New pavilion, nature playscape and more on the table for preserve
Story by Molly Gilbert
Photos from Big Canoe Creek Preserve
Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve has come a long way, and there’s more on the horizon. Another 72.5 acres adjoining the Preserve has been nominated for Forever Wild Land Trust consideration, which could eventually bring the protected area to nearly 500 acres. That process is still in its early stages.
New construction projects are taking shape that will give visitors even more ways to explore, learn and enjoy this special area of Springville.
“We have three major projects going on – everything is in the development stage,” says Doug Morrison, manager of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve.
Plans for the open-air pavilion are expected to go out for bid soon, with completion projected for May 2027. The Preserve has received septic tank approval, and Forever Wild Land Trust has already funded a waterline, both important steps toward future restroom facilities.
Once complete, the pavilion will give the Preserve a place to gather, adding another dimension to a property that has become increasingly popular for outdoor recreation and education.
The nature playscape is also working its way toward the construction phase. Most of the funding is in place, and the design is being adjusted to fit the available funds and take a phased approach. Morrison hopes work can begin in 2027.
For families, the playscape will offer another way for children to experience the outdoors through play, exploration and discovery – the kind of experience that can turn a visit to the Preserve into a lasting memory.
Then there is the Big Canoe Creek Nature Center, which will bring the Preserve’s educational mission into the heart of Springville.
The Nature Center will be located in the historic Rock School (built in 1921) rather than on the Preserve itself. Thanks to community support, the Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners are renting the building from the Springville Preservation Society, and grants have helped move the project into the design phase. A designer is currently working on the interior, while construction documents move through the approval process. Physical work inside the building has not yet begun.
Doug sees the project as a natural fit for the community: a historic building being preserved while creating a new place to learn about the natural world around it.
“It is a really special place,” he says.
A COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH IT
The projects may still be in development, but people are already investing their time and energy in the Preserve.
This past spring, about 150 people came out for the Biggie Stomp 5K, an event that brought runners onto the trails with the added fun challenge of spotting Big Foot in the woods.
Scout troops have donated several projects. One group installed a picnic table, hitching post and horse step along the Easy Rider Trail.
“It’s good to see the broader community buy into the vision with their contributions,” Doug says.
Springville Library has become another important partner. Librarian Jamie Twente secured a grant for science-based kits that can be used with homeschoolers, opening opportunities for children to explore subjects such as fireflies, butterflies and other local wildlife.
The library also helped secure funding for interpretive signage along the 0.6-mile paved trail. A storyboard walk is planned with interchangeable 18-by-24-inch story panels that can bring nature-themed stories to the trail.
These additions may seem small compared with the larger construction projects, but together they reveal something important about the Preserve’s future.
It is a place where people can come to do something – walk, run, play, learn, gather – or simply slow down and notice what is around them.
And there is still plenty to discover right now.
The Preserve is open Wednesday-Sunday, with regular visitors continuing to return to the trails and new visitors finding their way there.
The next chapter is already underway. For those who have watched Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve develop over the years, these projects offer something new to look forward to. For those who have never visited, there may be no better time to start exploring.
