Trip S-1   region 1    Agility A Aerobics A
Sunday Early Morning Bird Hike  
This hike can be chosen
without extra charge
Appalachian Forest Museum at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Bring your binoculars!


Driving Distance from Region 1: None.
Meet at 6:30 am promptly at Taloden Woods. If we have a lot of participants, we may shuttle groups to other nearby locations. Hike will end at 7:30 am in time for a hearty breakfast at the Museum (please pre-register for meals).

Difficulty : We will be hiking very slowly along roads, flat trails, and woodland edges.

Description: Ahh, Spring! 'Tis the season to rejoice in the lofty qualities of flowers and wings! Get up early and let's see what we can find. We can count on the year-around natives. Robins will be sweeping through, filling the morning light with their heady choruses.  We will also listen for the early migrants -- the Phoebes and Louisiana Waterthrushes -- singing in the gorge, try to catch a glimpse of the first Parula warblers, and maybe we will even hear the trill of a winter wren before it heads back north.  Photos by John Howard.

Trip #1   region 5  Agility C Aerobics C
Ohio River Bluffs, The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
For pure show and wildflower density, no other field trip can excel the Bluffs!

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: one hour and fifteen minutes. About 1.5 hours  from Cincinnati. We guarantee you this is well worth the drive!!
Time: Arrive at 9:45 am. Hike will leave parking area promptly at 10:00 am. Hike ends in the early afternoon.
Meet at the Ohio River Bluffs.
Bring your lunch, water, and a plastic bag to sit upon so that you can enjoy a picnic lunch at the top of the bluffs.
Length:  1.5 miles of hiking.
Difficulty: We will hike the trail to the top of the ridge, which requires leads uphill for approximately 1/3 mile at a moderate ascent, and then follows a loop along the relatively flat ridge top. The trail is narrow and cut into a steep hillside, with one or two ten foot sections that are very steep and a bit slippery, However, we will not be hiking at a fast pace because the spectacular flowers will slow us down.

Trip Description: Ohio River Bluffs is and outstanding wildflower display. This event is timed to catch the peak of dwarf larkspurs and the beginning of the wild hyacinths --both showy plants that carpet the hillside. In fact, the entire steep hillside is wall to wall flowers. At the base of the hill, although usually a bit past, are over ten acres of nearly solid bluebells. The trail on the top of the ridge reveals wildflowers that have been slowed down due to cooler temperatures, and the ridge top can be counted upon to catch the dwarf larkspur in bloom even if they are past bloom at lower elevations. The upper bluffs also boast drifts of twinleaf plants, which bloom in late March and early April, but whose foliage remains mysteriously attractive. The ridge also gives outstanding views of the Ohio River Valley and the hills of Kentucky. After the hike, hikers may opt to hike nearby Whipple State Nature Preserve on their own, which also has beautiful wildflower displays.  There are few wildflower displays in the East equal to the Ohio River Bluffs.

Note: Each late April and early May, the Arc sponsors an important garlic mustard plucking event at the Ohio River Bluffs. Click here to volunteer.

Trip #2  region 8 
Agility C Aerobics C
 
Spruce Hill
2000 year old Earthworks & 238-acre Natural Area
The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System & Ross County Park District

Witness a dense showy flower displays while walking in the footsteps of an ancient Native American Culture.

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: Twenty minutes. Located halfway between HNS and Chillicothe.
Time: Meet at 9:30 am. Tour begins promptly at 9:45 am. Ends in early afternoon.
Meet at Spruce Hill.
Bring your lunch, water, and a plastic bag to sit upon so that you can enjoy a picnic lunch at the top of the bluffs.
Length: 2.5-3.0 miles
Difficulty: The hike will mostly follow a long, gradual but steady ascent from the bottom of the hill to the top along an old farm lane, and then a return on same, with side spurs taken to botanical points of interest on narrow unimproved trails. There are no steep scrambles.
Trip Description: It was during the 2007 Wildflower Pilgrimage that the Arc made his first public plea to save Spruce Hill from development and collected the first dollars for the cause. Two months later, just 48 hours before the auction, the ARC contributed $300,000 to pull Spruce Hill off the auction block and get it into contract. In 2008 the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System and Ross County Park District was awarded a Clean Ohio grant, funding the final purchase of the property. Spruce Hill's steep wooded hillsides boast a very rich wildflower displays. In the spring the place is dense with flowers -- with three species of trilliums, large colonies of leeks and mayapples, anemones, mats of squirrel corn and Dutchman's breeches, wood poppies, and Solomon seals--just to name a few -- in all stages of blooming. And yes, you will get a chance to see the remains of the stone wall that once circumscribed the sacred space of the flat hilltop.
For more information on Spruce Hill, click here.

Trip #3  region 6    Agility A Aerobics A 

The Little Smokies of Ohio
Auto Tour & Short Walks to Botanical Hotspots in
Shawnee State Forest & Shawnee State Park

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 1 hour and twenty minutes due south of the Sanctuary. About a two hour drive from both Columbus and Cincinnati. You might consider taking a room the night before at the beautiful Shawnee State Park Lodge.
Time:  Meet at 9:45 am. Tour begins promptly at 10:00 am. Ends in mid afternoon.
Meet at Shawnee State Park Lodge.
Length: less than one mile total.
Difficulty: EASY. RELAXING and DIVERSE. Shawnee State Park provides a 7-passenger vans so that once you begin the tour, you can leave your car behind, sit back, and enjoy the flowers. Participants will drive along forestry roads, stopping frequently to view roadside flowers. Hiking will be short treks only.  This is one of the best wildflower viewing options for maximum diversity.

Event Description:  Shawnee State Forest and the State Park it encircles is one of Ohio's greatest treasures. A magnificent 63,000 acres in size, Shawnee is not only the largest and least fragmented of Ohio's state forests, it has the steepest hills and the richest flora. Because of its southern-most position in Ohio and its proximity to the Ohio River, Shawnee is a botanical paradise, boasting many species found no where else in the state. Car travel to hotspots will ensure that this tour will rank among the highest of the field trips in obtaining a large number of blooming species. Some species to look forward to include Bird's-Foot Violet, Vernal Iris, and Spotted Mandarin. Because Shawnee has sandstone and shale bedrock, it doesn't have the petal-to-petal showcase found in the  limestone karst-country of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary and other destinations, but it holds its own it its sheer diversity.

Trip #4  region 2  Agility C Aerobics E

Fort Hill
a 1200 acre Natural Area
Ohio Historical Society & the Arc of Appalachia

South-central Ohio's largest contiguous mature forest
with outstanding floral displays

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 30 minutes
Time:  Meet at 9:30 am. Tour begins promptly at 9:45 am. Tour ends in  late afternoon.
Meet at Fort Hill back Parking Lot, past the Museum.
Length: approximately five miles. We will be hiking the gorge trail along Bakers Fork, circle around the backside  of Fort Hill, and return via either the Gorge Trail or the Deer Trail. This loop is longer than our average hiking trail, but the scenery is worth the trek, with tall mature woodlands and wildflowers throughout the course. On the return loop we will be able to see the remains of Fort Hill's tall earthen walls circling the ridge top that were built by Native Americans approximately two thousand years ago. We will stop for lunch along Baker's Fork Creek.
Difficulty: The trail is of average back country width and is often not level. It follows an undulating landscape as it threads between limestone boulders.  We plan to walk more slowly in the beginning to admire the flowers, and then,  after the half way point, we will be hiking at a brisker pace.
Description: Fort Hill preserves an EXCEPTIONAL mature forest. It was one of the favorite jaunts for the famous 20th C.  botanist, Lucy Braun, who gave Fort Hill its well-earned reputation of being a botanical hotspot, boasting an incredible plant list of 675 species. It is estimated that when the inventory is finally complete, the total will reach 800 species, which is almost unheard of for one tract of land in Ohio. Fort Hill is one of the last places in Ohio, for instance, to find the rare plant known as Canby's Mountain Lover.
    For wildflower enthusiasts, Fort Hill is a gem, offering among its 11 miles of trails some of the best hiking and wildflower displays in the state. We will be following the scenic course of Baker's Fork, as it winds its way through a low limestone gorge filled with a bounty of rich wildflower displays--trilliums, anemones, jack in the pulpits, geraniums, bluebells and miterwort, just to name a few. Fort Hill is acclaimed for its recorded sighting of the rare Early hairstreak, a little butterfly that lays its eggs on unfolding beech trees. Usually it stays high in the canopy, but occasionally it nectars on the forest floor on none other than spring beauties. But only in mid-morning -- then it's back up to the treetops!!

Trip #5  region 2    Agility C Aerobics C
Davis Memorial & Chalet Nivale Preserve, 
Ohio Division of Natural Areas & The Arc of Appalachia  Preserve System 

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 40 minutes 
Time:  Meet at 9:30 am. Tour begins promptly at 9:45 am. Tour ends in early to mid-afternoon.
Meet: We will begin at Davis Memorial.
Difficulty: Walking is slow-paced on average to narrow trails, covering approximately 2.5 miles all day. There are no long ascents or descents. Davis Memorial has well-established easily-navigated hiking trails. Chalet Nivale has narrower less-improved trails.

Description: Davis Memorial s a 168-acre state nature preserve located near Peebles. Over 20 state listed plants, including the state endangered Walter’s violet, are among the many spring wildflowers that can be found at Davis.  Because of the presereve's weathered karst landscape and a definite prairie influences, Davis Memorial has a high biodiversity count for wildflowers throughout the growing season. After hiking Davis, hikers will return to Chalet Nivale Preserve on Bacon Flats Road.  The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System owns a lovely log cabin on this site, and lunch can be enjoyed on its large wooden deck.  W will then take a short walk on a portion of Chalet Nivale's beautiful trail system. If hikers so wish, after the guided hike is over, they can continue on the remainder of Chalet's trails on their own. Chalet Nivale is one of Adam's County's best-kept botanical secrets. In March, it has what must be the densest display of snow trilliums to be found in the world; as well being recorded as a site for the state-listed Early Buttercup, which, if we are lucky, we might catch in bloom. In mid-April, Chalet Nivale shows its charms with a wonderful lush abundance that is classic to this limestone-bedrock region -- featuring grandiflorum trilliums, rue anemones, rock cress, wild ginger, and hepatica. The Preserve protects two side tributaries of the Scioto Brush Creek, one of which earned a perfect score in a biodiversity index study -- something nearly unheard of! Rimming both tributaries are beautiful 30-40 foot dolomite walls, harboring small grottos and caves, as well as karst-loving wildflowers and ferns. For more information on Chalet Nivale, click here.  Photos by Larry Henry

Trip #6   region 6   Agility E Aerobics E
 
Rock Run Nature Preserve
The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
The fabled region of Terra incognita...
   in quest of the Red Trillium!

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 1 hour and twenty minutes 
Meet at the rest stop at Sandy Springs
Time: Meet at 9:45 am. Departure from the rest stop promptly at 10:00. Hike will be finished late in the afternoon.
Hike length is 3 to 3.5 miles.
Difficulty:  Hikers will drop into the steep v-shaped valley requiring off-trail hiking and navigating the leaf-covered rock-strewn valley walls where footing is very uneven. Strong ankles necessary! At the end of the descent we will walk in the water across slippery large stones mid-creek, and work our way into the heart of the hemlock/birch forest that lines the creek in quest of the red trilliums. The trail is for the adventuresome, lithe, and limber and is not suitable for anyone nursing injuries or unwilling to possibly slip on a rock and get their feet wet.  Hikers must be hardy with good balance and wear water-proof hiking boots with good tread. Although all of our previous hikes have all been safely enjoyed by participants, hikers must be willing to hike at their own risk and be willing to get a bit wet and dirty if they take a slip. The trek will go  overland, sometimes off-trail, eventually to the boulder-strewn creek, and then back out to Route 52 where we will shuttle back to the rest stop.
Description: Rock Run is a 360-acre preserve containing a significant botanical ecosystem in a 500 foot-deep valley adjacent to Shawnee Forest, Ohio's largest State Forest. The area features the extremely rare ecosystem for Ohio -- a black birch-hemlock assemblage, with sweetgum showing up in the lower elevations. Rock Run is an extremely clear stream that drains into the Ohio River a short distance from the preserve.  The steep ravines have a diverse display of wildflowers including large white trillium and the best displays of red Trillium erectum that any field trip will see on the Pilgrimage. Hikers will also see dwarf crested Iris, yellow mandarin, and many different species of violets Although a bit early in  the year to see evidence of it, Rock Run has the most fern species of any of the Arc Preserves , boasting 28 species.  This is truly wild country with tall ridges and steep walled ravines. Rock Run is one of the few locations to find the  the rarely seen but present bobcats and highly imperilled Allegheny wood rats. Despite the trail difficulty, this trip leads hikers into an amazing and mysterious place -- once called by early an geologist-explorer, terra incognita,  a place well worth taking the time to see.
    Just this winter the Arc closed on an additional 90 acre parcel, expanding Rock Run into the classic Sandy Springs region of the Ohio River. Here somewhere in past geolgic times large quantities of river sand were dumped in drifts at the base of the hills bordering the river, forming a rare well-drained habitat that is dry in places, and wet in others --where the water works its way to the surface and forms springs and quicksands. In the latter area groves of Meadow Beauties bloom in the summer. In the former, Rock Run protects one of the largest prickly pear colonies in the state. We will stop by and take a look at the cacti garden, even though it is too early to catch them in bloom.   Bobcat photo by Dave Reipenhoff.

Trip #7  region 2      Agility C Aerobics C
Saturday only--SORRY THIS TRIP FILLED FOR 2010
The ever-enigmatic Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs Preserve!
The Nature Conservancy
Located in the Sinking Springs Crypto-explosion area
Explore almost the entire diversity of southern Ohio's ecosystems in just one field trip destination!

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 30 minutes.
Meet in the town of Sinking Springs by 9:30 am. The car caravan to the trailhead will leave  promptly at 9:45 am. We will shuttle in as few cars as possible because of the limited parking at the preserve. the program will be completed around 2 pm. Leader: This hike will be led by Dave Minney, Southern Ohio Land Steward for Nature Conservancy, Ohio Chapter, who, among other duties, manages Strait Creek Prairie Preserve.
           
Difficulty. The hike will be one  to two  miles long. along both on and off trail. Hiking boots are recommended for the occasional steep slopes and stream crossings.

Preserve Description. Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs is a 640 acre preserve situated on the outer edge of the Sinking Springs Cryptoexplosion feature, an ancient geologic event thought to have been caused by a meteor or asteroid impact affecting a four to five mile radius area. The geologic fall-out of this event is a crazy quilt bedrock exposure of sandstone, shales, and limestones. Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs provides a microcosm of what the pre-settlement plant communities and their distribution may have looked like within this geologically-diverse and botanically-rich region. Strait Creek has extremely high biodiversity of plants which will be blooming throughout the growing season, with an astounding total plant species count of 650!  In the spring, Strait Creek is not especially noted for outstanding carpets of flowers, but at the end of the day you will see more species in bloom than on any other trip. Little bluestem-Indian grass barrens and prairies are dominant on soils derived from Peebles dolomite, hosting such species as Indian paintbrush, blue-eyed grass, and Leavenworthia uniflora. Massive exposures of Peebles dolomite with wild columbine and dwarf hackberry are exposed above Strait Creek. Oak-maple and mesophytic forests with a variety of spring wildflowers occur on the dolomitic substrates of the low slope and ravine habitats. Acidic oak-hickory forests are found above the dolomitic bedrocks. Photo by Randy Edwards of TNC. Distinguishing features: extremely high species count

Trip #8   region 2  Saturday only

Kayaking Scioto Brush Creek
Alternate if water is too low:: Kayaking Rocky Fork Creek
with Martin McAlister, Founder of Friends of Scioto Brush Creek

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 40 minutes 

Meet at Chalet Nivale with your own kayak or canoe at 9:30 a.m. We will begin shuttling as soon as people arrive. You may wish to bring a plastic bag to waterproof your lunch and other personal possessions you desire to bring. Leader: Martin McAlister, Southern Ohio Preserve Manager, Ohio Division of Natural Areas & Preserves;

Description: If you can bring your own kayak or canoe (kayak strongly recommended--canoes usually do not work due to the fact we usually have marginal water levels), here is a rare opportunity to float one of the state's most beautiful rivers -- the Scioto Brush Creek, which flows through Adams and Scioto Counties. Everyone who has done this trip raves about it, but being a small creek, one has to be a bit lucky to catch the water high enough. The Scioto Brush is a tributary of the Scioto River and is one of the most ecologically-intact watersheds in all the state. Its clear blue waters, naturally tinged with dissolved minerals, supports 69 species of fish, three species of state-endangered mussels, one of Ohio's few federally-threatened plant species, Appalachian Spirea, Spiraea virginiana; and the state-endangered Southern Monkshood, Aconitum unciatum.  Although these plants will not be in bloom on this trip, the waterway is known for its spring floral display, and the clear waters are bordered by exceptionally scenic dolomite slumpblocks and cliffs. Boaters will enjoy floating under several blue heron rookeries. On our last trip we counted over fifty nests. This is a trip you will long remember for its picture-postcard scenery. Included in this field trip, if time allows, will be a short hike into Chalet Nivale Nature Preserve, owned by the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System. For a description of this preserve, please read trip #8. For more information on Scioto Brush Creek, click here.

If the float needs to be canceled because of low water or storm-level water, participants will be notified by last minute email and the trip will be replaced by a kayak float down the Rocky Fork Creek --inarguably one of the most stunning runs in the state. Because the Rocky Fork Dam will be making a release on this date, plentiful water is assured. If the alternate trip goes, we will provide you with details at that time. Length of trip is about the same; but the Rocky Fork in high water is a bit more challenging in places.
River Difficulty and Arrangements: The float takes approximately 3-4 hours and runs six river miles. Boaters will meet at Chalet Nivale Nature Preserve. From there some of the cars will be shuttled two and half road miles to the take-out point. This float requires moderately high water and recent rains -- so everything depends on last minute weather conditions. Boating difficulty is average to slightly challenging. The difficulty is not deep water or high currents, but rather the narrow twists and turns of the headwaters, shallow rapids which can sometimes be tipsy, and the occasional low-lying tree or logjam. There are a few fast riffles, which the author admits to succumbing to on her last trip and getting dunked! Canoes require more water than kayaks. We will advise you by email by Wednesday night if canoes can’t make it, or if the float is off for any reason, so be sure to check your emails Thursday morning for a last-minute report before packing up your boat and departing for the Pilgrimage. Kayak photo by Martin McAlister; Heron Photo copyrighted by William Gladish, all rights protected.

Trip #11  region 1   Agility C Aerobics C
The Henrietta Miller Memorial Flower Pilgrimage
A One-way Pilgrimage along the Rocky Fork Creek
through the Eugene & Henrietta Miller Nature Sanctuary, a state preserve & Cedar Run Preserve, Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
 

Without the early philanthropy of Henrietta Miller in 1995, when the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System was only a fragile ideal with neither money nor land, the organization may never have survived to be the 4000-acre managed preserve system it is today. We dedicate this hike to Henrietta, who once lived upon and loved the land that is today owned and managed as Miller State Nature Preserve, ...and who once made a gift of funds to the Arc that made all the difference in the world to the future of the Rocky Fork Gorge. In 2007, when this great nature lover departed from this earth to explore higher realms, she left behind a mighty legacy.

Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: 15 minutes
Meet at Miller State Nature Preserve at 9:30. We will begin shuttling some of the cars to the other end as soon as enough people arrive to do so. We will begin the Pilgrimage as soon as the shuttle cars are in place. 
Difficulty: We will be hiking approximately 3.5 miles, bordering the Creek and walking at the base of the rock cliffs most of the way. Not a lot of long ascents or descents, but a long walk on sometimes narrow trails and gently undulating land.

Description: Miller State Nature Preserve is the oldest of preserve on the Rocky Fork Creek and is one of the most beautiful. Its claim to fame is its nearly unbelievable density of Shooting Stars, otherwise known as Pride of Ohio. Shooting Stars are not particularly common in Ohio, so seeing a quantity of them is always an uplifting sight. We will likely be too early to catch them at peak, but we shall see their prolific foliage on the rocks and lots of other flowers that will be in full bloom. Miller State Nature Preserve has a rich and compelling display of Appalachian flowers, with dense carpets of ginger, Solomon's Seal, bellwort, bluebells and waterleaf. The hiking paths cross over several small bridges that ford musical spring-swollen riffles. After hiking the full stretch of Miller Preserve, we will walk across its boundary and enter Cedar Run Preserve of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. At Cedar Run we will continue to follow the rim of the Rocky Fork all the way to the Elders' Landing Trailhead, where we will take a side-spur up scenic rock-rimmed Cedar Run to a hidden waterfalls, then shuttle back to our original trailhead.  Wildflower displays are excellent along the entire length of the trail.  Photos by Larry Henry.

 Trip #12  region 1  Agility C Aerobics D
 
Barrett's Rim --
 Jewel of the Rocky Fork Gorge
Highlands Nature Sanctuary,
The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System


Driving Distance from Region 1, one-way: The trailhead for Barrett's Rim is Taloden Woods, which is a five minute drive from the Appalachian Forest Museum.
Meet at: Taloden Woods Parking lot at 9:30 am. The hike will begin promptly at 9:45 am and will end early in the afternoon, just before lunch. Lunch does not have to be packed in for this hike, but can be eaten afterward. Picnic tables are available at the Appalachian Forest Museum.
Difficulty: The trail is single-file in width with one small shallow stream crossing that has short but steep banks. The trail length is a 2.0 mile loop. It has one steep descent for approximately a forty foot drop. This area and a few other sections of the trail can be slippery if it has recently rained.

Description: The Barrett's Rim Trail in the Rocky Fork Gorge is spectacular in April -- truly a heady experience. The dolomite rock walls which line the Rocky Fork Creek like a sentinel, and fallen boulders along the trail support an incredulous density of wildflowers, presenting floral displays not only at one's feet but also above one's head. As you walk between the winding river and the dolomite cliffs, columbine, trillium, bellwort, miterwort, anemone, cohosh, and wild geraniums produce a wonderful verdant display of classic Appalachia wildflowers. The annual spring miracle of observing living blooming flowers arise from the tiny pockets of soil tucked in cold barren rocks provides the grist for a worthwhile meditation, and no where is this sight more enticing than at Barrett's Rim. The Highlands Nature Sanctuary  is the Arc's largest preserve region at 2000 acres in size.

Photos by Larry Henry.