Herb & Dortha Parker’s Hickory Grove Farm: A new NICHES property in West Lafayette
It’s no secret that I love NICHES & the work they do. Indiana has so much quiet, sturdy beauty tucked behind her corn & soybean fields; it’s a beautiful heritage I love to share with my children. Their mother may not have started out her days as a Hoosier, but their first wobbly steps were on this soil and I want them to know how to dwell in it responsibly. In that vein, we go out for many nature hikes & I was thrilled to discover a new NICHES property in Tippecanoe County recently!
The Parker Hickory Grove Farm trail meanders along the side of a pond (where we saw swimming snakes & turtles - so much fun!), through an open meadow, and into quiet & shady woods. As the site says, they are still working on clearing out some invasive species, like the pervasive honeysuckle, but this property is beautiful even in its state of metamorphosis. We loved the vast expanses of the field, with a trail easy enough for toddlers to walk on their own (a stroller wouldn’t do so well, though). Some of my children preferred the meadow, some preferred the dark and cool woods. We all had a wonderful time!
Practical details: Compared to some nature preserves, this one is pretty easy to get to and the directions are fairly straightforward. There’s a large sign marking the property & a small gravel parking lot available. There are no public restrooms available, although it is close enough West Lafayette we didn’t have any problems.
Address: 833 N 400 West - West Lafayette, Indiana. Further information here.
—- Other nearby nature hikes ——
