20191124 – Buzzard’s Roost Nature Preserve

Date: 11/24/2019 – Distance: 7.1 mi – Elapsed Time: 4.25 hr – Ascent: 922 ft – Descent: 928 ft – Difficulty: Medium

Buzzard’s Roost Nature Preserve is run by Ross County Parks District. It is located west of Chillicothe, Ohio, remotely tucked away in the hills. From Chillicothe, you can get there by taking Western Avenue west. Turn left on Polk Hollow Road, then a really sharp right on the one lane road called Red Bird Lane. Take Red Bird Lane to the parking area on the left.

This park is about 1200 acres and features a couple of deep gorges, one of which is the Paint Creek River Gorge, which was formed at the end of the last ice age. There are two main loop trails in this park: The South Point Lookout Trail and the Hoggard Trail. The first is about 2 miles and leads along the cliff rim above Paint Creek. The second is about 2.4 miles and passes by an old 1800’s era family homestead and cemetery. I did them both and in fact totaled about 7.1 miles because I took extra time to explore this beautiful park.

I started on the South Point Lookout Trail going clockwise from the main parking lot.

The trail enters a deciduous hardwood forest. The incline isn’t tough, but there are some slight climbs.

At about a half mile you begin to see a gorge ahead.

Right before the cliff, there is the Chilo Trail which bypasses the more dangerous portion of the rim.

When you arrive at the cliff on the edge of the gorge, the view is breathtaking. This is the Paint Creek Gorge and it’s purportedly 600 feet deep here, but it’s hard to judge. My GPS said I was at 987 feet and I know that the Scioto River which Paint Creek flows into in Chillicothe is around 600. So that would make it 400, but it’s pretty impressive. Perhaps there is a hill somewhere which makes up the other 200 feet.

There is a rather large cliff here. I didn’t venture out beyond the post in the middle of the photo above. The top of the rim is rather crumbly and it had rained the day before so it was still wet and there was a little mud which didn’t seem too stable. So I kept my distance. But I got some good shots.

It’s hard to see in the picture above, but there is a cave to the left of the cliff. The one below shows it a little better.

I spent some time taking in this view before moving on. The trail turns right here and follows along the cliff edge (following the red blazes).

You come to another intersecting trail called the Blueberry Trail, and like the Chilo Trail will rejoin the South Point Lookout Trail later. I continued on the red blazes.

Just past these mossy rocks, the trail turns back and away from the gorge. There is a no trespassing sign and a private property sidn when the trail turns right. The trail then heads through the woods and comes out at the A Frame House.

There is a pond on the right across from the A Frame House which has a really short trail that just goes around a small manmade pond. I did not take it, There is also a reservable picnic shelter with restrooms and an exhibit labelled the Restoration Camp which features a replica homestead complete with an outhouse, shelter, and some old farm tools.

From the Historical Camp, the loop trail continues along Red Bird Lane back to the main parking area. There is an educational center here with a platform made from an old home which used to be there and a fire ring. The fire ring can only be used for educational events organized by the park.

I then walked across the road from the parking area and found the trailhead to the Hoggard Trail Loop.

The Hoggard Trail begins with a small ascent, then levels out.

About 3/4 of a mile into the trail you come to an old homestead where the Hoggard Family lived. The foundation is still there.

Just past the homestead is the Hoggard Family Cemetery. The ranger told me it takes to before the 1800’s.

Beyond the Hoggard homestead, the there is an intersection going left which isn’t on the trailhead maps. The trail was closed due to selective logging activity. I always try to obey rules as they are there for a reason so I continued straight. This same closed trail loops back around again further down the trail.

Past the second closed trail and the trail turns right/south. It begins to descend into a ravine which eventually becomes a rather deep gorge, although nothing compared to Paint Creek Gorge. The trail turns around this gorge leading to the Natural Bathtub which is on the trailhead maps.

The trail then crosses over this stream and continues along the other side of the gorge.

The Hoggard Trail Loop ends at a small parking area just down the road from the main parking lot.

There is a plaque commemorating the Barnhart’s who so generously donated the original tract of land for this park to the Ross County Parks District. This plaque is at the picnic shelter.