Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Mohican State Park: Gorge Overlook Trail and Swinging Bridge

We visited the newly opened Gorge Overlook trail and swinging bridge at Mohican State Park. The trail is a 2.5 mile loop that starts and ends at opposite ends of the Gorge Overlook parking area. The parking area has two observation areas for viewing the gorge formed by the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. The view from the observation area is spectacular. The parking area is relatively small and quickly filled on a sunny pleasant fall Saturday morning. The parking area contained a Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Park visit, Southwestern Ohio

John and Marion Becker Cedar Falls Preserve

We visited John and Marion Becker Cedar Falls Preserve in the late summer of 2020 and early spring of 2021. This Adams County preserve is owned by the Edge of Appalachia and was opened recently. The star attraction of the preserve is a fifteen foot waterfall named Cedar Falls - not to be confused with the other Cedar Falls located in Hocking County. When visiting Scioto and Adams County, we frequently stay at Shawnee Lodge in Shawnee State Park. The trailhead for the preserve is a half-hour drive Read more ➜
Posted in Park visit

State Park Cabins Reopen – A Stay at Lake Hope State Park

A couple of weeks ago we spent several days at a cabin at Lake Hope. Lake Hope is one of our favorite parks in Ohio. One of the reasons is the great hiking at Lake Hope, the adjacent Zaleski State forest, and many nearby parks and preserves. The other reason is the wonderful Lake Hope Dining Lodge which specializes in slow-cooked barbecued meat and wood-fired pizza. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, some changes were in effect. Hiking trails are open at both Lake Hope and Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking

Ohio Lodges Reopen – Trip to Shawnee Lodge

When Deb and I learned that Ohio's lodges were reopening our immediate reaction was "Let's go!". The lodges reopened on June 5th. We made reservations for Shawnee Lodge starting on June 7th. This was our first big trip away from home since the COVID lockdown commenced in March. On the way we stopped at Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve. We've visited Lake Katharine before and it's a favorite - featuring a pristine lake, hills, rare magnolia trees, a waterfall, cliffs, and rock outcroppings. Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking

Spring 2020 Update: Hiking in a Time of Pandemic

Update (04/03/2020): ODNR announced that they are closing Hocking Hills State Park (all park properties plus Conkles Hollow Nature Preserve) on April 3rd until further notice. I hope all of our readers are doing well and staying healthy during this global pandemic. Deb and I are both doing fine. As you know, Governor DeWine issued a stay-at-home order for Ohioans. Per the order, residents are still allowed to go to a park or outdoor space for exercise: "Families will still be able to go Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park visit, West Virginia

West Virginia: North Bend Rail Trail

The North Bend Rail Trail is a 72 mile long rail trail conveniently located adjacent to West Virginia's North Bend State Park. The trail is composed of hard-packed dirt and gravel and is a multi-use trail for cyclists, hikers, and riders on horseback. Motor vehicles are not permitted on the trail. The rail trail starts at Happy Valley just off of I-77 near Parkersburg, WV. The trail passes next to North Bend State Park near Cairo. The trail ends 72 miles from it's start near Wolf Summit, Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Ohio Industrial History, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: Hike to the Belgian Coke Ovens

On our recent trip to Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, we sought to discover if there was a path through the main trails of this state forest leading to the ruins of a 19th century iron mining and refining operations. On prior trips we've enjoyed hiking to a variety of destinations in this off-the-beaten-track state forest. We even visited the remains of an old iron furnace and Belgian coke ovens left over from the regions 19th century iron industry. However, to visit these Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park Reviews for Neighboring States, West Virginia

West Virginia: North Bend State Park – Various Trails

We spent a day hiking a series of smaller trails at North Bend State Park in West Virginia. Although the trails were short, they scenic. The trails we hiked include: Giant Tree Trail, Giant Pine Trail, Castle Rock Trail, and the Overlook Trail. Getting Oriented In the map below, the lodge is the colored magenta and it's located near the center of the map. Southwest of the lodge and across the road from it is the Giant Pine Trail. The Giant Tree Trail is directly north of the lodge, Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, West Virginia

West Virginia: North Bend State Park

North Bend State Park is a 2,400-acre state park in West Virginia featuring numerous hiking trails, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and easy access to the 72-mile long North Bend Rail Trail. North Bend State Park is located in Cairo, WV, about a 45 minute drive from the Ohio border. The park offers a variety of accommodations including a 29 room lodge with a restaurant, cabins, and camping sites. We visited the park at the end of May staying at the lodge. On our first full day, we decided Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park Reviews for Neighboring States, West Virginia

Fort Boreman Park – Parkersburg, WV

A couple of years ago I started a new job teaching Computer Science at a local college. I've been so busy with teaching that the volume of posting to this site has plummeted. I hope to get back into the swing of things with this post and future posts about hiking in Ohio and elsewhere. Rest assured that while we have not been posting, we have been hiking and have a huge backlog of material. Expect future articles from TrekOhio about hiking in Ohio, West Virginia, and Japan. Fort Boreman Park Read more ➜