Asbury Woods Offers Beautiful Trails and Fun Activities

Asbury Woods is a beautiful park in Erie, PA that spans over 200 acres. In addition to its well-kept trails, the Andrew J. Conner Nature Center is located at Asbury Woods. The state-of-the-art Nature Center houses animals, a gift shop, classrooms for events, and much more. Located outside next to the Nature Center, is a cute play area for children.

There’s often a ton of new things to do at Asbury Woods with its various program and events. Plus, each change of season totally transforms the scenery of the park. Asbury Woods is a great place to go by yourself, with family, friends, a significant other, or your dog (you can bring your leashed dog on these trails: Greenway Trail, Guided Trail, Touvell Trail, Brown’s Farm). Read on to find out more!

9 Major Trails at Asbury Woods

Meteorite Trail is part of the Guided Trail at Asbury Woods — The Meteorite Trail is found on the Guided Trail

There’s a ton of trails at Asbury Woods. Some of the 9 major trails consist of smaller trails (side quests, if you will). They range between a quick 550 feet and a longer 2.2 miles although you may have to walk another trail to get to other ones. For this reason, check out a map of Asbury Woods before your hike: https://www.asburywoods.org/assets/pdfs/Trail-Map-2021.pdf

Extra Things to Do While Walking the Trails

While exploring the paths, there are QR codes posted about. Scan these with your Smart Phone to play fun activities.
There are 4 different Compass Courses to try out. If you don’t have a compass, try out the one on your Smart Phone! You can find the courses by going to the Boardwalk Trail, walking the Nuthatch Trail until you find the Eagle Trail, and then finding a small clearing where most are located.
If geocaching is something you like to do, definitely see if there are any caches to find nearby.
If you are a Pokémon Go fan, there are a lot of Pokémon out and about at Asbury Woods.

Views from the Asbury Woods Guided Trail which include the Grandfather Tree — Views from the Guided Trail which include the Grandfather Tree

The Andrew J. Conner Nature Center

European Dwarf Rabbit, turtle, and part of a habitat display

Inside the cutting edge Nature Center, you will find a few live critters! The animals include a rabbit, ferret, turtles, fish, snake, as well as a beehive exhibit. There are also displays of other animals in their habitat such as a beautiful deer. Additionally, there is a gift shop, a fireplace to warm up by if it’s cold, and a spot to play checkers.

There are often various programs held in the classrooms in the Nature Center. Check out the schedule here. It should be noted every Saturday morning there is a free program where you can discover something new about nature such as an art project or getting up close and personal with an animal.

Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing

During the winter season, cross country ski and snowshoe clinics are offered. Alternatively, you can rent the equipment and explore in the snow on your own! These activities are only available if there are 6 inches or more of snow. Equipment rentals are hourly and are $7 per hour for snowshoes and $10 per hour for cross country skis (or $2 less if you are a donor).

Upcoming Events at Asbury Woods

Events are always happening here so make sure to check this link for future events or updates: https://www.asburywoods.org/events/. Please note that registration may be required and there is a cost for some of the events.

Now until April 17, 2022. Photography Contest: submit up to 4 photos of pictures you’ve taken at Asbury Woods. Winners’ photos will then be displayed in a summer exhibition.
February 11, 2022. Luminaria: luminaries will be lighting up the woods for a romantic walk around a trail.
February 20, 2022. 4 Mile Trail Run.
April 2 and 3, 2022. Maple Festival: learn all about how maple syrup is collected, watch demonstrations, and afterward even sample maple candy.
April 29-May 2, 2022. City Nature Challenge 2022: Greater Erie. Download a free app and make cool nature observations. Scientists will use this info for research which is especially cool!
June 11, 2022. 5 Mile Trail Run.
October 15, 2022. 6 Mile Trail Run.
More events are scheduled for 2022 with details soon to be available.

If You Can’t Make It to Asbury Woods, Visit Virtually

Asbury Woods has made it easy to explore virtually. There are many different videos of the park including by season, located here: https://www.asburywoods.org/programs/virtual-visit/. Without a doubt, Asbury Woods is a breathtaking place to explore not only in person, but also virtually.