Shawnee Prairie Preserve (Blog Hike #523)

Trails: (numerous)

Hike Location: Shawnee Prairie Preserve

Geographic Location: west of Greenville, OH (40.09901, -84.64652)

Length: 1.8 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: June 2015

Overview: A figure-eight hike through many different habitats.

Park Information: http://www.darkecountyparks.org/shawnee-prairie-preserve-nature-center/

Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Greenville, take SR 502 west 0.9 miles to the signed preserve entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the preserve, and park in the blacktop lot in front of the Nature Center.

The hike: Located just west of Greenville, 118 acre Shawnee Prairie Preserve is the crown jewel of the Darke County Park District.  The preserve’s name comes from the fact that the Shawnee village known as Prophetstown was at least partly located within the preserve’s current boundaries.  The village was founded by Shawnee leader Tecumseh’s brother, a man known as the Prophet, and in the early 1800’s it became a meeting place for native peoples attempting to defend their lands.  The preserve has few amenities, but it features a small Nature Center that contains some interesting exhibits about the prairie and the Darke County Park District’s relatively short history.

            On a personal note, I lived in southwestern Ohio until 2005, and I viewed Darke County as a rural farmland county with no parks or hiking destinations.  When I realized I would be in the Greenville area and started researching hikes for my trip, I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity and quality of hiking options in the Darke County Park District.  The park district has come a long way in a short time, and for that it is to be commended.

            Shawnee Prairie Preserve offers 8 trails that total just over 2 miles in length, so numerous hiking routes are possible.  The figure-eight route described here takes you roughly around the perimeter of the preserve.  In so doing, this hike features a mix of forest, wetland, and prairie habitat while visiting every major point of interest in the preserve.

Information kiosk at trailhead

After picking up a trail map at the Nature Center, start the hike at the information kiosk located to the right and in front of the Nature Center as you walk out the front door.  Cross the blacktop path and pick up the Ancient Oaks Trail, a plastic-type boardwalk that heads into the woods.  Trails at Shawnee Prairie Preserve are marked with blue carsonite posts bearing a symbol related to the trail name (an oak leaf, in this case).

            The Ancient Oaks Trail heads east into the lush forest, which does contain some large oak trees.  In less than 200 feet, the Deer Run Trail exits left and leaves the boardwalk.  This intersection forms the northern lobe of this figure-eight-shaped hike.  For no particular reason, this description will turn left here and use the remainder of the boardwalk that heads straight as its return route, thus hiking our northern loop clockwise.

Deer Run Trail leaves boardwalk

            The Deer Run Trail continues your eastward course through dense wet forest.  I got attacked by a thick swarm of mosquitoes here, but the mosquito threat lessened as I proceeded down the trail.  At 0.2 miles, you reach a wooden observation tower that gives a nice northward view across some newly acquired park prairie land.  SR 502 lies at the other side of this prairie.

Observation tower view, looking north

            Past the tower, the trail curves right to head south toward Mud Creek, which it reaches just before 0.4 miles.  The Deer Run Trail ends here, and two other options present themselves.  The Woodcock Prairie Trail angles left to cross Mud Creek on a wooden bridge while the Farmer’s Lane Trail goes right.  The Farmer’s Lane Trail will be our eventual route back to the Nature Center, but to see the southern section of the preserve, angle left to cross Mud Creek.  The trail forks again just after crossing the bridge to form the second loop of this hike, this one through the area south of Mud Creek.  I chose to stay left and hike the southern loop clockwise.

Bridge over Mud Creek

            The Woodcock Prairie Trail heads south with the tallgrass prairie on your right and man-made Appenzeller Ditch on your left.  The ditch reminds you that most of this area was a wetland before it was drained to provide more acreage for farming.  An active railroad line and a gravel access road appear just beyond the southern preserve boundary as you pass the preserve’s walk-in gate.  The walk-in gate provides pedestrian access to the preserve when the Nature Center parking lot is closed.  A model airfield also lies just south of the preserve, and occasionally a model airplane may wander from the airfield and zoom over your head.

Hiking the Woodcock Prairie Trail

            1 mile into the hike, the Woodcock Prairie Trail curves sharply right at a trail intersection, but this description continues straight to hike the Beaver Path.  Very quickly you cross a nice wooden bridge over a wetland that feeds Mud Creek, which lies just to your left.  At 1.2 miles, you close the southern loop.  Angle left to cross the bridge back over Mud Creek, then turn left again to continue the northern loop on the trail called Farmer’s Lane.

View south from observation deck

            Farmer’s Lane quickly enters another prairie, where you need to angle right to stay on the official trail.  Lowland forest lies to the right while the prairie opens up to the left.  At 1.5 miles, you intersect the southern end of the boardwalk on which you started the hike.  Before turning right to head back to the Nature Center, turn left to hike to the boardwalk’s southern terminus, which is a wooden observation deck that gives a nice view of the surrounding prairie.  After viewing the prairie, walk the entire length of the boardwalk from south to north to return to the Nature Center and complete the hike.

Turkeyfoot Preserve (Blog Hike #522)

Trail: (unnamed)

Hike Location: Turkeyfoot Preserve

Geographic Location: southwest of Greenville, OH (40.07524, -84.65229)

Length: 1.7 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: June 2015

Overview: A lollipop loop through restored prairie and wetland habitat.

Park Information: http://www.darkecountyparks.org/turkeyfoot-preserve/

Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Greenville, take SR 121 south 2.2 miles to Bishop Road.  Turn right on Bishop Road.  The signed and paved preserve parking area is 0.2 miles ahead on the right.

The hike: Established only in 2005, Darke County Parks’ Turkeyfoot Preserve protects 60 acres of wetlands and restored prairie southwest of Greenville.  The park is named for the big bluestem plant, a prairie grass that produces a flower head shaped like a turkey’s foot.  The good sightlines of the open prairie make Turkeyfoot Preserve a good bird watching destination during spring and fall bird migrations.

Information kiosk and vehicle gate at trailhead

The preserve is accessed by a single hiking trail that starts at the rear of the parking lot.  An information kiosk and a vehicle gate mark the trailhead.  The gravel entrance trail follows an abandoned railroad bed with the preserve on your left and active farm fields on your right.  Some large basswood trees live to the right of the trail and separate you from the field.

At 0.3 miles, the trail curves sharply left to cross a man-made ditch that flows through a pipe under the trail.  The ditch contained plenty of water on my visit.  Just after crossing the ditch, you enter the restored prairie and reach the trail fork that forms the loop.  For no particular reason, I continued straight and used the trail going right as my return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

Trail splits to form loop

            The trail curves left, climbs slightly, and reaches a wooden prairie observation deck at 0.4 miles.  The observation deck sits at a high point of land and therefore gives a great view of the surrounding prairie.  An interpretive sign tells you that this prairie has been named the Tawaskote Menitsa Prairie for an American Indian who was one of the Darke County Park District’s first commissioners.  Also known by the English name Susan F. Gray, Menitsa served as commissioner for 35 years and worked hard to preserve prairies such as this one.  On the hot summer morning I came here, I saw several red-winged blackbirds while standing on this observation deck.

View from observation deck

Past the observation deck, the trail curves right as it passes through the southern end of the prairie.  0.7 miles into the hike, you reach a spur trail that exits left to cross Mud Creek on a wooden bridge.  Notice the concrete supports under this bridge, an indication that a bridge was here long before the preserve was established.  The short spur trail gives a nice view of Mud Creek’s restored wetlands.  During pioneer times Mud Creek created a large wetland area southwest of Greenville, but drainage for the purpose of farming ensures that it flows in a well-defined channel today.

Bridge over Mud Creek

Mud Creek

Back on the main loop, you head into the northern section of the prairie as active farm fields appear directly ahead.  A large number of toads hopped across the recently-mowed grass trail in front of me.  Some seasonal ponds lie to your right, but they never come into view.  After curving right, you close the loop at 1.4 miles.  Turn left and retrace your steps another 0.3 miles to the trailhead to complete the hike.