Date: 12/05/2021 – Distance: 3.1 mi – Elapsed Time: 1.5 hr – Ascent: 443 ft – Descent: 381 ft – Difficulty: Medium
You can see downtown Columbus from this ridge, roughly 20 miles away, and the homestead at the top of the ridge is amazing. This is my third hike of the Columbus and Franklin Park Metro Parks Winter Hike Challenge. I have to do 6 assigned parks each month for 3 months, and a total of 18 to complete the challenge.
Chestnut Ridge Metro Park is located just southeast of Canal Winchester, Ohio. It is 486 acres in size and features a few miles of trails as well as a dedicated mountain bike trail to the west. The park sits on a ridge on the west end of the Appalachian Plateau and marks the beginning of the southern extent of the last ice age glaciers in Ohio, and as such the beginning of the hills in southeastern Ohio.
The sign at the entrance.
I parked at the second lot.
Map of the trails. You can see the park entrance on the northeast side.
Be sure to check out the More Photos link below to read these profiles. All about the raptors here.
There was an old springhouse here.
Some history of the springhouse.
They turned some of the stones into an education area.
Oak is the dominant species in Ohio.
This is a big Red Oak.
Climb That Hill.
The first parking lot.
This is a glacial erratic, a non-native stone brought from Canada by the last ice age.
This boardwalk skirts along the top of an old sandstone quarry.
Learn about invasive species and what you can do to prevent the demise of the species they prey upon. The Emerald Ash Borer killed virtually all of the Ash trees in Ohio.
This kiosk talks about the quarry here.
You can see a little cliff there. It was a small quarry, where they cut the sandstone away.
In the same area as the quarry was a Chestnut Grove.
It was a good wood.
And then we lost all of them to disease.
A message appropriate for the times.
The views from the tops of the ridge can be great.
There’s an observation deck ahead.
It’s pretty good sized.
You can see the downtown Columbus skyline from here.
Have to watch out for these nuts falling in the fall.
Life feeds life.
This place inspired early settlers.
Here is the Emerald Ash Borer damage to an Ash tree, now dead. Notice the squiggly lines on the wood. These insects lay their eggs just under the bark, and the larvae eat the live portion of the tree, which cuts off the flow of water and nutrients within the tree, eventually killing it.
The trails are quite wide in this park.
Heading into a pine plantation.
This area was once a homestead. Notice how well manicured it looks.
It’s like a garden up here. These are crab apples.
A grape arbor.
Most of the trees up here are well kept.
Kiosk describing the old homesite.
The foundation still remains.
What a beautiful tree.
Kiosk describing some of the plants found on this site.
There are good views from up here too. I can’t imagine living here.
This tree is a Witchhazel.
It blooms in December.
A close eye can find evidence of previous human habitation.
I backtracked and continued on the loop around the park. There are some prairies on the southern side.
And another pine plantatiopn in the distance.
Honey Locust.
You often see those seed pods on the ground in the fall. They are like large lima beans.
Education is key to giving people a better appreciation for nature, and thus hopefully leading to better stewardship.
It’s a small stream but often times these are breeding grounds for fish and insects.
The Black Cherry trees are pretty big in Ohio. Much taller than a traditional cherry tree we eat, and these fruit are too sour.
They often grow tall and the canopy doesn’t spread too wide.
The leaves of this tree are on the ground just above the sign.
Dead Goldenrods in the prairie.
Don’t disturb these Bald Faced Hornets. They die off in the winter.
Paw Paw leaves.
These fruit are delicious in the fall and their scent in the groves are amazing when they are ripe.
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