Hiking at Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area

My husband and I enjoy “easy” hiking and decided to visit the Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. We’re both older and not in the best of physical health, so we’re always looking for “easy” walking trails and this park is only 20 minutes from our home.

At Boyd Big Tree Preserve you’ll find 8 different trails with most of them defined as easy to moderate walks. On the afternoon that we visited, we hiked 2 different trails: The Pond Loop Trail for 1.2 miles and the East Loop Trail for 1.9 miles. Each trail takes you deep into the forest.

The park has a picnic pavilion, so you’re welcome to bring in your own picnic-style, brown-bag lunch. There are no grills and you have to carry out what you bring in. The pavilion is located right beside the parking area and nearby you’ll find public restrooms with running water.

On the day that we visited there were about 15 other vehicles in the parking lot. While out walking the trails we passed about 8-10 other people, some of them were out walking their dogs. Yes, dogs are allowed on the trails as long as they remain on a leash.

While walking the trails you can come into contact with wild bears, foxes, snakes, small mammals, various deep forest birds, etc. On the day that we were there, we saw one snake (didn’t go near it), various birds and a few butterflies. Very thankful we didn’t see any wild bears, as I probably would of freaked out.

When visiting, I recommend that you wear seasonal clothing, comfortable walking shoes, bring along bottled water & snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. Trust me, the bugs and gnats can get pretty bad along certain areas of the trails. You will be doing a lot of walking on unpaved trails, so I don’t consider them to be handicap-friendly.

Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. No alcohol or drugs are permitted on the property. Dogs are allowed but must remain on a leash at all times. During certain times throughout the year, hunting & trapping are permitted. If you’re visiting during those times of the year, they recommend that you wear “orange” and stay on the marked trails.

We had a really nice time walking the trails at Boyd Big Tree Preserve and totally found the park by accident. I can’t believe that it’s only 20 minutes from our home! We will definitely be visiting again!