Miami Whitewater Forest County Park: Oakleaf and Badlands Trails (Blog Hike #6)

Trails: Oakleaf and Badlands Trails (outer loop)
Hike Location: Miami Whitewater Forest County Park
Geographic Location: east of Harrison, OH (39.2506,-84.74815)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Dates Hiked: 1997, 2004, June 2013
Overview: A hilly hike using a combination of two loop trails.
Park Information: http://www.greatparks.org/parks/miami-whitewater-forest
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=716326
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Just east of Harrison, take I-74 to Dry Fork Road (exit 3).  Exit and go north on Dry Fork Rd.  Drive Dry Fork Rd. 1 mile to West Road and turn right on West Rd.  Drive West Rd. 0.2 miles to Timberlakes Drive, the main park road.  Turn left to enter the park.  Pass the gatehouse and drive Timberlakes Drive 1 mile to the top of a hill, where trailhead parking is on the left.  The Oakleaf Trail goes off to the left, while the Badlands Trail goes off to the right. 

The hike: Located in western Hamilton County, Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest park in the Hamilton County Park District, consists mainly of reclaimed farmland.  Most of the land has been in public hands for only about 30 years, so much of the forest remains in various stages of field succession.  The park is very popular due to its size, location, and facilities.  It offers a nice 18 hole golf course, frisbee golf, picnic areas, boating on a small lake, and a small nature center.
            The park also features possibly the best paved hike/bike trail in the county: the 7.8 mile Shaker Trace. The trail traverses the Shaker Trace Wetlands located north of the lake.  Once a vast wetlands along the banks of the Great Miami, most of the land has since been drained and succumbed to the farmer’s plow.  The flat paved trail is an excellent long day hike or short bike ride with good wildlife viewing opportunities.
            In addition to the facilities described above, there are three nature trails in Whitewater Forest. The 1.6 mile Badlands Trail and the 0.75 mile Oakleaf Trail share a parking area.  The shorter Tallgrass Prairie Trail, described elsewhere in this blog, is located to the south and has a trailhead all to itself.  The Oakleaf Trail is the shorter of the two described here, but it is very enjoyable for its scenic vistas when the leaves are off the trees during late fall and winter as well as for the large oak and hickory trees that give the trail its name.
            The Badlands Trail is one of my favorite trails in the area, and considering it is only 20 minutes from my home, I do not hike it as often as I should or would like.  This trail gets its name from the unusual sinkhole formations that it passes.  The Badlands Trail offers a splendid walk through many types of forest and environments, including creek bed, reverting farmland, and mature hardwood.  A word of caution: despite the modest length, these trails are rather demanding to walk as they are constantly climbing or descending.  Make sure to allow ample time, about 1.5 hours in my case.

Trailhead: Oakleaf Trail

            Start with the Oakleaf Trail, which leaves the parking lot near a wooden cabin on the east side of the lot.  A large sign says "Oakleaf Trail" to announce your arrival at the trailhead.  The gravel trail immediately starts downhill through mature forest.  All along the trail there are brown carsonite stakes with white numbers on them, suggesting that there might be a trail guide printed for this trail.  However, there are none available at the trailhead, and no directions to obtain one are posted.
            After several hundred feet of steep descent, the trail levels out to cross a dyke between two muddy ponds.  A large, underground metal pipe allows water to pass from one pond to the other and creates a small waterfall a couple feet to the left of the trail.  At the other side of the dyke, the trail forks to create the loop.  To make the uphill climb a little easier, I turn left here to hike the loop clockwise, using the right trail as the return route.            

Pond on Oakleaf Trail

            The trail follows along the pond with the water on the left and the hillside on the right.  The pond-side forest is of the beech/maple variety.  Especially noteworthy are some large beech trees near the pond's bank.  The trail soon makes a right turn away from the water and comes to a T-intersection.  The left trail is a short spur that leads to a bench that overlooks the pond.  The peaceful pond is a good place for viewing mallards, grebes, and maybe even a wood duck or great blue heron.  Since this is a very popular trail, this bench may be occupied when you arrive.  There is another bench further along the trail that offers a similar view if this is the case.
            Back at the T-intersection, the trail turns right and begins ascending steeply.  As you ascend the ridge, notice that the composition of the forest is changing from beech/maple to oak/hickory.  This is because the levels of sunlight, moisture, and nutrients in the soil are better suited for oak and hickory trees on top of the ridge as opposed to the valley beside the pond.  This is one of the better collections of hickory trees in the area, and the large oaks are rather impressive as well.  The trail follows the top of the ridge for several hundred feet, then takes a right turn and descends very steeply to the other pond you passed on your way in, using steps to aid the descent.            

Steps ascending the ridge

            At the bottom of the hill, the trail turns right again and begins following the pond, with the pond on your left and the hillside on your right.  The trail crosses some boardwalk, provides another bench overlooking the pond, and passes some more nice beech trees.  At the intersection with the outbound trail, a left turn and a steep climb will return you to the parking lot and complete the Oakleaf Trail.
            To hike the Badlands Trail, cross the park road and find the large sign that says "Badlands Trail," marking the trailhead.  From the trailhead, the gravel trail immediately begins descending into a mature forest.  Shortly into the woods, the trail forks.  I suggest taking a right here and walking the trail counter-clockwise, as it is a bit less tiring that way.  The trail uses a bridge to cross a fairly large creek and then begins a long uphill climb while slowly curving to the left around the hill.  A bench is provided at the top of the steepest part of the hill as a much-needed rest stop.            

Badlands Trail, descending

            The trail continues climbing, though less steeply, as it meanders along the top of a small ridge.  The trail then takes a sharp right turn and passes through a valley before the inner loop trail, which cuts the trail’s length in half, exits to the left.  The best of the badlands is still to come, so take a right here and continue on the outer loop.

Hiking through the Badlands

            Still in mature forest, the trail passes some large sinkholes, at one point passing along a narrow ridge with a sinkhole on either side.  The undulating trail next passes through two valleys, all the time making a gradual left hand turn.  Reaching the lowest point on the hike, the trail begins a long, steep uphill climb.  Again, a bench is provided in case you need it.
            Your surroundings have changed quite dramatically once you reach the top of this hill.  You are now ascending and descending smaller, but still fairly steep, ridges, with the trail meandering through a red cedar forest.  The trees here are not as high, and the cedars do not shade the trail in the summer like their larger hardwood counterparts do.  This area was probably farmland not too long ago, as cedars are among the first trees to reclaim abandoned farmland.  As the forest matures, the cedars eventually get invaded and smothered by the larger deciduous trees native to the area.  Deer are rather common sights in this section of the forest.           

Badlands Trail in small clearing

            After several tenths of a mile, the forest slowly begins to turn back into mature forest as the connecting trail you passed earlier comes in from the left.  Continue straight ahead, making sure not be fooled by several wild trails that go off to the right.  You finally begin a long descent down the valley of a small stream, soon closing the loop.  Only a steep uphill climb remains to return you to the parking area.
            While you are in the park, consider hiking the other trail mentioned in the introduction, the Tallgrass Prairie Trail.  The Tallgrass Prairie Trail is a short, easy 0.7 mile hike that takes you through some mature forest to a very nice re-creation of a tallgrass prairie.  Due to its short length, this trail might not be long enough to warrant a separate visit, but the scenery is definitely worth a stop while you are in the area.