Englewood Metropark: Yellow and Green Trails (Blog Hike #60)

Trails: Yellow and Green Trails

Hike Location: Englewood Metropark

Geographic Location: east side of Englewood, OH (39.88301, -84.28647)

Length: 2.5 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: March 2000

Overview: A scenic loop hike using part of the old National Road and passing three waterfalls.

Park Information: https://www.metroparks.org/places-to-go/englewood/

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=146413
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Take I-70 west of Dayton to SR 48 (exit 29).  Exit and go north.  Take SR 48 about 2 miles to US 40 and turn right on US 40.  Immediately after crossing Englewood Dam, turn left to enter the park.  Bear right at each of two intersections.  Park in the parking provided to the right of the road near the Patty Falls Picnic shelter.  Restrooms are located just to the right of the shelter.

The hike: Englewood Dam was one of five dams constructed after Dayton’s great flood of 1913.  This dam controls water flowing toward the city in the Stillwater River.  Englewood Metropark, sitting behind the dam on both sides of the river, provides excellent recreation opportunities, including picnicking, fishing, canoeing, and 12 miles of hiking trails.  The route suggested here takes you past the major points of interest within the park, including three waterfalls and the swamp forest.

            The Yellow Trail begins from the north side of the park road across from the parking area at a brown sign featuring the universal hiker symbol.  The gravel trail ascends moderately through mixed mesophytic forest to arrive at a trail intersection.  A wooden sign tells you to continue straight to reach Martindale Falls, the first destination of this hike.

            The trail turns to dirt and begins following the base of the hillside with the upslope to the right.  After passing a small spring on the right, continue straight at another trail intersection.  Now treading close to the park boundary, marked by a rusting wire fence on the left, the trail passes a couple of wet spots before you can hear the sound of rushing water.  A right turn around the end of the hillside brings Martindale Falls into view.  At 50 feet, this is the tallest and most spectacular waterfall in the park.  The water cascades 20 feet before dropping vertically another 30 feet onto the soft shale rock. 

Martindale Falls

            After taking several minutes to admire the waterfall, take the wooden steps to the right, the start of a short but very steep climb to intersect the ridgetop trail.  Turn right at this intersection and begin hiking southward along the ridgetop.  The thin forest on the ridge allows in much more sunlight than the denser forest in the valley.  Thus, a dense understory of garlic mustard grows on the sunny ridge. 

            At the next intersection, where a narrow dirt trail crosses the ridgetop trail, turn left and head gently downhill into the swamp forest, a rare sight in this part of the state.  A good coating of insect repellent is recommended for this section of trail, as the standing water in the forest is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.  Fortunately, a wooden boardwalk keeps the feet dry through the ash forest.  An overlook in the middle, wettest part of the forest gives the hiker a good view of what pioneers might have faced in the Great Black Swamp of northwestern Ohio.

Boardwalk through swamp forest

            Past the boardwalk, bear left at the next three intersections, heading through mature maple-ash forest to reach Patty Falls, our next point of interest.  This waterfall is best viewed from a wooden platform on the south side of the falls.  It can be reached by crossing the creek above the falls, then taking a pair of right turns.  Patty Falls is a twin waterfall, both of which are smaller and shorter than Martindale Falls you saw earlier.  An interpretive sign tells about the formation of the falls and the adjacent rock overhang.  Over time, wind and water have worn away the softer underlying shale, leaving just the more resistant dolomite limestone as an overhang for the water to tumble over. 

            When you are done studying the falls, retrace your steps to the top of the waterfall and turn right at the trail intersection.  This trail takes you to a maintenance road, which soon comes out at the main park road.  A nice bench is placed about 100 feet to the right in case a rest is called for at this point.

Trail under old National Road bridge

            Continue across the road on another dirt trail, which immediately reenters the forest.  A short walk through the forest will take you to Oaks Falls, a tall but low-volume waterfall that is barely a trickle for most of the year.  Past the last waterfall, the trail becomes rockier as it drops steeply to the valley floor.  After a sharp right turn, the trail passes a large maple tree to arrive at a trail intersection.  Go caddy-corner to the right and pick up the paved all-persons trail.  This trail crosses a creek on a metal bridge before coming out behind Patty Falls Picnic Shelter.  A short walk across a grassy field to your car will complete the hike.