Rocky Fork State Park: Deer Loop Trail (Blog Hike #23)

Trail: Deer Loop Trail

Hike Location: Rocky Fork State Park

Geographic Location: east of Hillsboro, OH (39.18905,-83.52278)

Length: 1.1 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Dates Hiked: Fall 1998, June 2013

Overview: A loop hike through young forest atop a bluff overlooking the backwaters of Rocky Fork Lake.

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

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=794745
Photo Highlight:

Short Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From Hillsboro, take SR 124 east out of the city.  Take SR 124 to North Shore Drive, which goes off to the left about 3.5 miles east of Hillsboro.  Turn left on North Shore Dr.  Take North Shore Dr. past the airport and the campground.  Just past the campground, look for a small sign that says "Deer Trail" with a gravel road on the left.  Turn left on this gravel road and park in a cul de sac just a few yards later.

The hike: Rocky Fork State Park consists of a narrow ring of land surrounding Rocky Fork Lake.  The 2000 acre lake was created by a dam in the 1950's located a few miles east of the trailhead.  This is a popular area, as evidenced by the numerous condos and new homes along North Shore Rd. 

            With the huge lake, campground, and two beaches serving as the park’s big draws, this short trail is often overlooked.  Thus, in the midst of this development, the Deer Loop Trail offers a bit of serenity.  This is a relatively easy, scenic hike through a wide variety of forest. For the more advanced hiker, try combining this hike with Seven Caves or a hike at Paint Creek State Park, both of which are within a few minutes drive from Rocky Fork.

Road sign for trailhead parking           

Trail leaving far end of parking area

            The trail begins and ends at the gravel cul de sac. I hiked this trail counter-clockwise for no particular reason. To follow my route, go to the very far end of the parking area where the trail, which at first is a mown grass treadway, enters into mature forest.  Soon the trail narrows and turns to dirt.  At some points the trail is barely wide enough for one person to pass with knee-high grass on either side, so long pants are recommended in the warmer months.  Along those same lines, this trail goes mostly through deep woods, so insects can also be a nuisance in the summer. 

            The trail passes through a ravine, then winds its way through the woods, soon crossing two small streams on wooden bridges.  Each of these streams will be crossed again later for a total of four bridges.  Shortly after this second bridge, the scenery changes quite noticeably.  The large trees of a mature forest are left behind, and ahead are smaller trees in larger numbers, indicative of younger forest.  A field is visible through the trees on the right.  A few hundred feet later, the trail makes a sweeping left turn, marking the farthest point on the hike.     

Hiking through the forest

            The hike as been only mediocre to this point, but the more interesting portion lies ahead.  Not long after making the left turn, the trail takes a right, descends some stairs, and arrives at the rim of a 75 foot gorge on the right.  The trail follows the rim of the gorge for a few hundred feet, then turns left and descends through a small valley, re-crossing one of the creeks it crossed before. 

            On the other side of the valley, the trail turns left and begins descending into the valley of the other creek it previously crossed.  After crossing the last bridge, the trail ascends steeply, the only major climb of the hike, using some wooden logs which double as steps and erosion controls.  At the top of the hill, the trail comes out of the woods onto a mown-grass treadway that lies in a small field.  A sweeping left turn leads back to the parking lot and ends the hike. 

            While in the area, consider also hiking the Audubon Bird Trail, which goes off of North Shore Drive immediately opposite the campground.  It is a short trail (0.37 miles) that leads to a small bird blind overlooking a marsh.  I only spent a couple minutes there, but I saw a great blue heron, several ducks, and many bullfrogs during my visit.  This is well worth a few minutes for even the most casual nature-lover.