Metea County Park

The CREEK STOMP that was rescheduled for today has been CANCELLED. The area we usually do observations at is still underwater. Sorry!

This owl carving has been waiting for about 2 years to be found along this season’s trail. It was discovered today along the trail after months of standing guard. It is aged but has character!

We knocked on wood and the wood spirits have assembled . Visitors in search of these original carvings should concentrate on the "Trail of the musquash" and hike towards the direction of the rising sun. The spirits are not hidden and in view from the trail but not obvious. Please keep only 1 per family when found or move to a new location along the trail for others to find. There are 23 spirits guarding the trail and allowing for safe passage of the park's hikers. These carvings are each unique and carved by Tim and Jeff Ormiston. Please post photos of collected spirits and "good luck" to all who seek these wooden treasures!

Notice any giant, striking yellow-and-black spiders in your garden or along the trails lately?

Meet the Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia), also commonly known as the Writing Spider or Black and Yellow Orbweaver! If you’re seeing more of them right now, you’re not alone—late summer and early autumn are their prime season.

Here is why these impressive arachnids deserve a high-five (or high-eight!) instead of a broom:

🦟Master Pest Controllers: In the fall, insect populations spike before the first hard freeze. A single garden spider acts as natural pest control, catching grasshoppers, flies, stink bugs, and mosquitoes that might otherwise plague your yard or garden beds.

🕸Architects of the Garden: Their massive, circular webs can span up to two feet wide. You'll often see a bold, zigzag line of heavy silk running down the center—called a stabilimentum. Scientists think this prominent "writing" helps deter birds from flying straight through their webs or warns larger animals that the space is occupied!

🕷Autumn’s Next Generation: The large, conspicuous females you see right now are at the end of their lifecycle. They spend early fall laying round, brownish egg sacs packed with hundreds of eggs, carefully tucked into tall grasses or garden foliage. While the adults won't survive the winter frost, those eggs will safely overwinter to bring us a fresh batch of pest-busters next spring.

Harmless to humans and pets, these docile builders prefer to sit quietly in the middle of their webs doing heavy lifting for our local ecosystem.

Next time you spot one stretched out in the morning dew, leave her web intact—she’s working hard to keep the garden in balance!

Have you spotted any of these amazing weavers near your house this season? Drop a photo in the comments below! 👇



Spider photo: Karie Harding
Web photo: Adelina Harding

Come to a non-scary Halloween Activity at Metea County Park. We will be hosting a Jack O'Lantern Trail where kids can come and learn about the "misunderstood" creatures of Halloween like bats, spiders, snakes, owls & opossum.

Saturday October 17, 2026
Come by any time between 1-4PM
$5/child

Each station will consist of a craft, activity and a Halloween treat!

Come and TAKE A HIKE with us! This is a guided trail walk designed for nature lovers of all ages and experience levels!

Saturday, October 10, 2026
10AM
3/person

Register by emailing Karie at [email protected] or calling 449-8619.

Here are the upcoming programs in October at Metea County Park! More information will be posted soon! 🍂🍁

Due to the muddy conditions on the creek bank, we will be postponing our Creek Stomp until next Thursday, September 24. Sorry!!!

🌲 Wilderness Survival Class Update! 🌲

Our October Wilderness Survival Class is officially FULL! We are so excited to dive into this adventure with our young naturalists.

📚 Good news—the books have arrived!

If you registered, please check your email for important class details and instructions on how to pick up your child's book.

Note for mail-in payments: If you sent a check by mail and your child did not make the roster, I will be reaching out to you directly.

Thank you all so much for the incredible support and enthusiasm for our park programs. We can't wait to see you on the trails! 🍂