I recently heard of Silver Creek Nature Preserve near Mascoutah, Illinois and since it was not too far from home, we had to check it out.

This trail is a loop and circles some bottomland. AllTrails says the distance is about 1.1 miles.

The main point that I want to call out here is that this trail is paved so it is ADA accessible! This would be perfect for a wheelchair or stroller and it is a good length for kids. I will be adding this trail to my Accessible Trails page that I am working on!

There is a small off-chute to a viewing platform that overlooks Silver Creek.

We actually saw a lot of birds and even a few snakes! The wetland provides a nice habitat for a lot of different animals.

A note about dogs: I had brought Ellie along since I did not find anything online saying that dogs were not allowed, but a sign at the trailhead says that no dogs are allowed. I didn’t really want to go home so I decided to carry her, after all she only weighs about 18 pounds. We passed a nice lady on the trail that said everyone brings their dogs here and we even passed several dogs on the trail. Typically, I am a rule follower so take this information however you want =)

If you happen to visit this place, let me know what you think! Thanks for visiting and be sure to follow my page on Facebook!