Arc Exploration Days
Single Day Guided Hikes & Outings
Informal, Explorative Learning in Community
$1o/person to register
2026 Spring Calendar
HNS Barrier Ridge Trail Guided Hike
Saturday Morning, May 16th 2026
at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Immediately south of the scenic lower stretches of the Rocky Fork Gorge, till-draped uplands gracefully ascend 400 feet above the Rocky Fork’s dolomite canyon bluffs. These sinuous slopes crest into a flat summit offering breathtaking seasonal vantages of the rolling till-plain country further north. These upland hilltops are exceptionally rich thanks to a blanket of glacial till left here over a 100,00 years ago by an especially ambitious continental ice sheet that partly penetrated the resistant Allegheny Plateau escarpment in the region. Later in spring, the hilltop hosts prolific floral displays of Great Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum, a biennial denizen found in rich woods across the upper Midwest. Arc Volunteer Naturalist, Amy Darmyple will be leading this 2.5 mile climb to the ridge, starting at the Appalachian Forest Museum parking lot at 10:00 am.
Sandy Springs Dunes Guided Hike
Saturday Afternoon, June 6th 2026
at the Sandy Springs Dunes Preserve
A truly fascinating habitat under Arc protection can be found in Sandy Springs along an ancient point bar deposit within the Ohio River Valley, where past climate shifts influenced the development of wind-blown sand dunes and drought-tolerant, sand-loving ecosystems. Just west of the Sandy Springs Cemetery along US Route 52, the Sandy Springs Dunes Preserve, own and managed by the Arc, continues to harbor much of this rare locality’s unique specialized diversity. This afternoon hike led by local expert naturalist John Howard, starting at 1:00 pm, will go through a population of Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia humifusa, during its seasonal flowering peak! A single bloom, once open, will only persist for the remainder of the day so it’s a real treat to see these gorgeous blooms in their quick flash of glory. Pollinators waste no time visiting them, so this is a great time to witness some diverse pollinator action as well!
Quiverheart Evening Guided Hike
& Firefly Outing
Friday Evening, June 19th 2026
at the Quiverheart Gorge
More information coming soon…
PHOTO BY BRIAN PROSE
Fort Hill Mothing Night Outing
Friday Night, July 3rd, 2026
at the Fort Hill Earthworks
More information coming soon…
PHOTO BY TIM POHLAR
Arc Drone Photography Feature Talk
with Brian Prose
Saturday, July 25th, 2026
at the Appalachian Forest Museum
More information coming soon…
PHOTO BY BRIAN PROSE
Glacial Erratic Tour
of the Highland Nature Sanctuary
Saturday, August 1st, 2026
at the Highland Nature Sanctuary
More information coming soon…
PHOTO BY tim pohlar