Ekker Preserve

It's a county park so no frills really and it's not an old forest but it's a pleasant hike that's not dull and without variation in plants/animals. If you do the whole thing counterclockwise there is a bit of poison ivy along the last quarter. A bit along the easement then more when it gets darker in the trees. The place used to be a tropical fish hatchery (I think) - if you look at old satellite photos you can see parallel canals. Now it's just a big irregular pond with hills overlooking it that they must have made with bulldozers - and it's a great layout though I don't think it's quite "done"... you can reach the pond without seeing any keep out signs but they don't advertise it either. When you park go inside the fence back up along the road you came in on and there's a couple places you can see the pond. The forest isn't old but it feels diverse enough to be interesting. In contrast some great state parks can in one way be gorgeous but you never see so much as a bug due to it not being restored long enough to have developed a complex ecosystem. The river is along the north edge (bullfrog creek I think) but there's no good place to see it - you can peek through tall shrubs etc.

I don't know if I'd drive 3 counties to get here but it's worth driving one IMHO - especially if you're stopping at Golden Aster up the road as well.