Augusta Springs Wetland Trails - Hiking trail near Staunton, Virginia, United States - Description

This two- thrids mile easy loop trail is fully accessible and leads you through meadows, forests and wetlands. You can look at a beaver's handiwork, smell pine needles baking ion the sun, hear a song bird and dip your hand in a cool mountain spring.

Elevation: 2607 ft. This handicap-accessible trail meanders through wetland habitats surrounded by hardwood forest interspersed with pines. Two large ponds are home to nesting wood duck and are patrolled by resident green and great blue herons. Nesting species include common yellowthroat, red-winged blackbird, blue-gray gnatcatcher, and occasionally, blue-winged warbler. In migration, look for migrants such as wood thrush and scarlet tanager. Sparrow diversity can include resident song sparrow, and in the winter, swamp, white-throated, and American tree sparrows as well. Blooming ironweed, rudbeckia, and jewelweed line the fields surrounding the ponds. Look for eastern tiger, pipevine, and spicebush swallowtails, Zabulon skipper, and many other colorful butterflies. Black rat snakes can be found slithering from the forest's edge, sometimes basking in the sun along pond banks. Also, look for pickerel and green frogs near the water's edge. Salamanders, such as northern dusky and red-backed, are common as well.

From Goshen/Little North Mountain WMA, return to SR 42 and turn right. Follow SR 42 for 0.4 miles to Augusta Springs Wetland Trail on the left.