Belwin Conservancy: Stagecoach Prairie

Great place to walk. Mostly prairie but some wooded areas. Usually not busy and can bring dogs on leash.

Really nice autumn walk with some expansive views. We walked the perimeter and added in the extra loop on the top of the knoll bringing our walk to just over three miles. You can also easily shorten the walk if you want by taking one of the trails that cut across the prairie. Some sections were in woodlands or the shade of trees. We went on a weekday morning and saw nobody. Although the beginning and the end parallel the road there were few cars. Benches are placed at strategic locations. Dogs on leashes are allowed, but there is no trash can in the car park so we had to take the poop bags home.

We had a great time hiking at Belwin Conservancy. There were very few people and the prairies and woods were beautiful.

There is very little shade as most of the trails are in prairie areas so make sure you bring plenty of water on hot days.

The trails are marked, namely the intersections, but there are no other maps on any of the trails so if you don’t grab a map at the trailhead, you’re out of luck. Additionally, the map brochure that they have at the parking lot is not as up-to-date as the one that is posted at the trailhead (see picture).

My absolute favorite local trail system. This place literally restores my soul. The grassland prairie is superb and I love that it still has hints of wooded areas. It’s not often busy, and is great hiking at all times of the year. My dog also loves the hiking- so many good smells.
Sometimes, there are annoying visitors that let their dogs off leash, despite Belwin’s on-leash rules for a variety of reasons. Most visitors are really great though.
Belwin does such a great job at maintaining the trails too.
Only downside is sometimes the parking lot can get muddy and hard to get out of with basic cars.

Peaceful, easy family hiking just an easy day-trip from the cities. Note that there's a second, small, barely-marked parking area off of 11th, just south a bit on Stagecoach Trail, if you prefer to start your hike (and park your car) in the shade.