Lockington Reserve near Piqua, OH (Blog Hike #121)

Trails: (unnamed)

Hike Location: Lockington Reserve

Geographic Location: northwest of Piqua, OH (40.21601, -84.25745)

Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: July 2002, June 2015

Overview:  First a short upland stroll, then an easy hike across an historical dam.

Preserve Information: https://shelbycopark.org/lockington-reserve

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=161279
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Piqua, go north on SR 66 3 miles to Hardin Rd.  Turn right on Hardin Rd.  Where Hardin Rd. ends at Fessler-Buxton Rd. turn left on Fessler-Buxton Rd.  Take Fessler-Buxton Rd. west 1 mile to Lockington Dam Rd and turn right on Lockington Dam Rd.  Park in the parking lot at the end of the road.

The hike: Water has been part of Lockington since the village’s founding.  It all started with the 1830’s and the construction of the Miami-Erie Canal.  Lockington is located in the very northern part of the Great Miami River’s navigable waterway.  Up to this point, the builders had followed the main channel of the Great Miami River, building locks and side channels at a few points where the river was too shallow to be navigated.

Just two miles south of Lockington, the builders decided to parallel Loramie Creek, a small tributary of the Great Miami.  This decision forced the construction of five locks in what is now the middle of downtown Lockington that would take boats up to the level of the Ohio state divide and allow them to continue downward into first the Maumee River and then Lake Erie.  These locks can still be viewed in the town of Lockington today, and this makes an interesting historical side trip to this hike.

The canal closed in 1920, and the town of Lockington became a farm town.  Water would affect the lives of the town again, though, with the great Loramie Creek flood of 1916 which nearly wiped out Lockington and several larger towns downstream.  Determined never to take that chance again, town leaders authorized the construction of Lockington Dam, and in 1921 the dam was completed.  The dam’s construction is unusual.  Holes in the base of the dam allow normal levels of water to get through, but the holes are sufficiently small to keep flood waters back.

The land immediately above the dam is managed by the Shelby County Park District as the Lockington Reserve.  The dam remains the centerpiece of the park, with a parking lot, picnic tables, and nature trails on either side.  This hike explores the short nature trail west of the creek and gives a close-up view of the dam.  The old canal towpath and some more nature trails are on the east side of the creek and are not described in detail here.

Trailhead on west side of dam

            Begin on the left (north) side of the parking lot and look for a dirt trail that enters the forest, heading east toward Loramie Creek.  Pass a small green algae-covered pond that will be teeming with bull frogs letting out their characteristic grunts.  The trail curves right and passes a secluded picnic area completely surrounded by thick upland beech-maple forest.

West Trail at Lockington Reserve

            The trail soon forks to form the loop.  One could go either way, but this description turns right and hikes the loop counter-clockwise.  Pass a bench and in less than 0.2 miles come to another bench, this one perched atop a bluff some 90 feet above Loramie Creek.  The view from here in the cooler months when leaves are off the trees is broad with the creek well in view.

There are plans to develop a second trail that goes to the right here, but for now the best option is to curve left and follow the edge of the ravine with the drop off on the right.  A gradual rise and left curve leads the trail away from the creek and alongside a shallow but steep ravine.  A farmers field can be seen through the trees to the right.  Another left turn closes the loop.  Turn right for the short walk back to the parking lot, completing the 0.5 mile nature loop.

The other hiking option from this lot is a warm, sunny hike across the top of the dam along an old road.  This begins by side-stepping the vehicle gate at the rear of the parking lot.  A two-track gravel trail goes across the top of the dam with steep drop-offs on either side down to the base of the dam.  The walk to the concrete bridge portion of the dam (the part that crosses Loramie Creek itself) is about 0.6 miles. 

Bridge across top of Lockington Dam 

View from base of Lockington Dam

            Immediately after crossing the bridge, a set of concrete steps goes down to the left to an overlook that yields a good look at the dam’s construction.  After observing the dam, you can retrace your steps back to the western parking lot to complete the hike.  Alternatively, if you have more energy to spare, continue to the east parking lot and try a couple of the trails that depart from there.