Clear Creek Metro Park Hiking

 

A hike was on the agenda this weekend in Clear Creek Metro
Park. The park is very large with its 23,500 acres of land.
This weekend’s hike was along the Cemetery Ridge trail
which is 2.5 miles long. Most of which was a disappointing walk along an old gas well road.
We then headed across the upper meadow to the Hemlock
trail which was 1.5 miles of very rough paths through a thick forest and ravines. We had walked it in the spring and it
was prettier then because of water flowing along the
creek.This was a great trail for a good workout.
After coming down from the Hemlock trail we then
crossed the highway and hiked along the Meadow Trail
which is another 2 mile walk. This is a more
leisure walk and is filled with wildflowers on every side
which I enjoyed. Fisherman were trying to catch a few
fish from Clear Creek.

A View from Cemetery Ridge in Clear Creek Metro Park.
The weather was perfect for a hike with the camera.
We were looking for the cemetery of which it was named
but none was spotted. An old barn is on the ridge from
the previous owners  of the William’s family.

An upper meadow had fields of Sumac with their berries
ripening in the sun.

Thistles were in bloom in the meadow and the butterflies
and bees were enjoying it all.

 

Just a hint of what is to come was also present on this
one maple sapling.

 
The path down along the Meadow trail along Clear
Creek. Summer wildflowers were in bloom in mass
all along the trail.

Tick Trefoil

 

 
Green Headed Coneflowers that the bees were mad about.

 

 

Sweet Goldenrods in bloom everywhere.

Downey False Foxgloves

 
Jewel weed on Clear Creek banks.

 

The  Phlox were still blooming throughout the summer.

Red berries were around for the birds.

 

Along both sides of this section in the Meadow
trail were Scouring Rush Horse Tails.
Dry leaves crunched as we walked along the trail.

 

Masses of Black-eyed Susan’s

This little Bumble bee was enjoying the Green Headed Coneflowers with Horse Tail Rushes beyond.

Monarch’s love Thistle blooms.

Along the road into the park there is this massive
rock leaning across the road. Makes you want to
duck down as you drive under it.