This 11-acre preserve is nestled alongside Macungie Mountain in the heart of the Lehigh Valley. A small, half-mile loop allows access to the upland habitat through the Magnolia Trail. It sits adjacent to our Brenner-Penfield Macungie Mountain Preserve and connects via the Tulip Trail. This property was donated to Wildlands Conservancy purely to protect and view important native bird habitats.

The Magnolia Trail is a half-mile loop that climbs the side of the mountain. Keep an eye out for birds, wildflowers, and views on this moderate trail.

As hikers start off on the Magnolia Trail from the parking lot, they’ll come up on an intersection between the Tulip Trail and each side of the Magnolia Trail loop. If electing to take the middle trail, that is the Tulip Trail that connects to Brenner-Penfield Macungie Mountain Preserve.

A wide array of birds use this forest for breeding and resting, such as ovenbird and keery, along with species like white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-shafted northern flicker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, and more. Conditions are prime for spotting more uncommon birds such as worm-eating warblers, sharp-shinned hawks, and scarlet tanagers.

In a largely deciduous and mature forest, cucumber magnolia trees that stretch up to the canopy drop footprints in the form of pinecone-esc pods with orange seeds. Along the trail, keep a seasonal eye out for the native showy orchid (Galearis spectabilis) and the pink and white, striking berries of white baneberry (Actaea pachypoda). Ferns and moss offer greenery throughout the seasons.

In 1987, this property was purchased with the sole intention of protecting open space and bird habitat along with the native plants and insects that support avian species.

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