Hiking with Hailey: Kreher Preserve and Nature Center

AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) - It’s summer vacation, and if you’re looking for something to do with your kids while they’re on break, the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center in Auburn is the perfect place for you!

Named after former Auburn professor Louise Kreher Turner, who donated the property to the School of Forestry and Wildlife Services in 1993, Kreher Preserve stretches 120 acres. It is filled with lush gardens and lots of wildlife. Betsy Sutton is a volunteer at the park and loves welcoming visitors.

“Oh, the park is wonderful,” Sutton said. “That’s why I first started coming here was to hike. There are about six miles of trails, and we have them broken down into one-, three- and five-mile trails if people want to do that. The park was originally a cotton farm, and then one of the owners who bought it let it go back to the woods, and the Krehers donated it to the university once they couldn’t manage it anymore.”

In addition to the hiking trails, the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center has something for everyone. You can meet some new friends at the main pavilion, like Pfizer, the three-month-old gator, or head to the hidden falls and enjoy and scenic and secret view.

Additionally, the park is the perfect place for children to get out and tune with mother nature.

“We have camps going on all the time, especially in the summer for different ages,” said Sutton. “We just finished a camp yesterday, a two-week camp for the children. We’re having another one coming up where they’re field trips. Fabulous field trips, and anybody is able to go. Sometimes it’s members-only, but it’s easy to sign up and be a member.”

But don’t worry – there’s plenty of adult activities to get involved with as well, such as gardening with Cindy and even an art program.

And whether it’s meandering through the wilderness or learning something new during summer camp, the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center is for everyone.

“It brings you peace. It soothes your soul – for me, it does anyway,” said Sutton with a laugh. “The kids learn so much about nature, about the animals, and in today’s life, everyone’s rushing around in cities with pavement, so to get somewhere like this and see another side of life is just, I think, wonderful.”

The Kreher Preserve and Nature Center is open every day from sunrise to sunset. For more information on summer camps and other park activities, visit their website.

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