Caesar Creek State Park Perimeter Loop Trail
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked in March, 2021, a new Trail Guide download is now available.
County: Warren
Nearest town: Harveysburg
Length: 13 ½ mile loop
Difficulty: Hiking is moderate, route is well marked.
Permit/Fees: no cost permit required to camp. Permit can be obtained by calling the park office.
Contact: Park office (513) 897-3055.
Location: Wellman Meadows Trailhead is located off Oregonia Rd. This same road is used for and signed for Wellman Meadows Boat Ramp and Wellman Meadows Group Camp. N39° 29.175′ W84° 02.761′.
This Trailhead puts the official backpack campsite near the halfway point of the hike,. From exit #45 on I-71 (State Route 73) take SR 73 west for 4.0 miles and turn left onto Oregonia Road. Travel 2.3 miles on Oregonia Road and turn right onto the road leading to the Wellman Meadows Boat Ramp. The Trailhead parking lot is on the right.
Trail Facilities: A good location for beginning backpackers, the trail is generally packed earth and well blazed (yellow). The route passes near boat ramps, picnic areas and other facilities with water and restrooms (in season). There is one free backpack camp area available; located near the Day Camp Lodge.
Water: Potable water is available seasonally at multiple picnic areas and restrooms. It is also available year-round at the US Corps of Engineers Visitor Center. For those that really want to treat or filter their water, the trail crosses several creeks and is rarely far from Caesar Creek Lake.
Maps: ODNR Caesar Creek State Park trail map; Caesar Creek State Park Web Site;
Internet: ohiodnr.gov & Caesar Creek State Park Web Site
Local Information:
The trail is located within 3,741-acre Caesar Creek State Park, generally circling the lower portion of 2,830-acre Caesar Creek Lake which was built as a flood control reservoir in 1978 with the damming of Caesar Creek. The creek (and park) was named for an African American slave that was captured and later adopted by the Shawnee Tribe. The lake itself and some facilities are operated by the US Corps of Engineers. For the hiker, traveling between jurisdictions should be seamless.
The park sits on top of the Cincinnati Arch, a fold in the bedrock that, through subsequent erosion, resulted in the exposure of material that sat on the bottom of an ancient sea. The area is world famous for the large number of Ordovician Age fossils that can be found. In fact, the largest Trilobite fossil ever found in the western hemisphere was located in this area.
Much of the trail weaves through forest. The hillsides and ridges are mostly oak-hickory or beech-maple forests with Northern Flood Plain Forest in the valley. Hackberry, river birch and sycamore add to the mix in these areas. There are healthy populations of deer and raccoons to be seen and waterfowl are plentiful on the lake itself. Also, bald eagles have been spotted on a regular basis.
The hike:
There are several options for starting points, but if camping, the Wellman Meadows Trailhead breaks the hike into two reasonably even parts. Starting from the Wellman Meadows Trailhead parking and going clockwise, the trail can be reached after a short road walk from the parking lot and immediately enters the forest. Yellow blazes and signage at most intersections make this a relatively easy trail to follow. The clay soil of the area tends to hold moisture and you’ll known fairly quickly if you’re in for a muddy hike or not. The rolling terrain of the first section of the trail is a good warm up and Flat Fork Falls (also known as Horseshoe Falls) is an early highlight, less than a mile in.
Soon after the falls the trail travels through the “cut” of the dam’s emergency spillway, staying above, but near the lake.
Once through the spillway, the trail reenters the woods while having a more finished look with a gravel path and fencing alongside. You’ll walk right by the Flat Fork recreation area with picnic shelters, play equipment and restrooms at the parking lot. Walking past the restroom, continue out onto Clarksville Road and turn right.
At this point, the Perimeter Trail joins with the Buckeye Trail (blue blazes) and the route crosses the lake’s dam before reaching the US Corps of Engineer’s Visitor Center which provides a picnic shelter, year-round open restrooms and some interesting displays.
When the lake was built, several roads were cut off by the rising water and abandoned in the park. A couple of these are incorporated into the trail. Keep an eye out for yellow arrows on the pavement.
The latest hike was completed in the early spring, during the week. There were few other hikers out and it made for a very quiet hike. Canada Geese could be heard regardless of whether the lake was in sight or not and doves, as well as a few other birds, added their own soft calls as well. During the summer, especially on weekends, the lake is often busy with motorboats which can affect the experience considerably….
The complete, updated Trail Report is now available.
