The fastest way out of the Columbus flatlands and into true hill country is via Rt. 33. A scant 30 minutes after departure, you’ll swoop into the Hocking River Valley and soon be surrounded by mountains, Ohio-style. Shortly after crossing into Hocking County, Clear Creek Road will appear, and you’ll want to hang a right. This country lane drills through the middle of one of Ohio’s greatest natural treasures: the 5,300-acre Clear Creek Metro Park, owned by the Metro Parks system.
I recently made a foray into Clear Creek, which is a place of special significance in the history of this column. Edward S. Thomas purchased an 80-acre tract there in 1921 and dubbed it Neotoma Valley. On March 5, 1922, Thomas wrote his first column, titled “Our Birds.” That was the beginning of a long relationship between The Dispatch and Thomas: He wrote weekly columns for the next 59 years. Many of his column’s subjects were related to Clear Creek. The Clear Creek Valley is a treasure-trove of natural history embedded among some of the best scenery in the state. About 800 species of plants provide the greenery, including many rarities. Thick forests blanket the slopes, and stately hemlock trees shade the cool waters of Clear Creek. Jagged sandstone outcrops host specialized plant life, including many ferns – the rarest of which is the resurrection fern. A tropical species, it reaches its northern limits in Clear Creek Valley. The only population in the valley grows on the western face of Leaning Lena, a massive sandstone slump block that looms over the road.
Rich botanical diversity equates to lots of birds, and I ticked off at least 80 species on my visit. Of note to bird-watchers are the boreal nesters – birds that rarely breed this far south. Their ranks include the blue-headed vireo, Canada warbler and hermit thrush. In all, about 100 species have been found nesting in the park, including 22 species of warblers.
Insect life is abundant, and the most conspicuous of the six-legged ranks are the butterflies. Pick a sunny summer day for your visit, and you’ll see scads of them. Tiny Eastern tailed-blues, their wings glinting azure, flit low over the vegetation. Comparatively huge tiger swallowtails flock to joe-pye weed and other nectar-rich flowers, stopping even the most jaded butterfly-watchers. A specialty is the stunning Baltimore checkerspot. A population occupies a wet meadow just a stone’s toss from Thomas’ old cabin, drawing enthusiasts from far and wide.
More than 12 miles of trails traverse the park’s varied habitats. Perhaps the most interesting is the Hemlock Trail, which begins in rich hemlock forests and climbs to ridgetops clad in oak and hickory. A visit to Clear Creek Metro Park is one of the best day trips that a central Ohioan can make.
