| Madison County Nature Trail on Green Mountain | |
If you haven't been up to Green Mountain lately, you ought to drive up to the top and visit the Madison County Nature Trail, a 72 acre park that was completed in 1975. The park is free to the public and open from sunrise to sunset.
| Special features include a 2.25 mile walking trail,
pavilion, chapel, picnic tables, the Cambron Covered
Bridge, Skye Lake, and accessible restrooms. You'll also
find the state's largest and oldest Champion Elm tree
along the trail and wildflowers, labeled for your
convenience. A staff of 2 full-time and 2 part-time people keep the park in great shape. The Madison County Nature Trail is in District 3 and under the care of County Commissioner Jerry Craig. It is also the polling place for 356 registered voters on Green Mountain. |
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Any season is a treat on the Nature Trail. Come in spring and you'll see the tulips, azaleas and dogwoods blooming. In summer, you'll catch wildflowers beneath the forest's deep green canopy. Fall foliage is spectacular on the mountain in the crisp air. In winter, you can enjoy a stroll through the quiet rustle of leaves along the forest floor. Ducks on Skye Lake swim by without glancing at the hikers.
| Fishing is allowed in the lake for persons under 16 or older than 60 for $1.50 Monday through Friday. Weekends are reserved for the nature lovers. There is a limit to 10 fish per person and children 5 or younger can fish for free. The public is invited to reserve the pavilion for picnics and family gatherings by calling Butch Chaffin, the park manager at 883-9501. You can also reserve the small chapel in the park, where approximately 10 weddings were held last year. |  |
On the north side of the lake along the walking trail, you will come upon the original cabin of Charles Green, the homesteader that Green Mountain was named after. The plaque on the cabin tells the story of this man and how he came to live on Green Mountain.
