Hercules Tower Trailhead

Hercules Glades ? a combination of open grassland, forested knobs, steep rocky hillsides, and narrow drainages ? offers unusual beauty and a measure of solitude within easy reach of wilderness lovers. The area is characterized by shallow, droughty soils and limestone rock outcroppings and glades. The term glades refer to the bald top hills found in the wilderness. The result is a prairie ecosystem that looks more like what you would find hundreds of miles to the west? Dry land grasses spotted with cedar trees. In addition, the prairies have changed the makeup of the local forest. Rather than the typical oak and hickory assemblage, cedars are pervasive. Although oaks are ever present in the forest, cedars are sometimes the dominant species.