Ohio Day Hikes: Clear Creek Metro Park

Clear Creek Metro Park has miles of trails, the best elevation hiking in Central Ohio, and even recently had a black bear sighting in it. (A rarity in Ohio!) Come do a great Ohio Day Hike in Clear Creek Metro Park with us in this article.

In this article I take you to my number ONE favorite trail in the state of Ohio. Clear Creek is also home to the state’s largest nature preserve AND the second biggest Columbus Metro Park. Let’s hit some of their trails!

Clear Creek Metro Park isn’t the flatlands of Columbus that you would imagine. It’s actually how I stumbled upon it.

I was looking for some sort of hiking in Ohio that felt like a “hike out West.” Before we became nomads I would really yearn that for that two or three weeks I was able to adventure out in Utah, Arizona, Washington, California, Colorado, etc. I wanted to replicate the feeling in Columbus.

That was a half dozen years and I am happy to report that not only did I replicate the feeling but I would put the loops that I put together in Clear Creek up against some of the best hikes out West.

In fact I rated it in the low 30’s in my Top 50 US Day Hikes Countdown.

Clear Creek is home to Hemlocks, Ferns, Oaks, and more the state nature preserve (which unfortunately but understandably makes most of the park non dog-friendly) takes watch and care of Ohio’s last remaining colonies of Rhododendron.

What trails should you do at Clear Creek?

1. Flat/Pet Friendly Option:
   Creekside Meadows. If you bring your dog you get to stick to the mile long meadows trail that runs along the river. This is a perfect “doggie daycare day” to me as there are so many other miles you can do. (Though I have stopped on the way back from Hocking Hills and did this mile with the pooch for a quick break from the drive.)

2. Intermediate Option:
   Cemetery Ridge to Fern to Hemlock to Creekside Meadows.
   Leaving from the Creekside Meadows parking lot this is a GREAT loop that is about six miles. Elevation, views, trees, and sandstone rock formations all await you. My favorite loop if I have about 2-3 hours.

3. All Day Option:
   Cemetery Ridge to Chestnut to Valley View Parking Lot to Chestnut to Fern to Hemlock to Creekside Meadows.
   This hike is as good as it gets in the Midwest for elevation hiking and actually some of the best hiking in the country. It’s 11-14 miles depending on your length that you go on Valley View and any side trails back in that area.
   It’s seriously long, hard, beautiful, and will net you about 1,500 or so feet in elevation in one of the flattest states in the country.

Clear Creek Metro Park is one of the most special outdoor recreation areas in the entire Midwest.

It’s just a jump, skip, and a hop from Columbus Ohio or Hocking Hills and a few more hours from Cleveland or Cincinnati and less than four hours from Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis.

If you are looking to feel like you are hiking out West but live in the Midwest I highly recommend Clear Creek Metro Park, the 2nd biggest but my personal favorite “C Bus Metro Park.” Unless you are doing the 1.7 Mile Creekside Meadows Loop leave your sweet four legged companions somewhere fun while you adventure here!

This park is a pack in/pack out system and remember to Leave No Trace.

What’s your favorite place to hike in Ohio? Comment below and thanks for reading!

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R