Posted in Flowers, Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve

Posted on by Deb Platt

Fowler Woods is a 187-acre, state nature preserve located in Richland Coundy in northeast Ohio. Originally the preserve featured a handicap-accessible, 1 ¼-mile boardwalk, but in 2014 much of the boardwalk was closed to the public due to safety concerns.  The boardwalk passes through mature forest, buttonbush swamps, and an area that was once farmland, but is now reverting to forest. Sadly the lower, wetland region within this area that is now barred to the public.  The preserve used to be one of the best sites in Ohio for viewing spring wildflowers, but since only a fraction of the boardwalk is now accessible to the public, many species of wildflower are no longer within sight.

This part of the boardwalk passes through a buttonbush swamp; this area is now off-limits.

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Posted in Park visit

Visiting Three Waterfalls in Miami County

Posted on by Bob Platt

Saturday we visited three waterfalls in Miami County. Below we show what the waterfalls look like and describe their locations.

Ludlow Falls

First up was Ludlow Falls in the village of Ludlow Falls. We parked in a dirt parking lot across from the post office. The 15 ft (4.5m) high falls on Ludlow Creek is located under a highway bridge. A short path leads from the lot to the falls.

Ludlow Falls

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Posted in Park visit

The Hocking Hills at Winter’s End

Posted on by Deb Platt

Like a lot of other people, I’m totally ready to leave winter behind at this point. However Bob convinced me to open myself to winter’s beauty once more by hiking in the Hocking Hills this past Friday. It was sunny, but cold (around 20° F, -6.7° C), so we had to bundle up. We visited two attractions in the Hocking Hills State Park: Ash Cave and Cedar Falls. Then we hiked the Gorge Trail in the Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve. To make things easier for ourselves, we reduced our hiking by parking in the nearest parking lot associated with each of our three destinations.

During our visit every little twig had its own layer of snow. As snow melted there were periodic episodes of clouds of snow falling off tree branches or cliff edges from far above our heads.

Ash Cave
Snow falling off the edge of the cliff at Ash Cave

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Posted in Plants and trees, Trees

The American Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Posted on by Bob Platt

“What are these flower petals?” I asked Deb. They were all over the trail; large petals striped with white, green, and orange. It was mid-May and we were spending a week at Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia. It was a hikers paradise. We spent every day on a different trail and that day we were following a trail from the lodge on the rim of Bluestone Gorge all the way down to the river. The striped flower petals were everywhere. Deb didn’t know what they were. We kept a lookout for a flower or bush with matching petals but never found one.

A fallen blossom and leaf from a Tuliptree

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Posted in Hiking, Ohio Industrial History, Southwestern Ohio

Greenville Falls State Scenic River Area

Posted on by Deb Platt

In February 2014 we visited Greenville Falls State Scenic River Area, north of Dayton. It is a 92-acre park, owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources but managed by the Miami County Part District. The falls consist of a scenic, 20-foot cascade in Greenville Creek. The park also features ruins of historical interest, nearly a mile of trail, access to fishing spots, a limestone natural arch, picnic areas, kiosks, interpretive signs, and a port-a-potty.

Zooming in on the falls from the bridge that crosses Greenville Creek — The water in the creek was high and moving rapidly from recent rain and melting snow.

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Posted in Annual event, Events, Hiking, Past events

50th Annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike, January 2015

Posted on by Deb Platt

On the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, the Annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike set an attendance record with over 5300 people attending. Five hundred lucky people received a commemorative hiking stick. Bob and I just hiked the Old Man’s Cave portion of the hike this year.

Looking out from Old Man’s Cave

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