Responsible Recreation
Play it safe and leave no trace.
Parks, trails, and natural areas across the country have had many more visitors recently, including Sycamore’s public nature preserves. It’s great to get outside! Just remember that safety, courtesy, and protecting nature always come first.
Do your part and follow these rules if you venture out for a hike:
If a parking area is full, come back another time.
Sycamore’s preserves can accommodate fewer visitors than many public natural areas, so plan to visit when it’s less busy such as weekdays.
- Plan ahead: Make a back-up plan if the preserve you wanted to visit is closed or full.
- Pack essentials including hand sanitizer, masks, drinking water, and snacks.
Always respect our neighbors.
Don’t park where you shouldn’t or trespass on private property.
- Park only in the designated areas at the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve, The Cedars Preserve and Canyon Forest Nature Preserve, where visitors have been parking and trespassing on our neighbors’ private land including active railroad tracks.
- This includes any part of the road at the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve, which is on a private road owned by the residents.
Leave no trace when you visit.
Carry out your trash, and don’t take or disturb anything.
- Fires, camping, collecting plants/rocks/artifacts, and off-leash dogs are never permitted on Sycamore property.
- When dogs are allowed to run unleashed at nature preserves, they can disturb nests of endangered snakes and turtles and birds, defecate where you won’t be able to see it or pick it up, and threaten wildlife and human visitors who might not have the same comfort level with your dog that you have.
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