10 Mile Hike @ Clear Creek Metro Park near Lancaster, OH - Difficult

Meeting Time: 9:30 AM - (Arrive at Clear Creek around 10:30 AM) Meeting Place: Carpool from the Groveport Giant Eagle Drive Time: (from Giant Eagle to Clear Creek) about 1 hour Hiking Distance: 10 miles Estimated Hike Time: 6 hours Difficulty: Difficult We will be starting from the Ironwood Picnic area parking lot, taking the Chestnut, Fern, and Hemlock Trails. The trail is long and strenuous, so bring a packed lunch and plenty of water. We will find a good place to sit and have on the trail. We will most likely decide on a restaurant to stop and eat at on the drive home, too. Clear Creek Valley is one of the most pristine and secluded natural areas in Central Ohio. Variations of land surfaces, soils and climates have produced a medley of habitats that harbor more than 800 plant species and 150 species of birds, many of them rare. You may catch a glimpse of turkey, deer, ruffed grouse, coyote, black vultures or even see the traces of the elusive bobcat along the park's 14 miles of trails. Centuries of glacial flooding have cut the valley through the Black Hand sandstone leaving an array of scenic cliffs and rugged rock formations overlooking the creek. Oak and hickory forests interspersed with giant hemlocks and ferns, along with the last remaining Ohio colonies of rhododendron, provide the perfect backdrop or a getaway from city life.