Peace Valley Nature Center

Peace Valley offers 14 miles of nature trails in the woods and meadows at the eastern end of Lake Galena. The walking options vary from groomed foot paths near the Nature Center Solar Building to remote hiking trails in the mature woods. The foot paths are generally mowed or graveled and provided with bridges or stone steps at creek crossings. The Hike and Bike Path is a blacktop trail continuing around the lake on Creek Road and New Galena Road. These trails thread through areas rich with life.

More than 250 species of birds have been sighted here. The bird blind near the Solar Building is frequented by cardinals, woodpeckers, finches, titmice, sparrows, and many other colorful species. The deer tracks, groundhog holes, muskrat dens, and squirrel nests indicate the great variety of life. The under story plants of dogwoods, spicebush, cedar and viburnums yield to maples, oaks, ashes and tulip trees in the mature woods. The meadows have a large variety of wildflowers in bloom through the three seasons. Spring beauties, trout lilies, loosestrife, asters and sunflower are a few of the many wildflowers common to the Nature Center.