Flat Rock Brook Nature Preserve has awesome hikes and activities for the entire family!

Flat Rock Brook is a 150-acre nature preserve with an environmental education center, many hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground area. There is something for everyone and enough activity to fill a full day with family fun! The environmental programs are available for free to the public and are really interesting for kids to learn more about nature. There are 3.6 miles total of self-guided trails, with 7 trails in total, so be sure to take a look at the map attached before visiting. The trails range from 0.3 miles to 1.0 miles and most are loops. They are great for children, as they are much shorter than most of the trails at other parks in the area and are all considered easy to moderate levels of difficulty.

The picnic area on Jones Road is perfect for enjoying a pre-packed picnic after a hike. The playground right beside the picnic area has a super cool nature theme, with giant leaf seating, hollowed-out logs, “animal den” crawl spaces and slides. Kids love it and the best part is that it is made of all environmentally friendly materials. You can decide to park at Jones Road or the Nature Center. Hiking between the two locations is not bad, so wherever you chose to park should not be a problem. Parking does get pretty filled in afternoons, but there is also street parking options. Each location also has restroom facilities, though the nature center is usually only open on the weekends. The restrooms near the picnic area at Jones Road are open seasonally on weekdays from 1 pm to 5 pm and on weekends they open earlier at 9 am. If you end up near the nature center during your exploration, be sure to check out the native habitat gardens to enjoy the diverse plants and wildlife.