Clear Creek Metro Park

 

A hike last week in parts of the large Clear Creek
Metro Park and Nature Preserve with my daughter
had some very pretty scenery and plants to offer.

Fishing is allowed along Clear Creek which runs through
the park and many were their trying their luck that warm day.

 

 

Written Rock which got its name from Native
American hieroglyphics found written upon the rock.
Of course now they are gone and ugly graffiti has
replaced them. People cause terrible destruction
to the natural beauty of our parks everyday.
Even the threat of arrest and fines does not
deter them. 

Deep budget cuts to  Ohio’s
Department of Natural Resources has caused
layoffs of Park Rangers and staff which leaves
the parks under funded, manned and policed.
Our Governor Strickland has cut funding to the
biggest tourist attractions in Ohio which is allowing
some of the parks to slowly get in run down condition.
Not enough staff leaves fallen trees blocking paths,
garbage, vandals and room for deviates to operate.
Is posting signs declaring the parks nature preserves
an  excuse to just let them go unmanned
instead of the true reason of lack of state funding?
We could afford new stone signing to put the governors
name on but not enough to keep employees.
I will speak further on this in future postings
because it is an election year and I want to see 
funding returned to the parks and the Ohio Historical
Center which has had drastic and detrimental effects.
The states parks are now free but will they be forced
to start asking an admission fees?
If we lose our tourist dollars due to deterioration it
will be the legacy of our present governor Ted Strickland.

But on with Clear Creek Metro Park….

 

 
The Mathias Cabin

Along the Hemlock Trail

 
Hemlock Varnish Mushrooms are numerous on old
fallen trees in the Nature Preserve.

 
The Red & Black Beetles Nicrophorus sayi
were busy feasting on them.

Orange topped mushrooms

Wild Irises Queen of the Swamp grow there in sections.

 

Fields of beautiful wild flowers were blooming
everywhere in the park.

 

 

 

Dames Rockets wild phlox in lavender
and white.

Scarlet Cardinal Flower

 

The  Fern Trail was less traveled.

Technorati Tags: Governor Ted Strickland,Nature Preserves,Clear Creek Metro Park,Hocking Hills State Parks,Ohio,Ohio Historical Center

Millipedes

 

Millipedes found on the Hocking Hill’s and Cedar Falls trail.

Millipede  Apheloria virginiensis

 

Millipede Orthoporus texicolens

Cedar Falls Lower Trail

My daughter and myself have been doing a
lot of hiking around the parks lately and so
today I want to share just a little of the beauty
along the lower trail from Cedar Falls to
Old Mans Cave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Spotted Green Tiger Beetle

Cicindela sexguttata the Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle.
Thank you JWLW

Swans & One Mixed Up Duck

  The swans have had their eggs hatch at Lake Logan
and I spotted six new babies. When we visited she was
keeping them on the far side of the inlet and in the shade
away from the many photographers yesterday.
Everyone was wanting to get pictures of the newly born
swans.

 

Back at the swans nest two eggs lay that were
not going to hatch.
These ducks had decided it was a fine nest.

 

This female was trying to turn the eggs and set
on them. It was a funny sight because the eggs
were a little too big for her to get on.

She finally gave  up and decided to just rest in the
nest and catch some sun….

 

while he got some shut eye.

Old Man’s Cave

   The Hocking Hill’s area parks have been going through
a beautiful transformation in the last few years.
Beautiful stone buildings, bridges and signs now grace
the area and look more natural in the woodland areas
of the parks.
 

This is the Welcome  center to Old Man’s Cave in the
beautiful Hocking Hills.
It sets at the entrance to the access road that goes to
camping grounds.

Also added across the road from the welcome center
is an archery range.

This is the upper creek and falls that flows through
Old Man’s  Cave. It was flowing heavily after the hard
rains we had.
Camper use to have to drive across this creek above
the falls to get to the camping  area of the park
but now there is a new bridge that crosses it at the
welcome center.

 

 

 

A second falls runs under a bridge that crosses the top of
on the pathway to the Gorge Overlook, Rose Lake and on
to Cedar Falls if you are into hiking.

The rush of water going over the  little falls was  running fast
and foaming after the rains.

This creek also flows into the ‘Devils Bath tub’.
We were always told it was bottomless but in
actuality  there really is a bottom.

 

Old Man’s Cave is littered with giant boulders and
cliffs.