Fire Break Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Wildflowers

This grass can get pretty long as this trail is not maintained with the same rigor as the other trails in the area. Beware of ticks which can carry lyme disease if this route is overgrown. The trail is lovely in the spring and fall before grass has come up too high though.

This is not an ideal trail unless it's been recently mowed, but it does offer the ability for one to meander across the different trail sections gracing the forest south of the Osborne Nature Center. This route is better suited for cross country skiing during the winter months.

Taking the Exercise Trail, make a quick left into the widest opening in the trees. The trail climbs for ~0.1 miles, before making a right turn and following a shallow ravine. It passes over the Exercise Trail and Conifer Trail before arriving at the park's southern boundary. From there, it travels westward on a gradual uphill before opening up to a private drive ~0.3 miles into the route.

While Osborne has an easement here, please respect private property boundaries and stay east of the driveway. Very quickly the driveway veers off while the firebreak continues north. One portion will lead runners back to the arboretum and nature center, while the true firebreak turns east (right) at around the 0.5 mile mark.

Again the route cuts across the two formally maintained trails before arriving back at the first segment. Take a left to get back to the main trailhead.

The exceptional diversity packed into this short trail allows for fantastic wildflower displays from spring until fall. Flocks of blue jays, nuthatches, and chickadees feasting on pine nuts provide a nice soundtrack throughout the route.