Garth Nature Area in Columbia, MO (Blog Hike #857)

Trails: Bear Creek Trail, Blue Ridge Trail Connector, et. al.

Hike Location: Garth Nature Area
Geographic Location: north side of Columbia, MO (38.98086, -92.33872)
Length: 1.3 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2021
Overview: A short, flat gravel loop around ponds and other wetland areas.
Area Information: https://www.como.gov/parksandrec/park/garth-nature-area/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=879678
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In Columbia, take I-70 to Providence Road (exit 126).  Exit and go north on Providence Rd.  Drive Providence Rd. north 0.9 miles to Blue Ridge Road and turn left on Blue Ridge Rd.  Drive Blue Ridge Rd. west 0.2 miles to the traffic circle at Garth Ave.  Take the third exit from the traffic circle and drive Garth Ave. south 0.1 miles to the signed Garth Nature Area on the right.  Park in the large parking lot for the Nature Area.

The hike: Established only in 2007, tiny Garth Nature Area protects 52 acres on the heavily residential north side of Columbia.  Before it became a park, the site was the location of Columbia's sewage treatment facility.  One of the former wastewater lagoons was transformed into one of this park's wetlands, and part of this hike uses the old access road for the wastewater lagoons.

            As its name implies, the park remains lightly developed today, with 1.6 miles of trails, a picnic area, and an off-leash dog park being its only amenities.  Garth Nature Area is also a trailhead for the Bear Creek Trail, a 4.8 mile bike trail that connects to other City of Columbia parks including Cosmo Park and Albert-Oakland Park.  The hike described here goes out on the Bear Creek Trail, but it loops back past the wetlands using the Nature Area's other trails, thus sampling all Garth Nature Area has to offer.

Bear Creek Trail leaving the trailhead

            From the restroom building at the right (north) end of the parking area, turn left to start heading west on the wide gravel Bear Creek Trail.  Plastic posts mark distances on the Bear Creek Trail in quarter-mile increments.  Some side trails exit left into the collection of wetlands as the main trail treads close to the natural area's boundary on the right.  On the warm morning in early July that I came here, I did some good wildlife viewing that included a family of Canada geese, some turtles, some frogs, and a woodpecker.

Canada geese

            At 0.25 miles, the Bear Creek Trail exits left.  To take the longest loop through the Nature Area, angle right to begin the Blue Ridge Trail Connector, which is another wide gravel trail that leads to a trailhead on Blue Ridge Road.  Elevation changes are sufficiently small to be imperceptible throughout this hike.  The area's largest wetland lies to the left here, but the dense understory of honeysuckle permits no clear wetland views.

Bear Creek

            Near 0.5 miles, the Blue Ridge Trail Connector exits right to head out of Garth Nature Area.  Turn left to begin hiking another wide gravel trail that follows first the north and then the west boundaries of the Nature Area.  Bear Creek, a wide but fairly shallow prairie stream, makes an appearance on the right.  Some large oak trees live along Bear Creek and its tributaries.  Near 0.8 miles, you can take a short detour to the right on the Bear Creek Trail to reach a bridge over scenic Bear Creek.

Pond view near dog park

            As the Bear Creek Trail enters from the right and exits to the left, continue straight to head into the southern part of the Nature Area.  Some of the ponds in this part of the Nature Area are covered with green algae.  As the off-leash dog park comes into view on the right, look to the left for a short dirt spur trail that leads to the best wetland view on this hike.  A bench here invites you to sit, contemplate, and observe birds and wildlife.  The main trail soon returns to the south end of the parking area to close the loop and complete the hike.

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park: Lake Bluff Nature Trail (Blog Hike #856)

Trail: Lake Bluff Nature Trail

Hike Location: Lake Cumberland State Resort Park
Geographic Location: south of Jamestown, KY (36.92760, -85.04344)
Length: 4 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: June 2021
Overview: A loop hike with some steep areas offering good blufftop Lake Cumberland views.
Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/jamestown/parks/resort/lake-cumberland-state-resort-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=876645
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From Jamestown, take US 127 south 7 miles to the signed entrance road for Lake Cumberland State Resort Park on the left.  Turn left on the park road and drive the main park road 5.2 miles to its end at Lure Lodge.  Park in the large parking lot in front of Lure Lodge and the park's Activity Center; the trailhead is to the right (south) of the Activity Center's lower level.

The hike: Constructed in 1952 for power generation and flood control, the Wolf Creek Dam on the Cumberland River forms 65,530-acre Lake Cumberland, the 9th largest man-made lake by water volume in the United States.  The lake is 101 miles long and over 1 mile wide at its widest point.  Over 1500 houseboats float on the lake, and the area has become a popular summertime weekend getaway for people in the Midwest and the southeast.

            Perched on the lake's north shore is 3117-acre Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, a major recreation destination in the heart of southern Kentucky.  In addition to lake access, the park features 2 lodges, 20 cottages, a 129-site developed campground, a disc golf course that I reviewed in the Parking Full Time Disc Golf Reviews, a playground, some picnic areas, and 2 main hiking trails.  The Lake Bluff Nature Trail described here forms a loop around the developed part of the park.  While this hike is not the hardest in the region, some steep areas combined with some primitive trails meant I took nearly 3 hours to complete this hike.  With that warning, note that there are several bailout options you can use to short-cut the loop in case the difficulty becomes overwhelming.

Trailhead beside Activity Center

            From the information board beside the Activity Center's lower level, the trail descends some wooden steps and crosses the first of several small streams on short wooden footbridges.  Metal interpretive plaques embedded in low concrete bases describe common plants in this forest, which include some large beech trees, some oaks, and some paw paw bushes.  The hillsides in this area are very steep, and after the initial descent the narrow trail assumes a sidehill course with a small inlet of Lake Cumberland downhill and to the left.

Hiking sidehill trail

            Soon the lake inlet turns into a creek, and at 0.5 miles the signed spur trail to the campground store exits right.  Angle left to descend and cross the creek on a longer wooden footbridge.  Next the trail curves left to head back out toward the lake as it climbs the opposing ridge.  This climb is gradual at first, but it gets quite steep just before reaching the crest of the ridge.

Reaching the ridge crest

            Just shy of 1 mile, you reach a T-intersection at the crest of the ridge.  We will eventually turn right to continue the main loop, but first turn left to hike a short spur trail to a rocky overlook that gives your first good Lake Cumberland view.  Although some trees partially obstruct the view, this east-facing overlook allows you to peer out over the lake's main channel, and it gives you some idea of just how large this lake is.  Boats will likely be zooming around in the water, so take a few minutes to see what you can see.

Lake Cumberland's main channel

            Back on the main loop, the next 0.7 miles is my favorite section of the loop: it assumes a rolling course through mature forest atop the bluff with the lake 150 feet below you to the left.  I did some nice wildlife viewing here that included a deer with her fawns and a raccoon.  After dropping and rising steeply to pass through a ravine, the trail curves right to head away from the lake.

Hiking atop the bluff

            2 miles into the hike, you reach the first of three park road crossings that occur within the next half mile.  At all three crossings, wooden signs that say "Nature Trail" and yellow aluminum rectangles mark where the trail crosses the road and re-enters the woods.  Overall, although occasionally the path on the ground is faint, this trail is well-marked.

Re-entering the woods after road crossing

            After crossing the park's campground road, the third of the three aforementioned road crossings, you begin a long descent in and around another heavily wooded ravine.  At 2.8 miles, the trail curves left to begin following an old road and head for the park's Pumpkin Creek Lodge.  The park's cottages can be seen uphill to the right.  The hillside is very steep here, but the old road makes for a wide sidehill trail and relatively easy going.

Narrow trail behind lodge

            Just past 3 miles, you reach a trail intersection.  The trail going right climbs directly to the parking area in front of Pumpkin Creek Lodge while the official Lake Bluff Nature Trail goes left to circle around the back of the lodge and reach the same parking area.  This section of official trail is steep, narrow, eroded, and borderline dangerous: a slip would send you tumbling down the steep hillside toward Lake Cumberland.  While I managed to navigate the official trail without serious incident, I think it would be best to close that section of trail and reroute the official trail to the front of the lodge.

View over park's boat dock

            Regardless of how you make it to the parking lot in front of Pumpkin Creek Lodge, the trail heads up the north side of the lot before crossing the boat dock access road.  A final brief stint in the woods brings you to the park's disc golf course in a thinly forested area along the Lure Lodge access road.  The sight of your car in the parking lot downhill to the right tempts you to skip the final section of the Lake Bluff Nature Trail, but hikers who keep following the aluminum trail markers will be rewarded with an outstanding view over the park's huge boat dock from a rocky bluff some 150 feet above the water.  After taking in this view, head down to the parking lot that contains your car to complete the hike.  While you are here, the park's disc golf course also starts near this trailhead, and I had a nice time walking around the sunny and hilly disc golf course after I finished my hike on the Lake Bluff Nature Trail.

Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve near Eaton, OH (Blog Hike #855)

Trails: Yellow, Blue, and Red Trails

Hike Location: Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve
Geographic Location: southeast of Eaton, OH (39.65785, -84.54740)
Length: 1.3 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: June 2021
Overview: A short, fairly flat loop along Aukerman Creek.
Reserve Information: https://www.preblecountyhistoricalsociety.com/home/trails
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=876340
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Eaton, take SR 122 southeast 7.5 miles to Swartsel Road and turn right on Swartsel Rd.  Drive Swartsel Rd. 0.3 miles to the signed Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the reserve, and park in the gravel area in front of the large white Swartsel House.

The hike: Organized in 1971, the not-for-profit Preble County Historical Society was founded to promote and preserve materials and objects of historical interest in Preble County.  The Society's center of operations is the old Swartsel farmstead, a 255-acre property donated to the Society by Sara Swartsel in 1974.  The site includes a large white homestead built in 1860, a log house built in 1813, a smokehouse built in 1855, and some other farm-related buildings.

            The Society also maintains a small nature reserve on the Swartsel site that can be accessed via three trail loops: the Yellow Loop, the Blue Loop, and the Red Loop.  All three loops overlap and start from a common trailhead.  This hike uses parts of all three loops, and it forms the longest possible route through the trail system that does not involve retracing steps.

Swartsel homestead

Nature Reserve trailhead

            Start at the southeast corner of the parking area, where a small information kiosk with a trail map and a sign that says "Nature Trails" marks the trailhead.  Follow the arrow for the Yellow Loop as the trail follows a continuation of the gravel entrance road.  Take a short detour to the left on a trail marked by blue and yellow markers to find a small pond, which featured some dragonflies and red-winged blackbirds on my visit.

            Rather than continuing down the blue/yellow connector trail, keep following the old gravel road, climb through the amphitheater, and then angle left beside the amphitheater parking lot to find where the Yellow Loop enters the woods.  A wooden sign with a yellow plastic circle marks this point.  In general, the trails in this reserve are well-marked but seldom-used.

Yellow loop enters the woods

            The trail descends gradually through young forest that features many red cedar trees.  Soon you cross a wooden bridge over a small creek that feeds the pond you visited earlier.  At 0.5 miles, you exit the woods and start following the bank of Aukerman Creek; the creek is to the right with a prairie to the left.  Some large sycamore and basswood trees live along the creek, and large amounts of stinging nettle live in the floodplain forest.

Hiking along Aukerman Creek

            At 0.6 miles, where the blue/yellow connector trail continues straight to head back to the pond and the trailhead, you need to turn right to leave the Yellow Loop and begin the Blue Loop.  The Blue Loop continues a southeast course that heads downstream along Aukerman Creek, and some spur trails exiting right take you to the creek.  Normally Aukerman Creek is a gentle sandy-bottomed stream only a few inches in depth, but the steep heavily eroded banks reveal that it can become a raging torrent after a heavy rain.

Beside Aukerman Creek

Hiking the Red Loop

            0.9 miles into the hike, the red/blue connector trail heads across the prairie to the left.  Angle right to leave the Blue Loop and begin the Red Loop.  More large sycamore trees are passed before the trail curves left to begin a gradual climb away from Aukerman Creek.  The difference between maximum and minimum elevation on this hike is less than 50 vertical feet, so this climb does not last long.  After passing under a power line, you come out at the rear of the old farm and picnic area.  Walk through the old farm to the trailhead to complete the hike.

Muscatatuck Park in North Vernon, IN: Green Trail (Blog Hike #854)

Trail: Green Trail

Hike Location: Muscatatuck Park
Geographic Location: south side of North Vernon, IN (38.98842, -85.62524)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: June 2021
Overview: A fairly flat loop around Muscatatuck Park's developed area.
Park Information: http://www.muscatatuckpark.com/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=876202
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: The signed entrance for Muscatatuck Park is located on the west side of SR 3/7 2 miles south of North Vernon.  Drive the narrow winding park road 0.8 miles, noting the old quarry and Vinegar Mill along the Muscatatuck River to the left of the road.  Park in the large gravel trailhead parking lot on the left across the main park road from the playground.

The hike: If the amenities you find at Jennings County's Muscatatuck Park remind you more of a typical state park than a typical county park, there is good reason for that.  The park had its founding in 1921 as Vinegar Mill State Park, Indiana's fourth state park; it was named for the old stone-cutting mill along the Muscatatuck River you passed on your drive in.  The park was developed in the 1930's by the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration, and some of their constructions are still in use today.

            During the 1950's and 1960's, the park's small size caused the State of Indiana to consider other uses for the land, which included wildlife raising and youth camp.  In 1968, the State decided to give the land to Jennings County to be managed by its newly formed Parks and Recreation Board.  The county struggled to find money to manage the park at first, but in the late 1990's facility upgrades and funding improvements turned this park into the crown jewel of Jennings County's park system.  I came here on a humid morning in mid-June of 2021 when the park was celebrating its 100th anniversary, and I was very impressed with what I found here.

            The park's unusual history is still evident today, as several structures from its wildlife raising and camp days still dot the area.  In terms of facilities, the park features numerous picnic areas, a 50-site developed campground, and 4 hiking trails totaling nearly 10 miles.  The Green Trail described here is the park's easiest trail in the sense that it does not descend to the Muscatatuck River, but it offers a true loop through nice woods.  Also, it makes a nice family hike because it can be accessed in several places, thus giving you the option to bail on the hike if the kids get tired or bored.

Information kiosk at trailhead

            Start at an information kiosk at the rear of the parking area, where a narrow entrance trail enters the woods.  Almost immediately you intersect the Green Trail, which goes straight and left.  I turned left here and used the trail going straight as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.  The Green Trail is unmarked except for brown carsonite posts bearing green arrows at intersections such as this one, but I had little trouble following the trail.

Hiking through nice forest

            The single-track dirt trail traces around a finger ridge before assuming a general northbound course with picnic shelters and the developed park area just off to the left.  Oak trees dominate the ridges at Muscatatuck Park, and the dense forest with large trees displays the age of this park.  Where the Blue Trail exits right to head for the river, angle left to cross the north park entrance road at 0.5 miles.

Trail intersection

            After tracing around another finger ridge, the Black Trail exits right at 0.8 miles.  Next the trail enters a shrubby area with younger broadleaf trees and some pine trees before passing through a wetland area with a small pond.  This section of trail was rather muddy on my visit, so I recommend waterproof hiking boots for this hike despite the flat terrain.

Small pond beside trail

            Near 1 mile into the hike, you need to ignore some side trails that exit right as the Green Trail crosses the park's west entrance road.  Again, watch for the green arrows on carsonite posts.  Some more slippery mud may need to be negotiated before you pass through the sunny corner of a mowed-grass field at a small picnic table.  This picnic table makes a nice place to sit and rest near the midpoint of this hike.

Corner of sunny meadow

            Some wooden footbridges carry you over small streams as the trail continues southbound with a ravine downhill to the right.  Soon the campground area comes into view uphill to the left, and for the next mile or so the Green Trail traces the edge of the campground area.  A maze of connector trails criss cross in this area, but the connector trails are marked with gray arrows in contrast to the green arrows for the Green Trail.  The forest here features some nice beech, maple, and oak trees.

CCC-built picnic shelter

            After making a loose and winding semicircle around the campground, the trail heads north for the final leg back to the trailhead.  At 2.7 miles, you cross a gated gravel road that serves a CCC-built stone picnic shelter to the right.  After a quick detour to check out the shelter, you close the loop in only a few hundred more feet.  Hike the last few feet out the short entrance trail to complete the hike.  On your way out, be sure to check out the old Vinegar Mill and adjacent quarry.  If you want to do more hiking, a separate trailhead at the mill accesses the park's River Trail, which goes up and down the west bank of the Muscatatuck River.

Daniel Boone National Forest, Bald Rock Picnic Area: Sugar Tree Hollow Trail (Blog Hike #853)

Trail: Sugar Tree Hollow Trail (Daniel Boone National Forest Trail #407)

Hike Location: Daniel Boone National Forest, Bald Rock Picnic Area
Geographic Location: west of London, KY (37.03296, -84.22387)
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: June 2021
Overview: A short loop through steep ravines passing several small cascades and sandstone cliffs.
Trail Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39640
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=876079
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In southern Kentucky, take I-75 to SR 192 (exit 38).  Exit and go west on SR 192.  Drive SR 192 west 9.6 miles to the signed Bald Rock Picnic Area on your right.  Turn right to enter the picnic area, and park in the small gravel lot near the restrooms.

The hike: Often overlooked in favor of Daniel Boone National Forest's more famous nearby hiking destinations such as Natural Arch and Bee Rock, Bald Rock Picnic Area occupies the ridgetop site of the former Bald Rock Fire Tower.  The tower was staffed by trained fire watchers until the 1970's, at which time fire watching from aircraft began.  Today only some small pegs from the tower's foundation remain, and they are visible beside an interpretive sign in the middle of the picnic area road's small loop.

            For hikers, Bald Rock Picnic Area is the jumping off point for two trails.  The Cane Creek Trail leads several miles along its nearby namesake creek, and it offers both hiking and backpacking opportunities as well as backcountry fishing in Cane Creek.  The only route from the picnic area to the Cane Creek Trail is the Sugar Tree Hollow Trail, the short 1.5 mile loop described here.  The Sugar Tree Hollow Trail offers a sample of hiking through the rugged hollows of southern Kentucky without pegging the length or difficulty meters, and it makes a scenic but primitive after-picnic hike.

Picnic area trailhead

            From the gravel parking lot, walk downhill behind the restroom building and look for the signed start of the trail at the edge of the woods to your left.  Marked with white plastic diamonds, the narrow primitive trail heads steeply downhill over a rooty and eroded course.  At one point the small stream and trail seem to converge, and the footing is very tricky on this initial segment of trail.

Descending on eroded trail

            As you approach the bottom of the ravine, the footing improves as the trail assumes a hillside course a few vertical feet above the stream.  The forest in this ravine features some large tulip poplar and beech trees with some small hemlocks and many paw paw bushes.  A couple of small side streams need to be stepped across, and these small streams contain some equally small waterfalls.

Stepping across a creek

2 talus boulders

            The trail weaves around some large and interesting talus boulders before the connector trail that leads to the Cane Creek Trail exits right at 0.7 miles.  Angle left to continue the Sugar Tree Hollow Trail.  The climb back to the picnic area now begins as the trail heads up another tight side ravine.  The difference in elevation between the picnic area and the bottom of the ravine is only about 230 vertical feet, but the damp hollow and primitive trail make the going more challenging than you might expect.

Sandstone cliffs

            This ravine features some nice exposed sandstone cliffs above you and to the left, and decent numbers of ferns carpet the forest floor.  After exiting the top of the ravine, the trail curves left to exit the woods near Bald Rock Picnic Area's entrance.  Turn left and walk past some picnic tables to return to the parking area and complete the hike.

Reelfoot Lake State Park: Cypress Boardwalk and Keystone Trails (Blog Hike #852)

Trails: Cypress Boardwalk and Keystone Trails

Hike Location: Reelfoot Lake State Park
Geographic Location: Tiptonville, TN (36.36311, -89.43276)
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: May 2021
Overview: A pair of short nature trails along the shore of Reelfoot Lake.
Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/reelfoot-lake
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=873362
Photo Highlight: 

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: The Cypress Boardwalk starts at the Reelfoot Lake State Park Visitor Center, which is located on the north side of SR 21 3 miles east of Tiptonville.  The park's Keystone Trail/Keystone Access is located on the north side of SR 21 2.1 miles east of Tiptonville behind the Sportsman's Resort.

The hike: Tucked in the oft-forgotten northwest corner of Tennessee, Reelfoot Lake State Park is perched on the southwest corner of its 15,000-acre namesake lake.  Reelfoot Lake has a unique history: a series of massive earthquakes on the nearby New Madrid Fault in 1811 and 1812 caused the Mississippi River to flow backward for a short period of time, which created the lake.  The New Madrid Fault is still an active seismic zone today, and in 2009 the United States Geological Survey predicted a 7-10% chance of another 1811-12 size earthquake occurring within the next 50 years.

            The park itself occupies only 280 acres of land, and it is part of a much larger 25,000 acre wildlife refuge, some of which is maintained by the federal government and some of which is maintained by the State of Tennessee.  Hunting and fishing are the area's most popular attractions, but the park offers several short hiking trails that explore the area around the lake.  Two of those trails are described here: the 0.25 mile Cypress Boardwalk loop and the 1.25 mile out-and-back Keystone Trail.

Start of Cypress Boardwalk

            The Cypress Boardwalk forms a loop behind the park's Visitor Center, and even though it is only 0.25 miles long, it might be the park's best trail.  An asphalt approach trail soon reaches the start of the wooden boardwalk, which splits to form its loop.  I turned right and used the left boardwalk as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.

Hiking the Cypress Boardwalk

            As you walk the boardwalk, the type of wetland below you changes from swamp meadow to bald cypress forest to Reelfoot Lake itself.  Parts of this boardwalk were fairly old and in need of repair, but it got me across the wetlands safely.  I saw several herons and egrets while walking across this boardwalk, and bird watching would be excellent here during the migration season due to the lake's location in the heart of the Mississippi flyway.  An observation pier carries you a short distance out of the cypress forest and onto the open waters of Reelfoot Lake.  The water was rather choppy with a nice breeze blowing on the warm late May morning when I came here.

Reelfoot Lake

            Too soon the boardwalk curves left and returns you to the rear of the Visitor Center.  You can check out the eagle and raptor flight cages in the nearby aviary, but if you want to do a little more hiking, drive a short distance north to the park's Keystone Access where the 1.25 mile round-trip Keystone Trail begins.  From the signed trailhead at the far end of the parking lot, the dirt Keystone Trail heads north with the lake through the trees a couple hundred feet to the right.  Wooden plank bridges take you over some small waterways that feed the lake.

Hiking the Keystone Trail

            Although the Keystone Trail offers no broad lake views, some large trees live here including sycamore and basswood.  The understory includes a dense carpet of stinging nettle, so you have to make sure you stay on the trail to avoid this irritating shrub.  Because the Keystone Trail is an out-and-back, you can hike as far as you want and then turn around.  When I hiked here, several downed trees impeded my progress, so I hiked until I met a downed tree that was not worth trying to get around before turning around and heading back to the parking lot to complete my hike.