Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve (Blog Hike #803)

Trail: Outer Loop Trail
Hike Location: Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve
Geographic Location: south side of Batavia, OH (39.06756, -84.18853)
Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: June 2020
Overview: A lollipop loop with steep sections partly along the East Fork of the Little Miami River.
Park Information: https://www.clermontparks.org/sycamore-park-and-wilson-nature-preserve/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=818761
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of SR 132 and SR 222 in downtown Batavia, take SR 132 south 0.9 miles to the signed entrance for Sycamore Park on the left.  Turn left to enter the park and park in the first parking lot on the right.

The hike: Located on the south bank of the East Fork of the Little Miami River, 53 acre Sycamore Park and the adjacent 145 acre Wilson Nature Preserve form the oldest and largest park in the Clermont County Park District.  The preserve is accessible only through the park, and all of the area's amenities are located in Sycamore Park.  The park's amenities include two picnic shelters, a paved walking path, various athletic fields, and canoe access on the river.  These amenities make Sycamore Park the most heavily used county park in Clermont County.

            For visitors wanting to escaped the crowds at Sycamore Park, adjacent Wilson Nature Preserve is an appealing option.  This hike describes the preserve's Outer Loop Trail, which as its name suggests traces the perimeter of the preserve.  On a personal note, when I lived in the Cincinnati area 20 years ago, I thought of the area east of Cincinnati as a barren wasteland in terms of hiking and county parks.  Thus, Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve were a surprising and pleasant discovery for me, and I hope other visitors enjoy this park as much as I did.

Entrance to trail system

            Enter the trail system by walking across the iron bridge with wooden deck at the south end of the parking area.  The gravel trail curves left, passes an information board, and begins heading upstream with the river on your left, soon passing a stone monument to Mike Rash.  Where the Wildflower Loop exits right, continue straight on the gravel trail for the shortest route to the nature preserve.

Entering the nature preserve

            The other end of the Wildflower Loop comes in from the right just before you pass the sign that marks the boundary between Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve.  The trail surface changes from gravel to dirt here, and some rain the previous night combined with southern Ohio's soil type made the trail greasy/slippery on my visit.  Nevertheless, careful stepping got me around this entire loop without a single slip or fall.

            At 0.4 miles, the Outer Loop Trail splits to form its loop.  To make the climbing a little easier, I chose to continue straight and use the trail going right as my return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  Soon the trail dips to rock-hop a small stream.  The mouth of this stream provides this hike's best view of the river, and the river flows over a small but pleasant cascade here.

Small cascade in river

            Next the trail climbs gradually away from the river as traffic noise from SR 222 becomes audible across the river to the left.  The forest here is young with a dense understory of honeysuckle.  The next time the trail splits, you can go either way: the two options come back together in a few hundred feet.  The left option stays closer to the river but also requires more elevation change.

Climbing away from the river

            Near 1 mile, you reach the preserve's southeast corner where the trail curves sharply right and begins climbing steeply.  Some brown carsonite posts bearing orange circles mark the way, but they are few and far between.  Just past 1.1 miles, you reach the ridgetop where the trail flattens out.  Some active farm fields come in view across the park boundary to your left, and you should ignore the Yellow Trail, which enters and exits on the right.

Hiking along the ridgetop

            At 1.5 miles, the trail dips through a steep and rocky ravine just after the Yellow Trail exits right for the last time.  Next the trail curves right and makes a final steep descent to return to the riverside area and close the loop.  Turn left to retrace your steps to the trailhead and complete the hike.  If you want to add distance to this hike, you could add the short Wildflower Loop located near the trailhead, or you could add the asphalt 0.6 mile walking path located in adjacent Sycamore Park.