Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve is now open for the 2025 blooming season

If you have never been it is definitely worth the short drive east to see first hand the beauty of nature on display at The Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve. Now open for the 2025 bloom season, Wolf Creek is a 140-acre conservation area located on Wolf Creek Road, just off US Highway 84 between Whigham and Cairo.

Interested parties are encouraged to follow the group on Facebook for updates or visit the preserve’s website, wolfcreektroutlilypreserve.org for updates.

New this year are over a hundred signs on the trails, identifying plants including QR code signage that provides links to additional information on several topic areas. The signs are placed throughout the preserve, officials say.

The plan this is year to keep the preserve open beyond the trout lily bloom season for a few additional weeks in March so visitors can enjoy other Spring ephemerals like Bloodroot and Jack-in-the-Pulpit that typically bloom as the trout lilies fade.

A limited number of guided tours this season will be offered for groups of people over eight who schedule their visit. Check contact information on the website and Facebook page. We will have volunteers available to address questions, particularly on the weekends. 

Each Dimpled Trout Lily flower opens in late morning or early afternoon, follows the sun, and closes at dusk, so to see the open flowers, come visit in the afternoon.  If it is raining heavily or very dark and cloudy in the morning, the flowers may stay closed.  In the event of significant rain, the front gate may be closed to limit vehicle traffic, but a walk around is available for visitors. 

Each individual flower re-opens for several days, with overall numbers of flowers in bloom beginning gradually, increasing, peaking, then declining over the course of a few weeks.  Depending on the Winter weather the overall bloom may be anywhere from three or four weeks long, usually throughout February, rarely into March. Other Spring ephemerals you may see Spotted Trillium, Spring Coralroot, Southern Twayblade Orchid, Green Fly Orchid (blooms later), Bloodroot and Jack-In-the-Pulpit.

All hiking trails at the preserve are marked with a colored tape and signage is visible along all the trails. 

The primary trail (yellow tape) highlights the best views of the trout lily. It makes a loop beginning on the right side across the slope, down to a lovely view of Wolf Creek, then continues across the lower trail, to meet the orchid trail (pink tape) where the visitor can meander back up the hill to the parking area.  The upper portion (yellow tape) of the primary trail offers overlook views, tiny twayblade orchids, bloodroot, and several other plants of interest where visitors can exit out to the service road and back to the parking area if not interested in the entire loop. 

The orchid loop (pink tape) also begins on the left at the top of the hill. There are two species of orchid plants, which are visible but may not be blooming.  The orchid loop ends at the bottom meeting the primary trail. Visitors also may walk on the south trail (white tape) on the backside of the parking area towards Trillium Creek. This is a fairly open area with some large patches of trillium and rain lilies (not blooming yet), but very few trout lilies. The small creek is quite delightful, and this area is quiet and peaceful.  The trail is a great hike if you arrive in the morning before the trout lilies open for the day. It runs to our service road further down Wolf Creek Road, so offers a loop for hikers.

Visitors are reminded that the trout lilies grow on a slope, so visitors need to wear boots or shoes with treads that may get damp or muddy. Bring a walking stick if desired. Sparkleberrry walking sticks are available for visitor use. You can borrow one or purchase one with a $10 donation. The trails may be slippery when wet, so proceed with caution. There is minimal access for people using wheelchairs or with limited mobility who cannot complete a walk of several hundred yards on a slope.  

Visitors are reminded that vehicles are not allowed on the property beyond the designated parking area. The following are prohibited at Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve: cutting or removal of any plants, leaving trash, and pets on any trail (other than service animals). Visitors are asked to sign in either with the volunteer greeters near the kiosk or on the sign-in sheet at the kiosk.