Michael Alan Gambill
4/5
Knowing exactly what this facility is will help determine its value to potential visitors. There is a marked two-mile trail here that can be accessed immediately south of the front entrance whether the gate on the road is open or not. A small parking area is across the road from the entrance.
Though the trail can be used anytime the center as a whole functions primarily as a teaching facility and centers around a large pavilion, with a couple of ancillary structures that includes a bathroom, and the surrounding network of trails. More pathway than trail these are broad, flat, and graveled. There are interpretive signs at points of interest and include numerous marked flat stones at the base of some trees identifying various species. The routes are designed to provide a basic introduction to the ecosystem.
The place certainly has its merits but it lacks much of a truly wild character. It is after all bound on three sides by a manmade lake that a half century ago destroyed the natural ecosystem (how soon people forget) of Little Red River that flowed just to the north, hence the name "South Fork." Although comprising a nice stand of woods the site is relatively small and is flanked by a half dozen houses along the lake shore and bears the scars of many years of human exploitation—marked trees, a wide graveled road, a utility easement, and inexplicably, a lot of trash remains strewn about the surrounding woods just off certain portions of the trail.
As a whole the center is probably most suited to school-age kids and older adults. This is NOT a place for a serious and challenging hike. For those that appreciate the higher qualities of a more pristine natural environment this place is lacking. However for those of less physical ability and a casual interest in the outdoors the center can provide a gratifying encounter with nature.
