Ivy Creek Natural Area

Description

Elevation: 548 ft.

Ivy Creek Natural Area is a 215-acre preserve located adjacent to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Habitats vary from upland forest, pine stands, and open fields to shoreline. With 11 trails, including a handicap-accessible trail, this site offers nature enthusiasts numerous opportunities for viewing wildlife. Resident red-tailed, and red-shouldered hawks patrol these woods year-round.

In the spring, look for a variety of songbirds migrating through, such as blue-winged and Tennessee warblers. Fall brings migrant blackpoll and bay-breasted warblers as well as hermit thrush. Nesting neotropical songbirds include prairie and pine warblers, indigo bunting, red-eyed and yellow-throated vireos, Louisiana waterthrush and scarlet tanagers. Along the edges, during migration, look for spotted and solitary sandpipers. Resident species include barred owl, pileated woodpecker, American crow, white-breasted nuthatch, Carolina wren and eastern towhee.

Several species of salamanders, including the red-spotted newt, spring and northern red salamanders can be found beneath logs and rocks along spring-fed creeks. Upland chorus and northern cricket frogs take residence here, as does American toad and spring peeper. In addition to salamanders, several species of bats are known to inhabit these woodlands including eastern pipistrelle, evening bat, and big brown bat. White-tailed deer are abundant, and occasionally, black bear can be found rummaging through the woods. Martin’s Branch is also a good place to look for mink. Dragonflies such as slaty and great spangled skimmers patrol the open water. Dancing butterflies flit about in colorful array; look for eastern tiger, spicebush, eastern black, and pipevine and zebra swallowtails, red-spotted purple, northern pearly-eye, hackberry emperor, monarch and its mimic, the viceroy.

Additional information can be found on the Ivy Creek Foundation website as well as the Albemarle County website.

Directions

Physical Address: 1780 Earlysville Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903

From central Charlottesville, take US 250 W/US 250 Bypass W and turn right onto Hydraulic Rd. After 2.2 miles, turn left (north) onto Earlysville Rd/SR 743 and continue for 0.6 miles until the entrance appears to the left.