Scheier Natural Area

Description

The Scheier Natural Area consists of one hundred acres of mixed upland woodland, pine re-growth and open fields threaded with over three miles of trails. Along the natural area’s southern end, a series of manmade ponds provide excellent habitat for loafing wood duck and can host over a dozen at times. This area also holds eastern painted turtles, abundant frogs, and can swarm with dragonflies in spring and summer.

A walk through the woods should reveal plenty of blue jays and American crows, whose raucous cries are hard to miss. Equally as numerous are the small flocks of Carolina chickadees and tufted titmice that chatter in the treetops, at times, attracting migrant wood-warblers such as, black-throated green, pine and American redstart. The tiny downy woodpecker can regularly be heard working its ways along the thinner limbs in the canopy, while eastern phoebe can be found perched quietly along the forest edge.

Take a walk in these beautiful woods, but walk softly and quietly so that the small beauties of the forest, from the sporadically blooming pink lady’s-slipper orchids, to the thin rustlings of an eastern fence lizard, can be appreciated.

Directions

Physical Address: 917 Long Acre Rd, Palmyra, VA 22963

From I-64 in Charlottesville, take Exit 121 and follow Rte 20 south toward Scottsville. Turn left onto Route 53/ Thomas Jefferson Parkway (you will pass Monticello and Michie Tavern). Go 5.3 miles and turn right onto James Monroe Parkway/ 795 toward Ashlawn-Highland and go 2.6 miles and turn left onto Rolling Road/ 620. Stay on Rolling Road for 11 miles (be careful of a jog at the intersection of 620 and 708) and turn left onto Long Acre Rd/ 639. Scheier will be on your left.