Hiking with Doc

20210821 – Thompson Ledges Township Park

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Date: 08/21/2021 – Distance: 2.3 mi – Elapsed Time: 1.5 hr – Ascent: 299 ft – Descent: 233 ft – Difficulty: Medium

Thompson Ledges Township Park in Geauga County is a small 66 acre park which features some picnic areas and some amazing cliffs along with a few miles of trails.

Historic marker tells more about the park.
A little more history on the other side.
This sign is right after you turn in the drive.
Parking area.
There are restrooms on the side of the caretakers house.
Dedication plaque.
Picnic shelter.
The trails go along the top or below the cliffs. This staircase descends the cliff behind the picnic shelter.
The boardwalk goes along the top for a little.
There is a couple decks to the staircase.
It’s a long way down.
This sandstone has quartz pebbles in it. It’s called Sharon Conglomerate.
The sign says there are cameras.
Cool layering.
Looking back at the staircase.
Honeycomb weathering.
The trail follows the base.
Mosses and ferns cover the rocks.
Hemlock pines grow right on the rocks.
Some of the cliffs are straight up.
Others have crevices.
This one is curved.
I actually returned here and went through this squeeze.
Remnants of human habitation.
The trail goes under this overhang.
They contoured the boardwalk around this rock.
Reminds me of Hocking Hills which has the same rock.
Ferns are common here.
These large slump blocks separated from the cliff.
It’s a very scenic place.
Spring.
Cool mushroom.
Further away from the cliff the trail is more like an access road.
I turned back toward the cliffs.
Sometimes there are crevices large enough to go into.
The trail actually goes through this one.
At one time the rocks were connected. The separatrd rock on the right is called a slump block.
This one will eventually “slump”.
This area reminded me of a stage.
Stairs to the “stage”.
There is a trail up on top as well.
Pokeweed.
You feel small here.
Mosses cover some of the rocks.
Black Cerries.
I took this narrow passage to the top.
It was a tight squeeze.
I made it.
The top of the cliffs.
There is a tennis court here.
Looking over the edge.
The ground here is the same composition as the rocks.
There is a gazebo.
There was a wedding to be held here later. I met the bride, while she was setting up…
The view from the gazebo.
Looking down to the large slump block from earlier.
Another view below.
Partridge Berry.
This trail will take you back down. I would return here to check out a sand dunes someone told me about later. I had not gone this far before, when I was below.
A radio tower at the edge of the park.
This is an acorn gall caused by a wasp.
Maybe Chicken of the Woods.
The trail at the top wraps around the back edge of the park.
I returned to the cliffs and descended where the rail was earlier.
There’s the sand. The dude I saw, called it the “beach.”
It is steep and deep. Difficult to climb. It’s private property on the top.
These are spent Ghost Pipes.
Coming back to the parking lot.

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