The Fern Meadow Trail

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One of the most spectacular of these unmarked trails is the Fern Meadow trail which ascends a rolling meadow just south of Bear Creek. Strikingly similar to the City's prized Chautauqua Hill, this trail follows an old road from Stony Hill Drive until it intersects the North Shanahan Ridge trail just east of the Mesa trail.

This panorama of Fern Meadow was taken a few hundred feet from the trailhead on Stony Hill Drive at Fern Creek.

This view clearly shows the road that the trail follows.

The panorama looking back toward the city from the upper meadow.

DTHA's Private Trailhead

For years access to this trail was blocked by a gate and sign indicating that this Open Space trailhead was the private property of the Devil's Thumb Homeowners Association. This sign was removed while the Open Space Board of Trustees and the City Council considered the just negotiated access agreement.  Now that the agreement has been approved by Council the sign has been replaced!

DTHA closure sign.

Public Access

The general public is almost completely unaware of the fact that this trail exists or how to access it. Should they want to visit the area the only realistic public approach starts at the end of Cragmoor Drive and involves a lengthy and unappealing walk along the homeowners association's backyard fences.  Not surprisingly almost nobody does this and the homeowners association gets virtually exclusive use of their own Chautauqua Hill.

Views from the inferior public access trail.

Greenbelt Poster

This is all a bit ironic given the area's resemblance to the greenbelt poster. People supported the Greenbelt program in the belief that the general public and not a select few would get to enjoy these priceless lands.

This recent picture, which was taken in upper Fern Meadow, is strikingly similar to the greenbelt poster meadow.

The DTHA Agreement

Under the terms of the just approved Devil's Thumb Homeowners Association (DTHA) agreement, the city would forever relinquish all claims to the Stony Drive/Fern Meadow  trailhead.  DTHA would retain full legal right to maintain their private access point.

During the approval process the private property sign was removed and the DTHA agreed to consider removing the sign and gate permanently. Now that the agreement has been approved they have replaced the sign.   DTHA now has near exclusive access to its own Chautauqua Hill. This is a truly exceptional trail which should not be closed to the general public to protect the privacy of neighbors.  Neighbors of the City's other parks recognize the accommodating public presence is a responsibility of those living adjacent to public lands.

Next group of slides describe other DTHA access issues.