Kincaid Lake State Park (Blog Hike #83)

Trails: Spicebush and Ironwood Trails
Hike Location: Kincaid Lake State Park

Geographic Location: northeast of Falmouth, KY (38.72432, -84.28261)

Length: 2.2 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: November 2000, October 2015

Overview: An excellent, moderate hike on well-maintained trails in Kentucky hill country.

Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/falmouth/parks/recreation/kincaid-lake-state-park

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=924432
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Falmouth, go east on SR 22 for 0.3 miles to its intersection with SR 159.  Turn left on SR 159.  The state park entrance is 3 miles north on SR 159, marked by two large signs. Turn right to enter the park.  Follow the main park road past the park office and the lake.  Where the road continues straight to enter the campground, bear right to arrive at the recreation area.  Park in the only lot.

The hike: Tucked away in rural Pendleton County, 850 acre Kincaid Lake State Park offers a quaint getaway for the people of northern Kentucky. The 183 acre lake is popular with swimmers, boaters, and fishermen.  The small campground is complete with amphitheater, recreation area, and access to the trail system. 

            The trails at Kincaid Lake are laid out in two adjoining loops that share a common trailhead.  The 1.5 mile Ironwood Loop takes you along the creek while the 1 mile Spicebush Loop circles a ridgetop.  Our 2 mile hike uses parts of both trails.

Hiking trailhead

            From the parking lot, pass through the recreation center and behind the basketball courts to reach the large, dark red sign that marks the beginning of the trail.  The trail enters young forest on a rocky course and after 0.1 miles reaches a trail shelter at a three-way intersection.  The trail shelter contains a bench, a large, multi-colored trail map, and some drawings of common flora and fauna of the forest.  Taking the left trail would lead uphill and come out at the campground entrance. 

            Turn right here to begin the common spur trail to access the main trail system.  The trail descends moderately through young maple forest to arrive alongside a tributary of Kincaid Lake.  Begin traveling upstream and soon cross the stream on a nice wooden bridge.  Across the bridge, the trail forks.  The Spicebush Trail goes right while our course, the Ironwood Trail, goes left and soon recrosses the creek on a recent trail reroute.

Creekside hiking

            The wide dirt trail parallels the creek, heading upstream, occasionally climbing to top a bluff or dropping to cross a drainage.  On the fall evening I hiked this trail, the forest was alive with numerous large white-tailed deer, woodpeckers, squirrels, and chipmunks. 

            Upon reaching the upper reaches of the creek, the trail turns right and crosses the now small creek without the aid of a bridge.  This crossing is usually an easy rock-hop, but wet feet could be required after a recent rainstorm.  The trail now turns away from the creek and begins a long, moderate climb to the ridgetop east of the creek.  At the top of the hill, the trail turns to grass and enters a red cedar thicket. 

Hiking through a cedar thicket

            Keep right where a maintenance road goes left.  0.2 miles later, the Ironwood Trail ends at an intersection with the Spicebush Trail, which goes left and right. This intersection is at the midpoint of the Spicebush Trail loop, so you could go either way.  The right trail descends 0.5 miles through more young forest and parallels the Ironwood Loop.  The left route offers more to see, so I suggest turning left and beginning a ridgetop course through more red cedars. 

Descending through maple forest

            After 0.2 miles, the trail begins a steep descent, first through a small CCC pine planting, then through some mature maple forest.  This forest is the most beautiful along this hike.  The trail arrives at streamside and heads upstream to intersect the other arm of the Spicebush Loop.  Turn left to cross the stream on the wooden bridge, then turn left again and retrace your steps uphill past the shelter and recreation center to complete the hike.