Environmental Trail

The Middlesex Elementary Environmental Trail is a valued resource that is unique in the Cumberland Valley School District. The trail was constructed by the community, and it has continued to be maintained by the community surrounding Middlesex Elementary. We rely on the community to ensure that it is used respectfully so that it will remain a valuable resource for all!

This trail was designed for educational, and recreational use, and is closed during the school day (8:00-4:00). Camping, cooking, fires of any kind, tobacco use of any kind, or night time use are not permitted. The trail is on school property, and as such all school rules and laws apply.

We are excited that you have visited our page, and hope that you will make it out to see the trail soon.

Before you head into the woods, make sure that you read through our Leave No Trace section for tips on how to ensure our trail will remain a powerful educational and recreational tool for many years to come!

About the trail

Welcome the Middlesex Elementary Environmental Trail!

Established in 2000-2001, the trail has been a work in progress from the beginning and has been managed by several different educational leaders with an inspirational vision.  That vision and mission has stayed consistent through the last 20 years: to build the capacity of the educators at Middlesex Elementary and the surrounding area to engage students in environmental studies, as well as to build a community resource that all members of our area can access to learn more about the valuable ecosystems that make up our area.

The length of the trail spans about 600 yards in total from the pavilion on-site, through the woods behind the school, past the outdoor classrooms, over several stream beds and bridges, and wraps its travelers back around behind the school to the fields. From there, one would use the gates to traverse the cement bridge and go between two sites currently being redeveloped for environmental education spaces. This leisurely walk takes about 15-20 minutes and is in the category of "easy" as a family-friendly public day-use hike.​

In 2006-2007, the local Boy Scouts of America troop worked to revitalize the trail with an Eagle Scout project involving the installation of the current bridge system as well as lining the trail with mulch.

In 2014-2015, two former Middlesex teachers enlisted the help of over 3 dozen community volunteers, including the Boy Scouts of America, students, parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends to line the trail with over 50 tons of stone and 15 cubic yards of mulch for the 900 sq. ft. outdoor classroom space. The donation of all stone and mulch by the Middlesex Township made this event possible. It was a spectacular event to witness!

In the summer of 2015, the Middlesex PTO supported the project by purchasing 3 8-foot composite picnic tables and a resource bin for lesson materials to put in the outdoor classroom. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy also became a collaborative partner with the trail as Middlesex Environmental Trail became a site listed in the database for AT Seasons, a phenology monitoring website allowing data collection along the entire corridor of the Appalachian Trail for environmental analysis of trends and future decision making.

In addition to these partners, the trail also enjoys support for the Eagle Foundation.  Through the foundation's generosity numerous instructional tools and resources have been purchased to support the learning experience on the Environmental Trail.  The Eagle Foundation is a non-profit affiliated with the District which accepts donations for specific projects meeting the Foundation's mission of supporting educational activities.

nature trail

nature trail

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is a national "center for outdoor ethics" that operates under the mission "to protect the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to use it responsibly." Many of their key teachings may seem to be common knowledge, but they are also the most common ways that trails are mistreated. Many of the Leave No Trace principles can greatly support our trail, however we do not need to be concerned with some of them for the following rules:

  • Campfires are not permitted on the trail at any time.

  • Camping is not permitted on the trail at any time.

  • Cooking or disposing of food or waste is not permitted on the trail at any time.

big foot