Trails: Seasongood and Hedge Apple Trails
Hike Location: Woodland Mound County Park
Geographic Location: Anderson Township, OH (39.03874,-84.32607)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Dates Hiked: Summer 1998, June 2013
Overview: A pair of short nature trails through young forest featuring an Ohio River overlook.
Directions to the trailhead: Take I-275 to SR 125 (exit 65). Exit and go east. Take SR 125 east 0.3 miles to Nine Mile Road and turn right on Nine Mile Rd. Drive Nine Mile Rd. 3.1 miles to Nordyke Rd. and turn right on Nordyke Rd. Take Nordyke Rd. west to the park entrance road, which goes off on the left. Turn left on the park road. The trailhead is located at the Seasongood Nature Center, which is on the right 0.9 miles from the park entrance. Park in the nature center parking lot.
The hike: Woodland Mound is a very popular park located in the southeastern corner of Hamilton County. The park had been in the planning for a long time when the land purchase took place in 1974. Thus, it has been in public ownership for a very short time, and most of the forest in the park is still very young. The park offers a top-notch golf course and two short nature trails. These trails have been combined here to provide a somewhat longer hike.
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| Trailhead: Seasongood Nature Trail |
After parking in the main lot in front of the nature center, follow signs to the trailhead for the Seasongood Trail, which is located behind the nature center. The Seasongood Trail provides a nice but uneventful half-mile stroll through young forest. After entering the woods and ascending a slight rise, you come to a fork in the trail. I hiked this loop counter-clockwise, so take a right and continue ascending gradually to a small meadow. Numerous signs along the trail describe the flora and fauna of the young forest land which was used as an orchard and vineyard not too long ago. Two benches are provided for the weary, although I doubt that they are frequently used given how short and easy this trail is to hike.
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| Seasongood Nature Trail |
After heading down and then up a small hill with logs in the trail designed to prevent erosion (they seem to be doing a good job), arrive back at the outbound portion of the trail. Turn right here to return to the trailhead. When walking past the nature center, look to your right for a partially obstructed view of the Ohio River; we will get a better view later in the hike.
Things only get more interesting from here. Return to the parking lot and hike to its far end where a blacktop path leads across the road. Follow this path across the road then up a hill to the trailhead for the Hedge Apple trail, which is located between a blacktop path leading to the bigger Ohio River overlook (to be seen at the very end of the hike) and the Parcourse Fitness trail. This walk can be eliminated by driving your car from the nature center parking lot to the Hedge Apple trailhead parking lot. To reach it, turn right onto the park's main road and go straight at the stop sign.
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| Hedge Apple Trail |
The Hedge Apple Trail immediately begins descending through relatively young forest with plenty of hedge apple trees, from which the trail derives its name, growing alongside the trail. When the trail divides for a short distance, I suggest taking the left trail on your outward journey, as it makes the long, uphill, inward climb a bit less strenuous. This branch of the trail takes you down some steps to a mud hole that might be a small pond just after a heavy rain.
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| Small pond on Hedge Apple Trail |
The trail undulates until it rejoins the other branch, then continues downhill, again using some logs as erosion control. The trail reaches a pond on the right, then takes a left turn and descends some stairs to reach the larger pond at its end. While you sit on a bench provided, your ears will be filled with the sounds of insects and bull frogs creating a natural symphony. Only the faint sound of traffic on Kellogg Ave. in the background interferes with this melodious blend of music.
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| Ohio River overlook |
After a few moments here, hike the trail back uphill, this time using the left, return fork at the divide. Once back to the trailhead, turn left and follow the blacktop path to a wonderful overlook of the Ohio River. A pair of powerplants can be seen upstream, and the I-275 bridge can be seen downstream in addition to the rolling hills of Kentucky on the other side and the boat traffic on the river. When you are done soaking in this view, retrace your steps first to the Hedge Apple trailhead, then, assuming you left your car at the nature center, back across the road to your car.
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