Description

Elevation: 1525 ft.

This heavily vegetated pond lies next to the Saint Paul High School and Elementary School complex, making it an ideal venue for education. Its location in the center of a residential neighborhood is also advantageous for members of the local community. The Wetlands Estonoa Learning Center project is a nationally acclaimed student-based wetlands and outdoors education center that has a short loop trail. Several large hardwood species, such as yellow poplar, oaks, and maples surround the lake. These deciduous trees host a number of eastern woodland birds including red-eyed vireo, gray catbird, and downy woodpecker. While the lake fringes of the wetlands are heavily reeded, the center of the lake is covered with floating vegetation that provides numerous resting places for the many large dragonflies found in the area. Eastern pondhawk, slaty skimmer and blue dasher are especially numerous at Wetlands Estonoa. The moister areas also hold rare treasures such as the eastern mud salamander.

Directions

From Sugar Hill, return to the intersection of SR 63 and US 58 ALT. Continue straight through the intersection on SR 63/US 58 BUS for 0.4 miles to Fourth Street. Turn left onto Fourth Street and go one block to Buchanan Street, the last residential street before the Saint Paul Elementary/High School complex. Turn right on Buchanan Street, go one block to Fifth Street; the parking area on the left.