Top 10 Preserves Close to Urban Areas

Map of Preserves

Click to find preserves near urban areas.

Nature is closer than you think. Even if you live in the biggest cities in the United States, there are oases of the natural world within a short drive. Here's a guide to ten of the best Nature Conservancy preserves that are close to urban areas. All are open to visitors. Get out and explore one of them this weekend!

1. Potomac Gorge, Maryland
Less than an hour from downtown Washington, you can find two miles of strenuous hiking on the aptly-named Billy Goat Trail. The trail is part of the Potomac Gorge—a 15-mile section of the Potomac River from above Great Falls south to Theodore Roosevelt Island that is one of the most significant natural areas in the entire National Park System.

Disney Wilderness Preserve
© Harold Malde

2. The Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida
Orlando residents can experience a bit of "old Florida" right in their backyards. The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve is a remarkable place for nature lovers of all ages and interests. The preserve is home to hundreds of wildlife species and is bordered by one of the last remaining undeveloped lakes in central Florida. Visitors can enjoy a guided swamp buggy ride through the pine flatwoods and wetlands of the preserve.

3. Indian Boundary Prairies, Illinois
Just south of Chicago you can find Indian Boundary Prairies, a cluster of four prairies that comprise the largest remaining example of high-quality grassland in Illinois and one of the best in the Midwest. The prairies are open to the public for hiking, bird watching, and other activities that do not harm the natural landscape. They are in bloom from April through October, with the peak seasons usually occurring in May, early July, and August.

4. Texas City Preserve, Texas
Birders should note this property that provides a home for wintering and migrating grassland songbirds. The preserve, 40 miles south of Houston, contains excellent wetlands that support migratory and year-round populations of waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, including nesting colonies of least terns and black skimmers. Birds sighted here include the Attwater's prairie chicken, brown pelican, white-faced ibis, black rail, American peregrine falcon, white-tailed hawk, reddish egrets, Forster's terns and American oystercatchers.

Central Park, New York City
© Kim Chaix

5. New York, New York
Nature in New York? Forget about it! New York has skyscrapers and Donald Trump but it also has an incredible diversity of natural landscapes including parklands, forest, and salt marsh habitats. To explore these natural wonders in the midst of the unnatural, the New York Chapter of The Nature Conservancy offers birdwalks in Central Park.

6. Santa Fe Canyon, New Mexico
Two miles from the historic Plaza of Sante Fe is another tourist spot that draws people from all over the world. It's Santa Fe Canyon. This 190-acres of open space offers a thriving forest of cottonwood and willow trees, a pond, the ruins of an historic Victorian-era dam, hiking trails, more than 140 species of birds and the original route of the Santa Fe River.

7. The Camassia Natural Area, Oregon
This was the very first property protected by the Conservancy in Oregon. Located close to Portland, it's a truly urban preserve. Camassia is named for common camas, historically a highly-valued food source of Pacific Northwest Native Americans, which blooms profusely in April and early May. During spring and summer, volunteers lead guided hikes and teach visitors about the ecology of the preserve.

8. The Sandy River Gorge Preserve, Oregon
At Sandy River Gorge, six miles of untamed river with upland terraces and canyons provide excellent habitat for native fish, wildlife and an old-growth forest, all within 20 miles of Oregon's largest urban area. Within the gorge lies the best remaining low elevation old growth Douglas-fir forest in Oregon, including trees over 500 years old.

9. Irvine Ranch Land Reserve, California
For 136 years, the Irvine Ranch and its rugged, scenic canyons were off limits to all but cattle, cowboys, and descendants of its namesake—rancher James Irvine. In 1992, much of this private Orange County wilderness went public, offering its urban neighbors the opportunity to explore coastal sage scrub and oak woodland habitats that have nearly disappeared from southern California.

10. Edge of Appalachia Preserve, Ohio
The Edge Preserve is one of the most biologically diverse collections of natural systems in the midwestern U.S. It is a nationally recognized preserve complex encompassing 13,000 acres of rugged woodland, prairie openings, waterfalls, giant promontories and clear streams. Located in southern Ohio, opportunities abound in this sprawling preserve for birders, hikers and even budding young scientists—a science camp is held in the preserve every summer.