What: Caesar Creek State Park - 8 miles - Moderate to Difficult - Led by Sherry
Caesar Creek State Park - 5 1/2 miles - Moderate - Led by Desiree

When: Sunday, January 31, 2009 - 10:15a.m. for carpool - 11:00a.m. Hike begins

Where: Caesar Creek State Park - Visitors Center (Dogs Allowed)
8570 E State Route 73
Waynesville, OH 45068-9719

This hike is now split into 2 separate hikes. Sherry will lead the hike from the Visitors Center to the Pioneer Village and back for a total of 8 miles. Desiree will lead the hike from the Visitors Center to the Day Lodge and back for a total of 5 1/2 miles. Since Desiree's group is walking more slowly, both groups should finish about the same time. It should take us about 3 1/2 hrs. to complete.

Carpool - Meet at the Mason-Montgomery Road Bigg's between 10:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Take the Fields-Ertel/Mason-Montgomery exit and head north on Mason-Montgomery Road. Bigg's is on the right behind the Burger King (park behind BK). We will leave at 10:15 a.m.

Meeting place at Caesars Creek: Take Rt. 73 to right on Clarksville Road to the Visitors Center. There will be restroom facilities there.

It's about a 30 minute drive from the Meetup spot to the trail head parking lot. If you prefer to meet us at the trail head, please plan to be there no later than 10:45 a.m.

After the hike we plan on having a late lunch/early dinner at Mimi's Cafe in Mason. It's down the street from Biggs. They have a separate private dining room for groups that I have on hold. If you've never eaten here before, you're in for a treat. You may choose from the lunch or dinner menu. They have an extensive menu with homemade soups, quiche, salads, sandwiches, wraps, entrees and comfort foods, i.e. chicken pot pie.

Their website is: http://www.mimiscafe....

Nature of the Area

The park area sits astride the crest of the Cincinnati Arch, a convex tilting of bedrock layers caused by an ancient upheaval. Younger rocks lie both east and west of this crest where some of the oldest rocks in Ohio are exposed. The sedimentary limestones and shales tell of a sea hundreds of millions of years in our past which once covered the state. The park's excellent fossil finds give testimony to the life of this long vanished body of water.

The forests of the area are comprised of over 65 species of plants. Several major communities thrive in the area. A northern flood plain forest is found in the valley, while mixed associations of oak-hickory and beech-maple woodlands clothe the ridges and hillsides. Red-tail hawk, white-tail deer, raccoon, red fox and box turtle make the park their home.

Partial History of the Area

The wooded lands of the park were home to several early Ohio Indian cultures. While the Hopewells inhabited several sites in the state, their earthworks (known as Fort Ancient) on the nearby Little Miami River are among the largest and best known. This Indian race lived in the region during a period from 300 BC to 600 AD.

The Caesar Creek area was named for a black slave captured by the Shawnee on a raid along the Ohio River. The Shawnee adopted Caesar and gave him this valley as his hunting ground. Caesar lived in this area during the time Blue Jacket was war chief and was said to have gone on many raids with him.

One of the trails became part of the Underground Railroad used by runaway slaves to reach safe houses run by area Quakers.

By joining this group and attending Tri-State Hiking Club events you are agreeing to the club's LEGAL WAIVER at http://www.tristatehi....