60 Hikes Within 60 Miles by Tammy York

Author:Tammy York
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780897325110
Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press
Published: 2014-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

At 0.57 mile, you’ll see the trailhead marker for Meadow Trail. The first part of this trail is sandy, allowing a perfect opportunity to look for animal tracks. As you continue, the trail will open into a meadow. A beehive is located at 0.76 mile, behind a hedge of brambles. In the middle of the meadow, 200 feet from the beehive, is a concrete bench beautifully decorated with tiled dragonflies. Here you can sit peacefully and watch hummingbirds and butterflies in the meadow.

Along the edge of the woods is the trail marker sign for the Orange Trail. Follow the one-person-wide footpath of the Orange Trail into the woods. Several trails crisscross in this area. If you find yourself going down a treacherously steep hill, turn around and retrace your steps. You likely took a wrong turn.

Stay on the Orange Trail and continue on it past the junction with the connector to the Ridge Trail. Stay on the Orange Trail to the left and follow it downhill.

At 0.96 mile, steps lead downhill and into an open field. A bridge crosses Lick Run Creek. When you reach the road, turn right and walk back to the nature center.

On the far side of the nature center building, nearest the waterway with the low-flow dam, look for the Twin Oaks/O/Brown Trailhead along the edge of the plantings. This trail meanders uphill and next to the creek. Stay on the O Trail, passing the junctions with the K/Red Trail at 1.1 and again at 1.2 miles.

Listen for downy and pileated woodpeckers. Brown creepers and nuthatches also work along the bark of the trees. Look for these small birds hunting along the crooks and crevices of the tree’s bark.

At the trail junction of the Moon Ridge/M/Yellow and Twin Oaks/O/Brown Trails, remain on the M Trail to the right and pass by enormous red oak trees. (The M Trail to the left heads back to the nature center.) Cross several footbridges.

Stop and rest on the bench at 1.3 miles and look down the trail for the large sycamore tree. Most of this hike is serene, with only birds and a few butterflies for company. But this nature preserve is close to Lunken Airport, so you’ll hear the occasional plane.

When you reach the junction of M Trail and Trillium Valley National Recreation/T/White Trails at 1.4 miles, continue on the T Trail to the right. (The T Trail straight ahead takes you back to the nature center.) In the springtime wildflowers, especially trilliums, Dutchman’s-breeches, and spring beauties, are abundant throughout this area.

When the T Trail splits (you can go either way; the trail rejoins in a few feet), take the path to the right to see the large sycamore tree, which has similar characteristics to those of sign trees. Created by American Indians and seen mainly in the eastern forests of the United States, sign trees have a distinct “Z” or “4” shape and were formed by bending and tying down a pliable sapling. White oaks were frequently, but not always, used.

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