Explore Ferguson Township’s largest park with guided outings, gardening activities

Throughout the week of July 9, Centred Outdoors will host free informative guided hikes and wellness activities at Tom Tudek Memorial Park, located just eight minutes from downtown State College.

In the 1970s, the land where Tudek Park stands was the site of a proposed shopping mall before concerned citizens worked together to prevent its development. In 1990, the Tudek family donated much of the park’s land. Today, Tudek Park’s 91 acres make it Ferguson Township’s largest park, comprising 61 acres of passive parkland and 30 acres of active recreation area.

The park features a community garden, dog park, small horse farm, playground and pavilion, a 1.3-mile walking and running loop and areas for basketball, soccer, Frisbee, baseball/softball and more. Tudek Park is one of Centred Outdoors’ summer event locations that features ADA Accessible pathways.

The park also houses the Snetsinger Butterfly Garden — an ecosystem of 3 acres home to over 40 species of butterflies, hundreds of native plants and other pollinators like native bees and birds.

Guided hikes through Tudek Park, approximately 90 minutes in length and designated an “easy” difficulty rating from Centred Outdoors, are available on Sunday, July 9 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Thursday, July 13 at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

On July 12, Centred Outdoors will also host Wellness Wednesday: Gardening and Therapeutic Landscapes at Tudek Park from 6-7:30 p.m. The event is presented by Master Gardeners and co-sponsored by the Jana Marie Foundation. The event does not include a guided hike, though all are welcome to explore the trails independently.

All Centred Outdoors events are free, and registration is not required.

Those needing or wanting to try hiking and walking gear can request it ahead of time through Centred Outdoors’ Gear Library and pick it up from their Centred Outdoors guide at the trailhead.

This season, ClearWater’s Assistant Adventure Coordinator Olivia Stas said families with kids can also check out a Junior Naturalist backpack to use during a guided hike.

The Junior Naturalist backpacks are available at all Sunday and Thursday guided hikes — including upcoming dates at Tudek Park — and feature kid-friendly tools like digital cameras, magnifying glasses and journals that Stas said kids can use to “discover the outdoor space in whatever way feels best for them.”

Stas, who leads some of Centred Outdoors’ guided hikes, said the backpacks have been popular this season. She said it’s been fun to see what kinds of things kids write in journals and take pictures of. Plus, Stas said Centred Outdoors sends families any photos they take using the cameras.

“It’s been a really great way to get (kids) more engaged on the hike so that families are able and feel comfortable to come out and join us as well,” Stas said.

The Tudek Park outing is just one installment of Centred Outdoors’ guided hikes and wellness activities. More information about trails and other events — including upcoming Wellness Wednesdays featuring nature sketching and drum circles — can be found at www.centredoutdoors.org.

Do you have any questions about hiking/recreation in Centre County that you’d like to see answered? Ask Centred Outdoors’ Strategic Communications Coordinator Andrea Murrell at andrea@clearwaterconservancy.org to have your questions featured in next week’s article.