Sunday, January 2, 2011

At Old Alvira, today Game Lands 252

January 2, 2011

We live fairly close to the game lands near Elimsport, where the bunkers remain from World War II.  This is a somewhat regular hike for us.  We spend so much time here that I sometimes forget that not everyone knows where all the trails are.    There are several lakes and ponds here, lots of bird houses and bird habitats..  in addition to a shooting range, trails for hiking, and several geocaches.

The first question most ask is where to see the bunkers.
Everywhere.  You can see the bunkers everywhere.  Each S on the above map is a bunker.
If you enter the game lands on Alvira Road, off Elimsport road, you can park right at one of the bunkers.  

 Read the history and see photos of the bunkers being built, here:

==================================

 

For the past couple of years, the game commission has been gating the road, so it's a longer walk back to the cemeteries, but the gate is open in hunting season.

  The bunkers are the "item of interest" here.  During World War II, this was a TNT depo.

Some of the bunkers are empty

Some are full of trash.

There's SO much more to see here than the bunkers. Beautiful trails, with ponds, fields of flowers, and lots of wildlife.

And there are plenty of ruins too.  

One of many wide trails.


This pond is right along Alvira Road, just after you enter the Game Lands.  It's just one of many here  - but I often see egrets here.

Wildflowers

============================
This post was originally from 2011.  I've hiked this area countless more times since then, and written about much, much, more of the history in and around this area.   The Bunkers, The Cemeteries, the Stone Church...  and so much more.   Find an index here:

Stories, History, Photos, and more
From The Former Town Of Alvira, The Ordinance, The Bunkers, & Surrounding Lands










2 comments:

  1. This is fascinating (though quite sad, at the same time). Thank you for sharing. I grew up in Union County and look forward to reading more of your blog. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! How interesting. What a trip to see that stuff.

    ReplyDelete

I'll read the comments and approve them to post as soon as I can! Thanks for stopping by!