Edge of Appalachia

Last weekend we headed south of Grove City toward Lancaster, OH for a hike at Clear Creek Metropark and Nature Preserve. About 20 minutes or so on the road and we began to see telltale signs of hill country.

A few bumps...
Wooded hills and small farms...

Nicely rolling topography...

Bedrock in the road cuts...

Roads named after interesting things (rather than per some XY grid)...

Old barns and silos...

Log cabins...hmm...we were very intrigued and were not surprised to learn, upon some subsequent geographic research, that...

...we'd actually entered Appalachia (or were at least on the edge)!!:


Upon arriving at Clear Creek Nature Preserve we enjoyed....

Towering trees (L: White Oak, R: Black Cherry):


Lush forest floor:


Whimsical rock outcrops:


Colorful fungi:


Seeps:


Well done trails:

Moss covered boulders:


Dry ridges of Chestnut Oak forest:


Eastern Hemlock forest:


Clear streams:


Interesting flora such as...

American Holly:


Deerberry:

Rattlesnake Plantain (an orchid):


Mountain Laurel:


Striped Wintergreen:


Pink Ladyslipper (another orchid):


Rattlesnake Hawkweed:


Jennifer contemplating the deep forest:


Steve sizing up a nice rock outcrop:


This place was so much fun we went back the very next day!