Trails

Refuge trails, boardwalks, and kiosks provide family-friendly wildlife viewing areas. Need help navigating? Print your own trail map on the Visit Us page, or pick up one of the yellow trail description brochures when you arrive on the refuge.

The boardwalk along the Muddy Creek Holly Trail passes through upland forest.
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Interactive StoryMaps

Virtual Wildflower Walks

We also offer a virtual hike along the Refuge's Trolley Line trail, co-hosted by the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, and Erie NWR.  The Lynn Firth Virtual Wildflower Walk follows the 1.9-mile Trolley Line trail, guiding viewers through the history of the trail and the various spring ephemerals one may encounter along the trail from April to May.  

Virtual Paddle Tour of the Dynamic Muddy Creek

The Seneca Division provides public access for enjoying wildlife through two amazing trails: the Trolley Line Trail and Muddy Creek Holly Trail, however, much of the interior of the Division is difficult to access due to the many creeks, streams, and wetlands that lie within the center of the Muddy Creek basin.  Many of the larger creeks that pass through the Division are inaccessible for other public uses, like paddling, due to dangerous build-ups of log jams.

To provide an alternative means of exploring the Division, the refuge is happy to offer a virtual, interactive StoryMap  , so that visitors may experience the diverse aquatic wildlife and habitats of Muddy Creek from the comfort of their own homes. Showcasing the Division's biodiversity virtually also helps to minimize disturbances to the sensitive species that thrive within these habitats.  

The StoryMap highlights the wildlife, habitats, and dynamic processes that have shaped the backbone of Erie NWR's Seneca Division and can be viewed from a desktop, tablet, or mobile device. 

Beaver Run Trail

Open: Year RoundBeaver Run Trail in the heart of the Erie National Wildlife Refuge is a one-mile loop with a spur trail at its eastern end. The trail takes the visitor through woods, along cultivated fields and past beaver ponds with their rich aquatic habitat. As with all areas of the refuge, nature abounds in all seasons. The naturalist will be pleasantly rewarded on a stroll through this unique and "lively" setting.Sandstone Springhouse  A short distance north of Beaver Run Trail on the west side of Hank's Road is a sandstone springhouse that was used to keep milk and foodstuffs cool (36-40 degrees) during much of the year. Cans of milk were kept cool in a waterproof trough.Sandstone for the springhouse was of local origin. Bore holes drilled in the solid stone were filled with water which, in winter, froze to cleave the stone. The stones were finish dressed with sledge and chisel.
Trail Length (mi)
0.87
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Deer Run Accessible Spur Trail

Open: Year RoundA compressed gravel parking area and 1/4 mile trail spur have been added to Deer Run Trail. The spur will take visitors to an observation deck overlooking Pool 9 on the refuge. The deck is complete with benches, roof and spotting scopes. It's a wonderful spot to enjoy scenery and to watch for wildlife. The parking area for this trail can be found along Boland Road, just north of the Pool K parking lot.A four-foot-wide boardwalk provides excellent access for the handicapped and others in this seasonally wet area. 
Trail Length (mi)
0.26
Suitability
Wheelchair friendly
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Deer Run Trail

Open: Year RoundSome three miles in length, the Deer Run Trail at the southern part of the Erie National Wildlife Refuge is a loop trail that takes the user through a variety of habitats, from fairly mature mixed deciduous and hemlock forest to meadows and brushy thickets near the refuge's ponds. It is also a popular cross-country ski trail. Those wishing to ski the trail should do so in a counter-clockwise direction, beginning at the fishing platform across the road from the parking area.The trail begins with a steady climb via switchbacks to the top of a hill where the skier is rewarded with a level tour through deep woods culminating in a downhill run into open fields. The trail continues through fields and meadows to a dense hemlock stand before returning to the parking lot by way of a refuge access road. The open areas can be brutal under windy conditions. The hemlock thicket offers protection and raucous skiing over hummocky ground that is so characteristic of this kind of forest.The trail is not mechanically groomed but usually has a skier-set track when conditions are favorable and the trail gets some traffic.
Trail Length (mi)
2.73
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Muddy Creek Holly Trail

With the first few steps on the Holly Trail, the visitor will find himself surrounded by life in the wildest of settings. This out-and-back trail stretches a mile over the glacial and riverine sediments of Muddy Creek's valley. The terrain is flat to gently rolling with an environment of meadows, marshes, oxbow sloughs, and intermediate and mature forests.
Trail Length (mi)
0.76
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Observation Blind Trail

Trail Length (mi)
0.11
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Trolley Line Trail

Open: Year RoundFollow an old railroad grade on the Seneca Division. Wildflowers and historic bridge foundations are highlights of this primitive trail. Watch your step as you travail the ravines with rope rails/pulls. Parking areas can be found at both ends Route 408 and Swamp Road (not a loop).
Trail Length (mi)
1.88
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Tsuga Trail

The Tsuga Trail at the Erie National Wildlife Headquarters is a 1.2 to 1.6-mile two loop trail that winds through a variety of natural habitats. The 1.2-mile loop has numbered signs designating stops which are explained in an interpretative leaflet available at the trail head. The additional 0.4-mile segment of the 1.6 mile loop passes through hardwood forests behind the headquarters and offers a couple of exhilarating downhill runs for the cross-country skier.The trail is raised above the surrounding ground and is surfaced with wood chips for comfortable, dry walking year round. Bridges carry the trail user over small streams and a beaver pond. The shorter loop is gently sloping and presents no demanding hills to climb. As with the rest of the Erie National Wildlife Refuge, the Tsuga Trail area has a variety of rich natural habitats. Along this trail you will pass through meadows of upland grasses, wetlands with waterfowl and amphibians, mixed forests and cool, dark hemlock thickets. Naturally, wildlife is abundant. In winter, this is a popular place to cross-country ski or snowshoe. The trail can be skied in either direction, but beginning at the parking lot and bearing south (downhill) will result in a nice downhill concluding run when the full trail is used. The trail is not mechanically groomed but usually has a skier set track when conditions are good and there is adequate traffic. 
Trail Length (mi)
1.65
Trail Activities
Wildlife watching
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