Twin Creek Valley & Henderson Park

Twin Creek Valley (624 Acres) is a mesic oak forest peppered with limestone glades, rock outcrops, scenic cove waterfalls, and numerous caves. This valley is a beautiful habitat for special cave animals, gorgeous spring wildflowers and for anyone who loves nature. Henderson Park is just a portion of Twin Creek Valley but is the only area developed for visitation.

Henderson Park (400 acres) is owned by the City of Salem and is managed by The Nature Conservancy through a conservation easement designed to protect the forest, glades and caves at the site. Henderson Park is open to visitors for hiking and nature study. The park has a road system, albeit rough, that provides a peek at karst features alongside limestone glades. Particularly spectacular in mid to late summer, the glades are resplendent with flowers while the cave springs promise a cool comfort to tired feet after a hike. The best place to see Twin Creek Valley is from the old road system that weaves through Henderson Park. These roads are closed to vehicular traffic, but are open for hiking and make for a nice loop hike.

NOTE: The caves at Henderson Park are closed due to White-Nose Syndrome. Henderson Park is owned by the city of Salem, which requires all visitors to the park first check in with the police station. The Salem Police Station is located at Salem City Hall on the southeast corner of the downtown square. If the main door is closed, go to the back of the building to the door used by the police—it should be open.

For more information on Twin Creek Valley please visit The Nature Conservancy