We had some beautiful, sunny days in early Spring in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, being stuck in a windowless office for 8.5 hours a day means that I didn’t get to enjoy the wonderful weather until 5:30 P.M. Due to my prolonged incarceration, I had been feeling a little stir crazy. I’ve been planning all kinds of day trips and weekend getaways and trying to figure out how best to utilize my limited time and money. Then one weekend, I found myself with an entire day with nothing to do, and the weather was supposed to be warm and sunny. I wanted a relaxed day – none of this getting up at 5 A.M. business. So I chose a destination that is only about an hour northeast of Cincinnati: Yellow Springs, Ohio.
I chose this location for several reasons aside from its proximity and convenience. First, there are three different, awesome looking places to hike. (Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Clifton Gorge, and John Bryan State Park.) My main objective was to get my son and myself into some nature to breathe the fresh air, soak up the predicted sunshine, and listen to birdsong and other sounds of the forest. Another reason I chose Yellow Springs is because it is minutes away from the historic Clifton Mill, one of the largest water powered grist mills still in existence. Lastly, Yellow Springs is home to Young’s Jersey Dairy, a working dairy farm with delicious ice cream and lots of family fun things to do.
We began our day at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve . This preserve is made up of 1,000 acres of diverse landscapes of woods, fields, and streams and boasts waterfalls and a covered bridge. It is open daily and, as I discovered, the limited parking lot fills up quickly on beautiful Saturdays. The lot at the main entrance has an honor pay box for parking with a daily rate of $2. The Visitors Center and Trailside Museum were not open when we got there at 10:30 A.M. and there were no public bathroom facilities open either. Very poor planning on my part left me hiking for a couple of hours with an uncomfortably full bladder. I am not above peeing in the woods, but the area was so open and there were no leaves on the trees; popping a squat was not really an option, which leads me to my first tip: show up with an empty bladder!
My next tip is to take advantage of the very crude maps provided under the wooden sign or, better yet, come prepared with a map of the preserve. The trail is not marked at all from what I could tell, and there was a short period of time that I felt lost and thought I was going to have to backtrack to get out. Eventually, I figured it out and my son and I did not have to resort to drinking creek water and eating mushrooms, but I did not enjoy feeling so disoriented. Looking at the map now, I have discovered that we only hiked 1/3 of the Inman Trail and we didn’t even see the yellow spring for which the town is named. We did see the cascades (a waterfall) and had to cross some stepping stones to get across the creek, which my son found thrilling. It was a fun adventure and this discovery has only strengthened my resolve to return.
After emerging from the woods, I came upon the trail map that I had failed to notice prior to the start of our adventure. We left the now packed parking lot and headed to Clifton Mill – less than a 10 minute drive. The educational tour of the mill is only open Monday through Friday, so W and I had to console ourselves with a delicious stack of pancakes and homemade biscuits and sausage gravy. (The restaurant is open daily and breakfast is served all day.) After filling our bellies, we took a look around the gift shop and the grounds. There is a covered bridge that was not open for crossing that day. There is also a 1940s gas station museum and a log cabin located on the property, neither of which was open.
We had some time to kill before meeting up with my brother and his family, so we decided to take a look around the hippy oasis of central Ohio. Hours before, when W and I first drove down the streets of downtown Yellow Springs, all had been quiet. Now, under the glorious, blazing sun, the streets were packed with people, food vendors, dogs, and bikes. The parking situation was stressful and a spot was hard to find. After finally managing to park, W and I walked around the bustling streets. The Little Miami Scenic Trail runs through Yellow Springs and reminded me of the Loveland Bike Trail which is a section of this same 70+ miles trail.
There were street musicians and people sitting outside to enjoy the weather and a bite to eat or a cool drink. An assortment of eclectic shops and restaurants line the streets and I wished more than once that I had more time to explore them, especially a used book store found in a little area called the King’s Yard, a cluster of small shops and restaurants grouped around a grassy courtyard. You will not find a Starbucks or a chain store here. I will definitely be back to get a better look at some of the shops and maybe even visit their Farmers Market on Saturday mornings (May – November). My takeaway tip from this visit: get there early!
The last destination of the day was Young’s Jersey Dairy. Again, the travel time was less than 10 minutes and, by chance, I drove right past the Glen Helen Bridge, a covered bridge built in 1886. I parked on the side of the road, walked the short distance to the bridge, and marveled at its beauty and craftsmanship. A short time later, we were meeting my brother and his family at the dairy farm. (They live about an hour north of Yellow Springs, thus it was a perfect meet-up spot.) It was a magnificent day to play a round of miniature golf at Utters and Putters. After way too many strokes on the Barnyard Blitz course, we all enjoyed a delicious scoop (or two) of the rich, creamy ice cream. Cows were beheld, goats were petted, and play equipment was thoroughly utilized. In short, it was a terrific way to end the day. (You can read more about Young’s Jersey Dairy here.)
I look forward to further explorations of Yellow Springs, Ohio and its many outdoor recreational areas. I’d like to see Glen Helen Nature Preserve at its best – with leaves on the trees or, perhaps, with them turning and falling off. I’d also like the opportunity to hike in John Bryan State Park and to explore the Little Miami Scenic Trail that runs along the Little Miami River. In short, I want to go back, and, since it’s not at all far from Cincinnati, I’m certain that can easily be arranged.
