Date: 10/27/2019 – Distance: 12.3 mi – Elapsed Time: 5.75 hr – Ascent: 971 ft – Descent: 1010 ft – Difficulty: Hard (distance)
I grew up nearby in Newark and when I was a teenager, I rode this bike trail a lot. However, I never went off of the bike trail, aside from a short hike to the old railroad tunnel and the gorge overlook. I wanted to see the rest of this park on a hike this time. I never realized how diverse this place is. The cliffs are amazing and the quarry and tunnel are pretty neat. There is also a preserved canal lock here as well, as the Erie canal ran through here long ago. There’s other history here as well, as there used to be a large black hand on the cliff wall where the tunnel runs underneath the rock on the Licking River which flows through the gorge. Unfortunately, the big hand was blasted away by the canal builders when the canal was built. The theory about the hand was that it was a symbol of peace and neutrality put up by the Native Americans to different tribes who used to use the area nearby to collect flint for their arrow heads.
I only classify this as a “Hard” hike because of the over 12 miles of distance I covered. Other than that the hills are not too difficult. There are a lot of non-bike trails here, which I never realized were so many. I did not do the entire length of the bike trail and I missed one hiking trail, the Chestnut Trail. I will definitely be back here. I’ve included many waypoints below so you can decide which ones you really want to see for yourself.
I began my hike at the far east side of the Preserve at the main parking lot at the corner of Toboso Road and Gratiot Road.
Less than a quarter mile down the bike trail is the trail marker for the Buttonbush and Quarry Rim Trail.
This doe was concerned but didn’t startle. She was on the initial part of the trail which passes around a swamp.
The Buttonbush Trail connects back up with the bike trail, but then also continues to the Quarry Trail.
Start of the Quarry Trail.
Along the Quarry Trail, you start to see cliffs.
Another deer was spotted.
The trail is made up of weathered sandstone and quartz which the sandstone contains.
Then you arrive at an old quarry. This wall was where the large blocks were cut from.
The blocks were hauled by cart to the railroad just on the other side of the water, which wasn’t there when the quarry was active.
They harvested a lot of sandstone from this quarry to build locks on the canal, bridges, building foundations, and most notably glass bottles.
Down closer to water level.
I found a path to the water’s edge. Just beyond this point you end up back at the bike trail.
This railroad, crosses the river and is still active.
This bike trail was an old railroad.
I continued along the bike trail admiring the beautiful scenery in this gorge.
River Birch
Partridgeberry
After walking about 1.25 miles along the bike trail, I turned back and took it all the way back to the beginning.
Just past the overhead bridge, I came upon the “Deep Cut”, which was blasted for the old railroad.
On the east end of the Deep Cut, there is a view on the south side of the bike trail of the quarry.
On the north side of the bide trail is the Licking River and if you go down to the river you can see a very impressive cliff face. This is where the big black hand used to be before they blasted it away during canal construction. You can still see the old towpath.
Continuing along the bike trail back to the beginning.
After arriving back at the parking lot, I drove across the bridge over the Licking River on Toboso Road to another parking lot on the right side of the road.
Actoss the road is the trailhead for the Canal Trail.
Just a short distance down the Canal Trail you come to “Lock 16” on the left.
At the lock, there is a small trail which leads to the river and a large gravel “beach”.
Back on the Canal Trail, if you continue past the lock, you come to a tunnel.
Coming out the far side of the tun
After exiting the tunnel there is a trail to the left which climbs to the top of a hill. At the top is a spectacular view from the top of the “Black Hand” cliff over the Licking River.
Across the river is the bike trail where I took the picture of the rock face earlier.
There is a good sized clearing up on top.
Back down on the Canal Trail, I continued. This is the back side of the “Black Hand” cliff.
And there is a trail which goes around to the front of the cliff too.
The old tow path.
Eventually the Canal Trail ends at this sign. I like to obey rules, so I turned around.
Coming back to the tunnel entrance.
From inside the tunnel.
After the Canal Trail, I drove to the North Parking Lot where there was one more trail I wanted to do called the Marie Hickey Trail.
Marie Hickey Trailhead.
The Marie Hickey Trail veers off of the oil pump road to the right.
I wanted a closer look at the oil pump first.
The woods are scenic on the Marie Hickey Trail.
A mix of Hardwoods and Pines.
There’s even a small gorge.
The head of the gorge.
Looking down into the gorge.
There is a spike loop trail called the Oak Knob Trail, which I or course took.
There were some mysterious concrete formations along this trail.
The Oak Knob Trail rejoins the Marie Hickey Trail and the entire loop ends back at the North Parking Lot.
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