Hueston Woods State Park: Big Woods and Hedgeapple Trails (Blog Hike #49)

Trails: Big Woods and Hedge Apple Trails

Hike Location: Hueston Woods State Park

Geographic Location: north of Oxford, OH (39.56944,-84.75797)

Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: 2004, June 2013

Overview: A moderately difficult, hilly hike first through mature forest, then through younger growth.

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

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=797251
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Oxford, take SR 732 north about 5 miles to the park entrance.  Turn left to enter the park.  At the first fork in the main park road, keep to the left.  Follow the park road past the golf course to where it intersects Brown Rd. comes in from the left.  At this intersection, turn right onto a narrow, shaded, blacktop park road.  You will come upon a small parking area on the left just before the road bends to the right.  Park here.  Additional parking is available further down the road if this lot is full.

The hike: It was 1797 when young Matt Hueston first settled the land now occupied by the park that bears his name.  Covered by mature forest at the time of settlement, the land was soon cleared to make way for farming with one exception:  200 acres along the west shore of present-day Acton Lake was allowed to stand.  This decision came about either because the land was too steep to plow or because the family wanted the sweet syrup the maple trees had to offer. 

            This tract of woodland was held in private hands for many years until the state bought it in 1941.  The recovering farmland around the forest was purchased in small chunks during the following years to create the park you see today.  This hike takes you through both the mature forest of the original tract of land and some reclaimed farmland that is only starting on the road back to its original state.           

Trailhead: Big Woods Trail

            The Big Woods Trail leaves the small parking are at an information kiosk and trail sign.  This trail is characterized by big trees, sharp bends, and continuous hills.  The trail immediately starts down a gentle slope toward the first of three large creeks, which it crosses on stepping stones.  During times of high water, this ford may require some wading.  Across the creek, the trail turns sharply right and follows the creek downstream for a couple hundred feet.  Make sure you hit this turn, and do not confuse a small drainage that goes straight ahead for the trail.

            The trail then takes a sharp left and begins climbing moderately.  As soon as it tops this rise, the trail descends steeply, using steps to aid in the descent, to the second creek, which is crossed on a well-constructed bridge.  This entire trail meanders through tall oak, maple, beech, and ash trees which provide great shade and allow little to grow in the understory.            

Well-constructed wooden bridge

            After crossing another of the wooden bridges (there are five of them), the trail climbs steeply for the first major climb of the hike.  One more valley is crossed, this one less steep than the previous, before arriving at a shady parking area.  Some picnic tables at this area provide the only good opportunity for rest on the outward portion of this hike.           

Hiking the Big Woods Trail

            The trail exits the other side of the parking area, then dips through another steep drainage and crosses the last big bridge before reaching the main park road.  The trail does not continue straight across the road, but reenters the woods on the opposite side about 150 feet to the right.  Look for a brown street sign that says "Big Woods Trail" to mark the entrance. 

            Now on the west side of the loop road, the trail passes through some very different scenery.  After starting in young forest with small trees covered by grape vines, the trail soon enters into a large, old white pine planting.  Watch out for poison ivy which seems to be growing abundantly alongside this portion of the trail.

            After a few hundred yards in the pines, another trail goes off to the right.  As the white park sign tells you, this is the intersection of the Big Woods and Hedge Apple trails.  The Big Woods Trail ends here, while the Hedge Apple Trail goes straight and right to form a one mile loop.  I continued straight to hike the loop clockwise.  After a very short distance, the trail leaves the pines and drops steeply to a creek, which it crosses with the aid of a wooden bridge.  Just across the bridge is one of the largest hedge apple trees I have ever seen.  It is the first of many big hedge apples from which this trail derives its name.           

Hedgeapple Trail along a stream

            The forest in the creek valley is young broadleaf forest with a dense understory of grass.  This section of trail is much narrower with grass swiping your legs on either side during the warmer months.  There are some large wooden posts marked with numbers, indicating that a published trail guide might exist.  The trail soon recrosses the creek to follow a row of good-sized hedgeapple trees.  A few hundred feet past the creek, the narrow return trail goes off at a sharp angle to the right.  Another trail continues straight ahead to intersect the loop road across from the park office.  If you miss the turn and end up at the park road, backtrack about 200 feet to the trail. 

            The return loop begins with a long, steady climb out of the creek valley, the second major climb of the hike.  The trail passes an occasional cedar tree before passing through another hedge apple row.  Back when this land was being farmed, hedge apple trees were used to mark boundaries between two plots of land.  Presently, the row seems to mark the edge of the pine planting you passed through earlier. 

            The Hedge Apple Trail intersects the Big Woods Trail only a couple hundred feet after reentering the pines.  A left turn at this intersection will return you to the Big Woods Trail, 1 mile away from your car.  Retrace your steps along the Big Woods Trail, making sure to remember the loop road crossing, back to the parking lot to finish the hike.