Deer Creek State Park: Rolling Hills Trail (Blog Hike #903)

Trail: Rolling Hills Trail
Hike Location: Deer Creek State Park
Geographic Location: northeast of Washington Court House, OH (39.62174, -83.23629)
Length: 3.2 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: October 2022
Overview: An out-and-back connecting the park's lodge and campground.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/deer-creek-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=923623
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Washington Court House, take US 62 north 12 miles to Cook Yankeetown Road.  Turn right on Cook Yankeetown Rd.  Drive Cook Yankeetown Rd. east 4 miles to the state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park and drive the main park road 2.8 miles to the lodge parking lot.  The Rolling Hills Trail starts at the northeast corner of the large lodge parking lot.

The hike: Located on the eastern edge of the vast Till Plains, Deer Creek State Park protects 3564 acres around Deer Creek Lake.  The park is more or less a resort park for nearby Columbus, as it offers nearly every amenity.  On point, the park features a full-service lodge, a 200+ site developed campground, the historic Harding Cabin, boating, swimming, and fishing on Deer Creek Lake, a golf course, a disc golf course, a dog park, 17 miles of bridle trails, and several picnic areas.

            For hikers, the park offers several hiker-only trails, but most of these trails are short loops of less than 1 mile in length.  The exception is the Rolling Hills Trail described here, which is a 1.6 mile route connecting the park's lodge and campground.  If you have 2 cars in your hiking group, you could park one at the lodge and the other at the campground to set up a vehicle shuttle; otherwise you will need to retrace your steps.  Although I have read that trail maintenance has been an issue here in the past, the trail had recently been cleared when I hiked here in early October, and I had a pleasant hike.

Lodge trailhead

            Several trails start at the northeast corner of the lodge parking lot; the Rolling Hills Trail starts at point N.  A sign that reads "Rolling Hills Trail to camp 2 miles one way" and a newer sign with a trail map mark this trailhead.  Marked with yellow paint blazes, the trail descends slightly to reach a creekside trail intersection with the red-blazed Van Horn Trail, which is one of the short hiker-only loops mentioned above.  Turn left as the two trails run conjointly to cross a creek on a wooden footbridge.

Footbridge over first creek

            After crossing the creek, turn right where the Van Horn Trail exits left.  Look for the yellow blazes here to make sure you stay on the right trail.  For the next mile the trail assumes a northbound lakeside course as it dips in and out of many ravines.  The difference in elevation between ravine and ridgetop is only about 30 vertical feet, but you will go up and down that 30 feet many times.  Some of the wooden bridges in the ravines look suspicious, but they all got me across their bridged watercourses without incident.

Partially obstructed lake view

            The forest at Deer Creek features some large oaks and some osage orange trees, and it also features a dense understory of honeysuckle that seems to grow everywhere.  Some partially obstructed lake views can be had to the right, but no developed lake overlooks emerge.  After topping a ridge near 0.8 miles, you pass a sign that says "Halfway Point," which of course marks more or less the midpoint of this trail.

Hiking away from the lake

            Past the Halfway Point, the trail dips into a broader ravine before curving left to head away from the lake.  A more sustained climb comes next, but the grade remains gradual to moderate.  Some wastewater ponds can be smelled but not seen to the left, and climbing the creek bank after a final creek crossing may be the steepest part of this hike.

Arriving at the campground

            At 1.6 miles, the trail ends at the park's campground.  Walking the park road back to the lodge is much longer than hiking the trail, so unless you arranged a vehicle shuttle your best option is to retrace your steps 1.6 miles to the lodge to complete the hike.  While you are here, try one of the park's shorter nature trails, or throw some plastic at the park's disc golf course, which is located near the campground.