Date: 04/25/2020 – Distance: 8.3 mi – Elapsed Time: 5.5 hr – Ascent: 1093 ft – Descent: 1050 ft – Difficulty: Hard (distance with some climbs)
Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve is an absolute gem of a place. A beautiful lake and several trails with some amazing cliffs and incredible wildflowers. It’s tucked far away from any major city in southern Ohio, near the town of Jackson off US 35. Follow the GPS coordinates to the parking lot below.
Stone marker at the trailhead.
At the edge of the parking lot, however I took the Pine Ridge Trail west of the parking area.
The “other” start of the Pine Ridge Trail.
This kind of resembles those old CCC markers I’ve seen.
The Pine Ridge Trail immediately drops into a gorge toward the lake.
Looking back from an intersecting trail.
I continued on the Pine Ridge Trail and would come back and get the Calico Bush Trail later.
Light Purple Violets.
Looking back.
Large Flowered Trillium, Ohio’s state wildflower.
There is a loud waterfall sound ahead. I think it’s the lake.
Big Leaf Magnolia grows here.
I see an opening ahead.
It’s Lake Katharine.
This cliff is right at the south end of the dam.
The Bluets were amazing on the dam.
Bluets
The opposite side of the dam. That loud rushing water is coming from here.
There’s a waterfall with a bridge over the top.
The cut through the rock here looks manmade.
I found a trail to the bottom of the falls.
It is the spillway to the lake dam.
From the bridge.
I spent several minutes here. It’s pretty beautiful and there was a nice breeze.
Star Chickweed
Wild Geranium
Dwarf Crested Iris, I believe.
Rather large cliff with a shallow recessed cave.
Interesting how this cliff edge is nearly a right angle. Looks natural.
A waterfall.
Another recessed cave.
Beautiful colors on these maple seeds.
Watch your step.
The woods change suddenly.
I think this is a Crane-Fly Orchid.
Descending towards a river now.
These Trout Lily’s are done.
Foamflower with a bee on it.
Almost to the river level, there’s a lot going on here. The blue flowers are Phlox and Jacob’s Ladder.
Beautiful Bulbous Bittercress.
Jacob’s Ladder.
Redbud.
The trail curves back and follows under the rim we were just on.
The flowers under the leaves of the Mayapples are finally ready to bloom.
River on the left, and cliff on the right.
Purple Woodsorrel or False Shamrock.
Heartleaf Foamflower.
Milk Vetch?
This intersection has four options. I came from the Pine Ridge Trail straight ahead. The trail to he left and straight is the Calico Bush Trail. Trail to the left leads back to the parking area. The trail behind me is the Salt Creek Trail, which I took.
The Salt Creek Trail.
These hemlocks seem to prefer glowing in these conditions.
This is a great cliff.
Overlook.
White Violets growing on the cliff.
Blue Cohosh.
You can see the erosion in process here.
The “long loop” of the Salt Creek Trail.
I took the Long Loop of course.
Virginia Bluebell.
The Virginia Bluebells were everywhere.
This trail is actually a spike trail off of the Salt Creek Trail called Buzzard Roost Spur Trail.
The spur trail ends at a river with a cliff on the immediate other side.
That pink Bluebell was one of the only ones.
These little birds lived in the holes in the cliff. I thought they were bats flying around.
I think it’s a Martin.
Back on the Salt Creek Trail.
This is where your discarded trash goes. It will get to the ocean eventually.
Old railroad track.
I guess this could have been an old railroad, or a mining track.
Trail turns right, but the old railway continues to the park entrance.
Evidence of a prior homestead.
Once I got back to the parking lot, I decided to do the Lakeview Loop Trail. To get to it you actually go back to the Pine Ridge Trail where I started, then the Lakeview Loop Trail goes uphill to the left. It is a fairly new trail and is unlabeled at it’s start. This sign is further down the trail where the loop starts.
It follows the ridgeline for a bit.
Then makes a turn downhill.
Then you come to the lake.
Lake Katharine.
Where do you think those balloons you let go into the air end up?
The trail follows the south shore of the lake back toward the dam.
Something is eating the bark off of the bottom of the hemlock trees.
Coming up on the dam.
Looks like an orchid.
The trail starts climbing the hill.
Whorled Pogonia Orchid.
Very large burl.
Now I’m on the Calico Bush Trail. I have no idea what these numbered signs mean.
Looking back at the Pine Ridge Trail intersection.
Dwarf Crested Iris.
This fence is a study area to protect the area from deer eating the vegetation. They like the trillium.
Coming up on the four way intersection I was at earlier.
I took the first right this time, toward the parking lot.
This old tractor is along the road coming into the park.
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