Woodcock Hollow Trail
Use	Hiker
West Trailhead	Bennett Ridge Trail
East Trailhead	Bennett Ridge Trail near campground)
Distance	0.89 mile
Nearest Parking	Campground or maintenance yard parking lots: 0.2-0.5 mile Kingsley parking lot: 1.0 mile
Summary	Eastern end of trail proceeds downward through hillside forest canopy. Western end passes through beautiful mown meadows but non-natives border their edges. There is a large patch of multiflora rose that been sprayed recently near the western trail head.

Narrative Direction: From Bennett Ridge East Trailhead near Campground
Woodcock Hollow has two trail heads that both originate on Bennett Ridge trail. The eastern trailhead is only a couple hundred yards from the campground. From this point and proceeding west on the trail, it is heavily forested with a mixed deciduous/conifer canopy.

After about 100 yards the trail starts to decline and you can begin to see that you are now proceeding down a fairly narrow ridge between two hollows. The trail passes along this ridge for several hundred yards to the west through mostly clean hardwood forest. There are very few NNIs.

You will pass by the eastern trailhead of Antler Ridge Trail and also notice post #11 that is part of an orienteering course.

Shortly after this, the trail begins to decline fairly steeply and soon you will come upon a broad overlook in the trail. This is a good place to stop for a minute and take in the view, particularly during the winter months when the Sopers Branch wetland about 75 feet below is more easily seen.

As the trail makes a sharp turn to the right, notice the patch of creeping cedar that begins to parallel the trail over the next 50 yards.

Over the next couple of hundred yards the trail progresses downward into the narrow Sopers Branch valley as you can see in the photo below. You are now moving from a woodland hillside to a wetland environment.

When you reach the valley floor, you will be walking along a fairly flat surface the next several hundred yards. See the photo below. It can get muddy along this stretch of trail during the spring time and after rainy periods.

You soon come to a small wooden bridge that is a transition to the first of several meadows. The photo below depicts the profusion of golden rod that you can see in these meadows in late summer.

As you continue through this area you can see many sycamores to your left. Also worth admiring are a couple of outstanding specimen pine trees that stand out in the meadow and project as high as 80 to 100 feet in height.

On the Woodcock Hollow meadows sunny borders at the forest line, however, multiflora rose and other non-native bushes are prevalent. The abundance of multiflora rose and non-native invasive vines grows as you head west and up the hill toward Bennett Ridge. Recent spraying by Park staff in this area helped control the problem but did not eliminate it and multi-flora and invasive vine growth in this area will have to continue to be monitored.

Finally, you emerge into a large and particularly scenic meadow which you pass through for about 100 yards before reaching the western trailhead of Woodcock Hollow on Bennett Ridge trail. See photo below.