A New Braille Trail Opens at Dodsworth Run Preserve

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When it came time to choose her Girl Scout Silver Award project, Bryn Hamilton knew she wanted to create something that would serve the community long after the project was complete. After learning about Braille trails in other parts of the world, she realized she had never seen one close to home.

"I think that nature is for anyone and everyone, and we all deserve a chance to be in nature and learn about the environment," Bryn said. "I had heard about Braille Trails before but had never seen one, let alone one in our area. I thought making one for my Silver Award project would be a good resource for everyone in the community."

That idea became the new Braille Trail at Dodsworth Run Preserve.

Working alongside Wissahickon Trails, Bryn researched the preserve's habitats and wildlife, wrote the interpretive content for four Braille signs, and, with help from her family, installed a rope guide that allows visitors to navigate the trail independently.

Along the trail, visitors can learn about habitat succession, bat boxes, chimney swifts, and the wildlife that depends on these changing habitats, offering a deeper understanding of the preserve as they make their way along the route.

To celebrate the project's completion, Wissahickon Trails welcomed members of the Montgomery County Association for the Blind to explore the trail and share their feedback. Their visit marked the beginning of what Bryn had hoped the project would become: a place where more people can experience nature in a way that works for them.

The Braille Trail also reflects a broader effort to make outdoor spaces more welcoming and accessible. Over the past several years, Wissahickon Trails has worked with accessibility partners, volunteers, and community members to make its preserves more welcoming for visitors of all abilities.

Today, visitors to Dodsworth Run Preserve will find a path that can be explored through touch and sound. What began as one person’s idea is now a lasting addition to the preserve, one that will help more people connect with nature for years to come.