Dudley Woods Park near Monroe, OH (Blog Hike #34)

Trail: Hackberry Trail

Hike Location: Dudley Woods Park

Geographic Location: west of Monroe, OH (39.43175,-84.43003)

Length: 1.1 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: February 1999, June 2013

Overview: A splendid stroll, first through second growth forest, then along the banks of Gregory Creek.

Park Information: http://www.liberty-township.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Dudley-Woods-Park-4

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=141220
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Monroe, go west on SR 63 to Salzman Rd. which is reached just after passing under a railroad bridge.  Turn left on Salzman Rd.  Follow Salzman Rd. south to its end at Hankins Road and turn right on Hankins Rd.  Dudley Woods is located on the left side of Hankins Rd. about 1000 feet before Hankins Rd. ends at Lesourdsville-West Chester Rd.  Park in the only parking lot.

The hike: Opened in 1998, Dudley Woods was one of the newer parks in the Butler County Metroparks system.  The land had been donated Jim Dudley (who still lived on adjacent land at the time of the park's opening) several years prior, but money was not found to develop the premises until 1998.  Today, the park is maintained by Liberty Township.

            Adjacent to the parking lot are, from right-to-left, a picnic shelter, an information kiosk, and newly-constructed restrooms.  Before beginning the hike, pause at the information kiosk, which gives an over-simplified map of the trail and some information about facilities.  Few people hike here, so these trails can provide a nice degree of solitude in a rather urban county.           

Trailhead: Hackberry Trail

            The woods are accessed by a single 1.1 mile loop trail called the Hackberry Trail.  This trail begins as a blacktop path behind the restrooms.  Where the blacktop ends, look to the right for a well-placed bench alongside Gregory Creek.  The bench provides a nice place to sit and simply watch the creek peacefully flow by.
            The trail, now dirt, continues straight, following the steep east bank of Gregory Creek for a short distance, then gently turning left to leave the creek bank.  When the trail forks shortly, I took the left trail to hike the loop clockwise and used the right one as the return route.  Ignore another trail (a short cut) that goes off to the right just a couple hundred feet past the first fork.           

Trail beside Gregory Creek

            The trail begins to wind its way up the ravine of a small stream that flows into Gregory Creek not far from the first fork in the trail.  The forest of the ravine is relatively young forest.  The few older and larger trees that are scattered in are mostly maple and sycamore.  The trail eventually turns left and climbs to the north rim of the ravine, where a bench awaits the hiker.            

Trail in upland forest

             Only a couple hundred feet later, the trail takes a right and drops back into the ravine. The trail crosses the stream without the aid of a bridge (the water is usually less than 1 inch deep) and then climbs the south side of the ravine to reach another bench.  From this point, the trail meanders away from the ravine, crosses a couple of small streams, and begins to slowly descend toward Gregory Creek.  

            The larger trees have been left behind in the ravine.  Honeysuckle, hedgeapples, and field grass are the dominant species here.  This section of the trail is rather undefined and can be very difficult to follow, so watch your steps carefully to prevent becoming lost.  The trail soon reaches a field that is early in the process of reverting to its previous forested state.  Gregory Creek and a farmhouse are visible to the right.           

Gregory Creek

            At the southern edge of the preserve, the trail makes a sharp right turn and begins following Gregory Creek as it makes its way towards the Great Miami River.  When I walked this section of the trail, I scared off some Canadian geese and some mallards that were enjoying the cool, shallow waters of the creek.  The area along the creek is dominated by field grass with some thistle. 

            After following the creek for several hundred feet, the trail takes a right turn away from the creek and crosses the small stream from the ravine just before closing the loop.  When I hiked this trail in February of 1999, this was a wet crossing complicated by a steep bank.  I got my shoes covered in mud when trying to cross the stream.  A wooden bridge was under construction when I was there, and I suspect it will be ready for use in a short period of time.  Once across the stream, a left turn and a short hike will return you to your car.