Caesar Creek State Park: Perimeter Trail, Day Lodge to Dam (Blog Hike #25)

Trails: Perimeter and Interpretive Loop Trails

Hike Location: Caesar Creek State Park

Geographic Location: southeast of Waynesville, OH (39.50587,-84.05198)

Length: 4.4 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: 1998, June 2013, August 2016

Overview: A rolling hike along the west shore of Caesar Creek Lake.

Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/caesar-creek-state-park

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=717266
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Waynesville, take SR 73 east to Clarksville Road.  There is a large brown sign that says "Caesar Creek Lake" here.  Turn right on Clarksville Rd. and follow it south to where Middletown Road goes off to the right.  Immediately across from Middletown Road, the entrance to the Day Lodge goes off to the left.  Turn onto this road and park in the gravel lot in front of the Day Lodge at the end of the road.

The hike: For my comments on Caesar Creek Lake and the surrounding area, see the Caesar Creek Lake hike.  Spanning 38 miles, the Perimeter Trail extends along the entire west side of Caesar Creek Lake and the southern 4.5 miles of the east side.  Due to its length, it is impossible to hike the entire trail in just one day. 

            The advanced hiker may consider a 13.5 mile loop around the southern end of the lake.  Such a hike would start at the Visitor Center, proceed north to SR 73, cross the lake on the SR 73 bridge, then head south on the other side of the lake.  Crossing the dam at the very southern end of the lake would conclude the hike.  Our hike is suitable for the more average hiker.  This hike covers the southern 2.2 miles of this trail from the Day Lodge south to the Visitor's Center, as well as a couple of shorter trails near the Visitor's Center.

Perimeter and Buckeye Trail blazes near Day Lodge

            From the parking lot for the day lodge, start out heading south, back up the entrance road.  Where the road turns right, continue straight, stepping across a yellow cable to block vehicles.  The trail is well-marked with blue and yellow blazes, though they are often not necessary, as the trail is well-worn and easily followed.  The blue blazes confirm that this trail is shared by the Buckeye Trail, a 1200-mile trail encircling the state of Ohio. 

            The trail begins by descending through a young forest, then dips through a couple of shallow ravines. The trail then makes a left turn alongside a rusted barbed-wire fence and enters a long straight stretch heading for the lake and descending gradually all the time.  The fence is a relic from the days that this land was farmed.  Barbed wire fences such as this were used to mark boundaries between two plots of land. 

Hiking on an old road

            The trail turns right and begins following an old wagon trail for a short distance, making the walking easy.  Soon, the trail leaves the road for denser forest, and begins meandering along the hillside before taking a right hand turn and ascending moderately. Shortly, the trail turns left and emerges at a narrow blacktop road.  This road goes off of the entrance road to the Day Lodge and dead ends at the lake.  Before the creek was dammed, this road probably went across the creek and connected with what is now a picnic shelter access road on the other side.  Presently, though, the road is in disrepair and is overgrown on either side with hedges, leaving just enough room for hikers to pass.

            A blue arrow painted on the pavement tells you to turn left down the hill toward the lake.  A few hundred feet later, the trail reenters the woods on the right side, again cued by a blue arrow.  The trail begins descending, with the lake in view on the left through the trees.  After reaching the bottom of the ravine, the hiking gets a little more rugged, as the trail begins ascending for the first major climb of the hike.            

Upland portion of Perimeter Trail

            At the top of the hill, the trail enters what is now a small but thick area of cedars.  Look carefully at this area. All of the cedars are entirely dead except for the very top few branches.  They are being out-competed by the taller deciduous trees.  In a couple of decades, the cedars will be completely gone, replaced by the deciduous forest you have seen up until now. 

            The trail soon leaves the cedars and returns to the deciduous forest, which is comprised mostly of maples with a few beech trees thrown in.  This section of forest is made more interesting by a dense lower layer of paw paw bushes on either side of the trail.  Shortly, the trail turns left and begins descending into a steep ravine using small, wooden steps.  At the bottom of the hill is an old bridge which makes a nice place to rest.  This bench is about half way to the visitor's center.

            The trail climbs the other side of the ravine, again using steps, for the second major climb of the hike.  The trail meanders through the forest for the next several hundred feet, then makes a left turn along a hogsback, heading straight for the lake.  A short, but steep descent takes you to a clearing that provides a great view of the lake and the dam.  The trail does a U-turn at this point and begins heading up a creek valley following an old wagon trail.  The banks of the creek are sufficiently steep to force the trail upstream in search of a good spot to cross.  A few hundred feet later, the trail finds it, crosses the creek on stepping stones, then does another U-turn and heads back for the lake.            

Perimeter Trail near lake

            The trail follows the edge of the lake for awhile, then heads up the bank of a small tributary.  After a moderate climb, the trail comes out of the woods and intersects a wide mulch trail, the Adena Trace Loop Trail.  Turn left and dip through a small ravine to head for the Visitor Center.  After a gradual climb, the trail comes out at the rear of a small pond, where you should angle left to pass a fishing area reserved for children.           

Fishing pond near Visitor Center

Caesar Creek Lake, as seen from overlook

            On the other side of the pond, intersect the mulch Interpretive Loop Trail, an easy 0.25 mile trail.  This trail features numerous signs and benches and culminates in a terrific overlook of the lake located behind the visitor's center.  After admiring the lake, take a short cut through the parking lot and begin your journey back to the Day Lodge on the Perimeter Trail.  Note that a two car shuttle, with one car at the visitor's center and another at the Day Lodge, will shorten this hike to 3.2 miles.  You could also cut off some distance by walking up Clarksville Road to the Day Lodge instead of using the trail if you are willing to sacrifice the scenery.