It’s hard to believe fall is almost here (in part because it’s around 90 degrees today), but it’s a great time to check out the newest of the Summit Metro Parks. Opened in 2011, the Springfield Bog Park is reclaimed farm land transformed back into prairie. As you can learn from the Summit Metro Parks webpage, the park is notable for having the Continental Divide run through it. By returning it to prairie, we have a great oasis for pollinators as the native wildflowers bloom and flourish throughout the summer and into the fall.
The path itself is pretty easy and straightforward. It’s 1.6 miles if you don’t take the little side path to the pond/bog. But don’t miss that! It’s beautiful there and it only ups the total miles to 1.8. Lots of birds and frogs are there, including a green heron, and muskrats as well. (While I’ve often seen the green heron, it’s been too far out of range for my camera to capture a good crisp picture.) And it’s gorgeous at sunset (and sunrise, if you’re the type of person who can be up and moving that early).
Bees, butterflies, and birds aren’t the only things you’ll see. Depending on when you go, you might have a deer or two leap across your path. And by early summer, you’ll discover that the rabbits have been reproducing like, well, rabbits as little bunnies scurry and dart in front of you, eventually finding safety back among the flowers and grasses.
So even though it’s a fairly short distance, it’s more than worth the trip! Just make sure to wear your sunscreen, because there is very little shade. The flowers don’t seem to mind though.
