking anytime the preserve is open. If you’re looking for an open-meadow hike, consider the Sunrise Meadow Trail or the Lower or Upper Sunset Trail. For a more wooded experience, Tyler’s Trace Trail and Mann’s Lick Road are good choices.

      But if water attracts you like a divining rod, consider the Waterfall Trail, which includes several creek crossings, meanders through lightly wooded areas before reaching Jackson’s Pond, and returns to the homestead via historic Mann’s Lick Road. To reach the trailhead, begin at the large kiosk at the far northeastern edge of the primary parking lot. Head north toward the Tyler House, then bear right (east) to get to the Schick Nature Center.

      Before you start your hike, it’s worth spending a little time at Schick. To the left of the nature center’s front door hangs an unusual map of the homestead, fashioned from metal and stamped with Braille lettering. To the right of the front door hangs an old farm gate painted with a picture of the homestead in American Gothic style.

      Feel free to go inside and explore the nature center. Despite several preserve signs admonishing NO STICKS, RUNNING, OR SHOUTING. QUIET VOICES ONLY, the nature center is all about kids. The exterior of the quaint yet rustic wooden building has a 1970s contemporary look, yet inside is set up like an old one-room schoolhouse. From the plastic snake dangling from the deer antlers to the extensive collection of children’s nature books, the atmosphere will make kids feel immediately at home.

      The nature center hosts many programs throughout the year, with topics ranging from owls and tree frogs to planets and stars to heirloom tomatoes and canning. Special summer programs include Pioneer Day and camps for the kids. More information, including farm-animal feeding schedules, is available at blackacreconservancy.org.

      Out the back door of the Schick Nature Center stands a separate building housing the bathrooms, fully outfitted with Clivus Multrum composting toilets long before such facilities were fashionable. The preserve notes that the compost is indeed used on the farm to fertilize the crops.

      Behind the nature center and next to the bathrooms you’ll see the sign for the Waterfall Trail. The first creek crossing is a scant 0.1 mile from the trailhead. The trail along this section can be quite muddy in the spring; well-worn alternative trails circumvent the wet spots. Several small waterfalls form where various drainages tumble down the hillsides. At the third creek crossing, about 0.3 mile from the trailhead, a small footbridge takes hikers across to the other side. Cedar, redbud, and dogwood provide plenty of seasonal interest along the way.

      About 0.5 mile from the trailhead, the path splits into a Y. The left branch heads southwest toward Mann’s Lick Road, while the right branch heads northwest toward Jackson’s Pond. Take a right here and walk 5 minutes (about 0.2 mile) more to reach the pond. An old beaver lodge is embedded within the earthen berm containing the pond, close to the outtake pipe. Other evidence of beaver activity includes nibbled tree branches and stumps lining the pond.

      The trail loops left (south), crosses a small bridge, and rejoins Mann’s Lick Road. Just don’t expect a paved thoroughfare with yellow painted lines and rumble strips. This road was built long before Henry Ford was knee-high to a grasshopper, and it’s easy to see why wagon wheels broke down so often.

      Turning left (south) on Mann’s Lick and walking another 5 minutes (0.2 mile) bring you to the back side of the circa-1795 springhouse. A small spring in front of the stone building flows under the structure and enters a small pond. Food was kept cool in the springhouse during warm summer days, and the pond provided swimmers a welcome relief from the heat.

      The trail continues behind the springhouse, between the smokehouse and the weaving shed. Bear right (west) down the gravel road 20 yards or so until you reach the Appalachian-style barn, also built in 1795. The barn is a rare double-crib style, with an enclosed dogtrot down the middle. Here