Trails

ACA Trail
Length: .7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The ACA trail can be accessed from the American Camp Association parking lot.  This trail runs along the ridge of a hill.  As you hike the hike the trail, you may notice it is a rather wide path.  This is because the trail functions as a firebreak (a wide path cut through a forest to keep fire from spreading) and an access road.  When you hike this trail, you’ll be looking at an example of a mixed mesophytic forest (four main types of trees).  See if you can find each of the following four tree types: Sugar Maple, American Beech, White Oak and Shagbark Hickory. 

Baxter Trail
Length: .3 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Baxter Trail is a cement path that connects the two sides of Baxter Village.  The trail runs between the Rock Island Welcome Shelter and the Beech Shelter.  Even though this trail is only .3 miles long, it is a great trail for viewing woodland wildflowers.  You’ll notice an abundance of Wood Poopies, Jack-in-the-pulpit and Mayapples.  

Fern Valley Trail
Length: .2 miles
Difficulty: Medium
This trail begins near the Beech shelter near Baxter Trail and descends into a moist, lush ravine.  As you explore this valley, you will see several different types of fern (Bracken Fern, Cinnamon Fern and Christmas Fern).  This soil, moisture and humidity of this area is perfect for ferns like these.  

Gold Creek Trail
Length: 3 miles
Difficulty: Medium
This trail begins in the curve in the road near Krannert Village and ends where Gold Creek runs into Sycamore Creek.  The three mile trail provides wonderful scenery: babbling creeks, pine forests and great bird watching.  The creek that runs along the west side of the trail is Sycamore Creek.  This creek runs the entire length of the property and becomes Old Swimmin’ Hole Lake before it continues into White River.  Halfway through the trail, you’ll find yourself in a Red Pine forest (planted here in the 1950’s).  The trail will end at Gold Creek, so named because of the sizable amount of gold found in it during the late 1800’s. 

Caution: At Rob Hill Road, the trail crosses the road and continues behind the guardrail.  Please be very careful when crossing Rob Hill Road.

Krannert Trail
Length: .1 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Krannert Trail is a short trail that connects the Griffith Village parking lot with the east side of Krannert Village. Two plants of interest along this trail are the American Beech tree and the Spicebush.  The American Beech tree is easy to identify because of its smooth gray to greenish-gray bark.  The Spicebush is a distinctive green shrub that grows to about six feet in height.  Because the Spicebush requires soil that is rich with humus or organic matter, it is considered an indicator plant for an older, mature forest.  If you gently rub the leaf of a Spicebush between your fingers, you will smell a strong citrus or spicy odor (some say the leaves smell like “Fruit Loops”).  A tasty tea can be made from the leaves and red berries. 

Hint: There is a Spicebush in front of the showerhouse, between the men’s and women’s side. 

 Lake Trail
Length: NA
Difficulty: NA

Note: This trail has not been assessed since its exact location is not known.

The Lake Trail can be reached by taking the Old Highway Trail from the barn and following the asphalt road across the bridge.  Where the Old Highway Trail turns to the right, continue going straight 300 feet.  The trail head is to the right, and the path goes up a ravine.  The Lake Trail will take you through some of Bradford Woods’ oldest stands of forest.  The west side of the lake has an excellent example of a hardwood forest that existed in Indiana hundreds of years ago.  There are several unique or threatened species of plants and animals living in this area (Putty Root Orchids, Bald Eagles, Worm-eating Warblers). 

You’ll also see part of Bradford Woods’ 110-acre lake (Old Swimmin’ Hole Lake), which is fed by Sycamore Creek.  You’ll also the see a large valley, which was the site of the Bradfords’ apple orchard that produced as many as 140,000 bushels of apples during its best year. 

Maple Trail
Length: .5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Maple Trail connects the Tipple Area with the ACA Trail.  You’ll see numerous maple trees along this trail, particularly the Sugar Maple and the Red Maple.  If you are visiting Bradford Woods in the late winter, you may notice buckets hanging from numerous Sugar Maple trees.  The Environmental Education program makes syrup from the collected sap.  Although syrup can be made from any tree, we collect sap from the Sugar Maples since they have the highest concentration of sugar and therefore the most pleasant taste.  As you’re looking for Maple Trees, be careful not to mix up its leaves with that of the similarly-shaped Tulip Poplar leaves. 

Memorial Trail
Length: .3 miles
Difficulty: Medium
The Memorial Trail begins behind the monument located north of Bradford Manor.  The monument is a tribute to the Bradford brothers and their generosity to Indiana University.  This trail had its beginnings as a corridor cleared out for a new sewer line, but ended up being an extremely pleasant path.  The Memorial Trail begins in the middle of Bradford Woods’ historic area. All of the buildings that can be seen from the monument are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The trail ends behind the national headquarters of the American Camping Association.  If you would like to continue hiking, walk around the building and up to the parking lot.  At the end of the parking lot is the trail head for the ACA trail.

Old Highway Trail
Length: .5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Old Highway Trail starts near the barn.  The barn was built around 1900 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.  The beginning of the trial is an asphalt road that is actually the original Highway 67.  The current four-lane version can be seen to the south.  When walking along this road it is hard to believe that this narrow road was once a main artery for area transportation.  Then there are two choices to continue on the trail.  Option one is at the 500 foot mark where you will see the trial go off to the left and through a grassy field.  Option two goes beyond the 500 foot mark down to the road where you will turn right about 40 feet beyond the bridge.
Animals to watch for: great blue heron, crayfish, painted turle.

Sassafras Trail
Length: .6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Sassafras Trail connects the Tipple Trail and the ACA Trail.  One unique feature near this trail is the vernal pond. A vernal pond is a temporary pond that is filled by melting snow and spring rains and usually disappears by mid-summer.  While it is here, the vernal pond is an incredible place. 
Animals to watch for: toads, frogs, salamanders, wood ducks, muskrats.

Sunshine Trail
Length: .2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Sunshine Trail was name for the Sunshine Club, who donated money to improve the beach.  At the base of the trail is the Towaki Beach, one of the prettiest and most peaceful places.
Towaki Beach has a wonderful view of the ‘Ol Swimming Hole Lake.
Animals to watch for: great blue herons, wood ducks, mallards, Canadian geese, loons, grebes, bald eagle, osprey, vulture.

Tipple Trail
Length: .6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Tipple Trail runs through what used to be a sand mining area.  Here they mined from the early 1880s up until the late 1940s.  The trail was the path the sand cars traveled along to get to the central holding area.  On the far side of the Tipple area is a group of Bald Cypress trees.   Bradford Woods is about as far north as you will find these trees.

Lucy's Trail
Length: .2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Lucy's Trail runs along a steep hill and has a great view of the lake.  Here you will be able to see Snake Island.  This trail acts as a connector for the Krannert Trail and the Sunshine Trail.

Village Trail
Length: .9 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Village Trail is the perfect trail to see all of the villages around campus.  It runs between the Griffith Viallge parking lot and the beach.  Along the way you will pass through Krannert, Baxter and Lilly Villages, as well as the Interpretive Center, Administration building, and the Amphitheater.

Switchback Trail.  Switchback Trail is a fully accessible trail that leads from Lilly Village down to the Beach House.  This trail was a pilot program between the National Center on Accessibility and Bradford Woods to design a fully accessible trail that conquered steep inclines.