Oh. My. Goodness. This last year has been a bear. Ohio winter is never that pleasant. The gray days seem to be endless. There is very little sunlight, and there’s not even enough snow for it to “fun”. It’s just blah- do you Ohioans agree? And 2020-21 we have been dealing with COVID, and little interaction with other humans. Personally I’ve been teaching from home for a year and rarely leaving the house…it’s been a struggle. So I’ve been so excited that spring has started to rear its head. And this past weekend was a perfect time to get outside and take part in one of my favorite activities- hiking! In addition, I got to do it with my favorite being- Oliver the dog! Accompanied by the equally sweet and adorable Riley, we headed to Earl H Barnhart “Buzzard Roost” Nature Preserve.
Earl H Barnhart “Buzzard Roost” Nature Preserve
The destination: Earl H Barnhart “Buzzard Roost” nature preserve. Buzzard’s roost nature preserve is over 1000 acres of scenic country in Ross county. It is a bit over an hours drive to arrive from Columbus.
The park is dog friendly and offers six different trails. Only two of the trails are over 2 miles long (and just barely over that) and the rest are just short little hikes but the scenery was beautiful. There is a pretty large parking lots and also very clean restrooms and park shelter for use.
I’ve done lots of hikes around Ohio, and this is now up there as one of my favorites. The day that we hiked, the temperatures were moderate, the leaves were still not back on the trees, and I still just adored it. I can’t imagine how much I would love it in the spring or summer with all the lush greenery.
Hiking at Buzzard’s Roost
At the Nature Preserve we hiked two separate trails. The 5 miles that we hiked, we went past babbling brooks, crumbling remains of an old home, a cemetery, deep ravines and waterfalls.
South Point Lookout Trail
We started with the south point Lookout Trail. This trail offers a look-out that is absolutely gorgeous. The highest point is 600 feet above the lowest point. After hiking about a mile, you arrive to the first lookout, which involves a little waterfall. Oliver was feeling very brave. Or was he just thirsty?
But seriously, there are no barriers or fencing to keep you from going over the edge. You’re not going to accidentally fall over the side, so don’t worry, just be smart.
From that first lookout, the path continues along the rim. There were really two trails: one closer to the edge, and another one nearby, but more into the woods. Oliver and I are both clearly daredevils, so we followed the former.
After a short distance we reached that part that I imagine is THE Buzzard Roost. This stone overlook looks out over Paint Creek. It was a bit of a steep walk down to the overlook, so I didn’t take Oliver, but it was great picturesque spot.
The majority of the trail parallels the edge of the gorge. About halfway through the South Point Lookout trail there is a short trail that you can take to Blueberry Falls but we opted not to do that. This is also the point where we came across the THIRD beautiful lookout stone crop. Oliver got especially daring here, hugging the edges.
There was yet ANOTHER gorge overlook and waterfall before making it back to the entrance.
You get it, it’s a beautiful trail. It was really well marked, with red paint on the trees to indicate where to go. The trail was pretty moderately trafficked but it is a loop. It was great for walking but would also be good for running because it’s pretty flat. Dogs are able to use this trail and while it is 2.2 miles long, the elevation gain was about 300 feet.
Hoggard Trail
After returning to the parking log, we decided to do a second trail. The longest trail at Earl H Barnhart “Buzzard Roost” nature preserve is the Hoggard Trail. This trail had a significantly less amount of people, which I loved! It was a bit muddy in places but otherwise beautiful.
Hoggard Trail was a 2.5 mile loop, so after crossing the wooden bridge you can go left or right. We went left, and after less than a mile we came across the the Hoggard homestead and cemetery.
The Hoggard trail runs along a former road that was not very heavily trafficked and therefore closed during the great depression. This is why it passes by the remains of the old Hoggard Homestead and also a cemetery of the Hoggard family, dating from the 1800s.
The Hoggard Trail also passes by a beautiful gorge, and the aforementioned babbling brooks. Don’t miss this trail during your visit!
All the trails were easily passable, with clear markings on the trees to indicate which way to go. I read some other reviews of the trail saying they were overgrown. All I could tell is that they may become overrun with flowers. Look at these amazing reminders that spring is around the corner- flowers peeking their heads out!
Manchester Hill Winery
If you are familiar with my bog, you know that I love to follow up a hike with a trip to a winery or a brewery. Like this adventure, to Blackhand Gorge Sate Nature Preserve and Sand Hollow Winery. Or this trip to Cesar Creek State Park, when we stopped at TinCap Winery. This week after my hike I stopped at Manchester Hill Winery in Circleville, about a 40 minute drive from where we hiked.
This winery, located on the on the owners property, was a darling little spot, owned by people who have a passion for their craft. They have a great porch that is dog friendly, and several wines to choose from, as well as a few ciders. You can do a tasting of 6 wines for 6 dollars. The majority of the wines are dry white wines, but there were several sweet, flavored wines. They also have snacks, and I loved the cheese board. They had a local musician playing, and they owners, who were also the servers, were very informative and super sweet. I definitely recommend this spot if you are in the area!
Tis the season, to get some hiking in! I’m often amazed at what Ohio has to offer, I feel pretty passionate that there is always an adventure waiting to happen within reach. I can’t wait for my next adventure, and I hope I helped you to find your next hiking destination. Let me know if you have suggestions in the comments. A bientôt!
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