Winter Micro Adventures at Merck Forest

Color Walk | Snowshoe Destinations | Winter Wonders | Sound Safari

Looking for some ways to have a solo or family-friendly micro-adventure at Merck Forest this season? Here are a few ideas to get you started.  Suit up for the weather, choose an activity below, then stop by the Visitor Center to sample our famous maple syrup by the toasty masonry stove! See all of Merck Forest's winter activities here.

Color Walk

Winter looks muted at first glance—grays, browns, whites. But look closer, and the landscape hums with hidden color: coppery bark, soft purples in shadow, unexpected flecks of burgundy or maroon. And there's nothing more blue than a winter sky.

Pick a color and hunt for it. Count how many layers of a single hue you can find, or bring along a color wheel or journal to capture what you notice.

If you have a smartphone, take a photo, and drop its saturation all the way down, then slowly bring it back up. Look back up again at the real scene - do you notice anything now that you didn't before?

Snowshoe or hike

Do you want to choose a more blood-pumping micro-adventure? Put on your snowshoes or boots and head out on a walk. Here are a few destinations that are under a mile and a half round trip from the parking lot. Stop in at the Visit-or Center for a map or directions. 

• Page Pond

• Lower Farm trail (new!) to Farm

• Discovery Trail to Farm

• Blueberry Hill

• Chestnut Plantation

• Viewpoint Cabin

Winter Wonders

Take your curiosity for a good stretch as you wonder and ask questions during this micro-adventure. Before you head out on your walk, set a gentle timer to go off every 10 minutes. Every time it does, stop and ask yourself the following two questions: “What is something that is hidden from sight here?” and “What is something that I can see right now that isn’t always visible?” 

Sound Safari

Winter’s quiet offers soft, surprising sounds from the forest. Our last micro-adventure is a Sound Safari. (This is a great family-friendly winter adventure!) Pick a trail you can walk easily, and move through it mostly in silence. Every few minutes, stop, close your eyes, and name:

• One sound far away

• One sound nearby

• One sound you’re making

Then stay still for a moment longer than you think you need to. Winter has its own soundtrack: the creak of trees in the cold, the rustle of wind through beech leaves that never dropped, the soft hiss of snow crystals settling, the wingbeat of a chickadee darting overhead.

When you get back to the Visitor Center, see how many winter noises you can remember.

All of these winter adventures are family-friendly and work just as well for solo visits or groups of friends. Merck Forest has adventures suitable for everyone! Be sure to share your winter adventure photos with us! Tag us @merckforest with #MerckForestWinter