Day Hike: Bowie Nature Park

Four of us hiked the 4.5-mile Perimeter Trail at Bowie Nature Park on Saturday, January 7. I believe we've hiked all of the trails several times over at Bowie, but until Saturday we had never hiked the Perimeter loop from end-to-end in a one-and-done fashion. The trails at Bowie are wide and nicely maintained. Horses and bicyclers are welcome at Bowie, when the trails aren't muddy from rain. On this day, we encountered both.

Bowie is for bicyclers, horses, hikers, and canines

The hiking at Bowie is great for young kids; there is little change in elevation and the footing is virtually hazard-free. I say virtually, not completely, because there are some water crossings that could quickly turn a nice leisurely hike into a miserably cold and wet misadventure. Fortunately for us, this would not happen on this day. However, with the distinct possibility of a splashdown occurring right before my eyes, I made sure I came prepared - with my trusty camera to capture forever the inglorious event.

 A slow but dry creek ford

Cemetaries are frequently observed in many of the midstate's parks and nature areas, and Bowie is no exception. The Hall Cemetary can be found along the Perimeter Trail. According to its signage, the cemetary was renovated at some point by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

For an easy day hike, Bowie is hard to beat. There are numerous interconnecting trails, so you can hike as much or as little as you want. The Perimeter Trail, however, is a good place to start when exploring the park's trail system. It offers a good overview of the surroundings, with its many creek crossings and proximity to the park's lakes, picnic areas, and playground.

Some say the park's best features lay beyond the trail

But some say the trails are pretty cool, too

Total miles hiked: 4.5

YTD: 15.0