Pennywort Cliffs

Why You Should Visit
Young walnut plantations, 100-year-old tulip stands, flowing springs and a 30-foot waterfall is bound to make Pennywort Cliffs an awe-inspiring experience.

Location
Jefferson County

Ecoregion
Interior Low Plateau

Size
216 Acres

Owned & Managed By
The Nature Conservancy

How to Prepare for Your Visit
The easy to moderate terrain and existing trails at the preserve will make for a pleasant hike around the preserves. Just make sure to bring insect repellent for mosquitoes, ticks and flies. Please read the Conservancy's Preserve Visitation Guidelines for more information.

Directions
From Madison, travel north on S.R. 7 to S.R. 250. Turn west on S.R. 250 and continue traveling for 3.4 miles through Lancaster to C.R. 800 W. Turn south on C.R. 800 W and travel 1.4 miles to the preserve and park alongside the road at the beginning of the trailhead.

What to See: Plants and Animals
Throughout the year, wildflowers - like wood anemone, Mayapple, Jack-in-the-pulpit and Virgina Bluebells - can be found on the forest floor. Visitors in July and August might get a glimpse of the American water pennywort, the wildflower for which the preserve was named. Look for it at the base of the limestone cliffs overlooking Big Creek (on the east boundary of the site). A variety of tree species including ash and oak creates a gorgeous canopy for squirrels to climb, birds to nest and deer to run under. In Autumn, the forest is painted by the yellow of the tulip, orange sassafras and red gum leaves. As the generous previous owner, Mary Clashman said, Pennywort Cliifs is truly a natural cathedral.

What The Nature Conservancy is Doing/has Done
The Conservancy is looking to protect forests along the stream corridor and other sites nearby. Other conservation concerns include the Midwest moist limestone and Dolostone cliff community as well as the American water pennywort.