What's Your Favorite "Hidden Gem" in Nature?

I love finding cool, lesser-known spots in nature that are just as amazing as the well known ones but way less crowded. One of my favourite hidden gems is a little creek hidden in the forest. It’s not on any maps, but it’s perfect for wildlife watching.

What about you? Do you have a secret trail, or quiet grove that you think is awesome?

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I knew several “off trail” sites where the does had breakfast within a city park, found while harvesting berries.

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There was this series of mud puddles I used to visit, really just flooded farm fields with a real proper marsh back in there somewhere you could not get to. It was so great for birds that I added it as an eBird hotspot and multiple people said “hey! that was my secret spot!” :rofl:

(It’s now the top hotspot in the county.)

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There is that elevated wonderful spot on my land where you have the view of the lake and the pond at the same time, great spot for firefly spectacle at night and great variety of bugs and wildlife during the day.

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One of my fave bays which isnt easy to get to (And if you know where it is…shh)…

But I like seeing what I call “Thumbs up dude rock” because you see it, and its like. Yeah thanks rock guy, I appreciate it.

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There’s this one meadow in my city, in the middle of the forest and away from roads, about a half an hour walk from the closest parking lot or bus stop. And it’s full of rare orchids and wildflowers.

I’m dieing to find out who it belongs to, but I live in a country where land ownership is not public information. For now I’m just walking to it whenever I can and enjoy the solitude and nature.

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There is a small field in a forest I regularly visit that just has (almost) everything. It has a huge dead tree still standing, it has exposed clay/sand areas which fades to a patch of grass with lots of wild flowers. And it has a few puddles after it rains.

Perfect for observing insects, but also for just sitting there and reading or listening to music. :)

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So, pretty much like every angler’s “secret spot.”

There’s this secret little beach on the Missouri River near me that only some people know about, and it’s a great spot for mussels and riverfront plants. There’s also an abandoned train tunnel next to it that’s great for bats and pigeons (the life in the tunnel depends on the time of year you go into it).

But I think me best spot has got to be my backyard woods. It’s not like all the other woodland habitats in the area, it’s home to many species that aren’t commonly observed in the area. It has a creek running through it that has sewage and oil running off into it, yet it’s teeming with life. A couple weeks ago a bunch of Shortnose Gar came to spawn in the creek. It does have some downsides though, such as illegal hunting of Wood Ducks and other wildlife despite the plethora of “No Trespassing” signs.

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