ABOUT THE PARK:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.33500, -82.01638
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| Strouds Run Dam Parking |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE: 10.4 miles
THE HIKE:
On my way to St. Louis, MO to clear out my mother's house. She was recently placed in a nursing home (she's 90 years old) and I wanted to get the house in shape for when we come to visit her. I am backlogged on my trip reports because I have been very, very busy purging, recycling, freecyling, donating, selling, getting the dryer, dishwasher, plumbing repaired, all while working. This is the hike on day 2 of the drive to St. Louis.
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| Heading up to the right of the dam. |
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| Dow Lake |
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| The trail that veers right ... |
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| ... is the Lake View Trail that goes around the lake. |
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| However, this section also allows horses which means it has been made into a mucky mess. |
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| We turned back to take a narrower trail along the lake. |
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| Taking the fishing access trail - more scenic and way less muddy. |
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| It does meet back up with the Lake View Trail at the section where horses still are allowed. |
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| Just had to deal with it for a bit. |
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| Now the rest of the Lake View Trail does not allow horses so it was in much better shape. |
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| Creek crossing. |
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| To continue on the Lake View Trail we would have ended up in a parking lot so now taking the Broken Rock Trail to the Sundown Trail. |
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| This comes out at the main park entrance ... |
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| ... with a picnic table for a break. |
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| Heading to a right on the park entrance road ... |
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| ... then left on Strouds Run Road ... |
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| ... to left through the parking lot. |
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| It's either the accessible Blackhaw Trail or the Strouds Run Trail. |
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| Strouds Run Trail it is. |
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| There were several gnarly blowdown sections like this but we managed to get through them. |
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| A quick hop over to the Blackhaw Trail to the platform overlooking Dow Lake. |
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| Back on the Stouds Run Trail. |
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| Left on the Hickory Trail to ... |
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| Then right on the Trace Trail. |
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| We would be taking the Finger Rock Trail but first a bit more on the Trace Trail ... |
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| ... to just beyond this huge tree ... |
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| ... to the Gillette Cemetery on the left. |
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| Retracing back to a right on the Finger Rock Trail. |
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| This climbs up very steeply. |
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| At the top of the rocks straight ahead ... |
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| ... a disappointing view for all that work. There would be no view at all with leaves on trees. |
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| Continuing on the Finger Rock Trail along a ridge with some nice winter views. |
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| Left on the Athens Trail. |
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| You have to really watch for the left on the Athens to Hickory Connector Trail because there is no sign and it's pretty faint. I passed it by and had to go back. |
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| This trail is VERY faint, unblazed and difficult to follow but we managed following the Gaia app closely. |
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| After crossing the creek we lost the trail completely. But I have to say, Brodie, not the brightest dog, came up with a brilliant idea. He kept insisting we go back to the creek then I realized we did not have far to go and indeed, the creek would lead us to the Hickory Trail because the creek would flow into Dow Lake. So at Brodie's insistence, we followed the creek... |
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| ... and ended up at the Hickory Trail along Dow Lake. |
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| Heading up on the dam. |
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| Left across the dam. |
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| And a right back to the parking lot. |
