Nelson Nature Preserve, Friendship

This Audubon preserve is filled with what I once heard described as “moss gardens.” Blankets of unbroken spongy moss covers large areas of the forest, mostly in the middle of the preserve. You can only hike half of this preserve in the spring, summer, and fall as the rest of it is too wet. And at least in the spring, I recommend wearing rubber boots. In the winter, it is easier to walk or ski the Swamp Trail to the river.

Directions: The preserve is roughly 1,3 miles from Friendship village, and where Route 97 intersects with Route 220.