Winton Woods Campground Review

This past Friday, we kicked off our fall camping season with a stay at the Winton Woods Campground that is part of the Hamilton County Park system in Cincinnati. It was just about an hour drive for us, and we were immediately impressed with how nice the campground was. The Hamilton County Park system is truly a gem for the Cincinnati resident. They currently sell entrance passes for $10 for one year, with a $5 rebate for available for residents. Otherwise, entrance fees are $3 per vehicle.

We were able to get a campsite rather last minute when a lot of other parks and campgrounds were booked solid. Our campsite (#21) backed right up to the lake, and had a fair amount of level area to pitch a few tents. Sites were generously spaced apart too, so you did not feel like you were on top of one another. In the tent camping area, there were also plenty of tall, mature trees that really added to the camping experience (something many new campgrounds often lack). This campground was quiet, clean and family friendly. There was a playground for the kids and a nice sized bathhouse not too far from most of the sites.

It was a little windy and chilly during our stay (night time temperatures were close to 40 degrees F), but we stayed warm with our wool hiking socks, 20 degree REI down sleeping bags (which were super toasty and comfy), Therm-a-rest sleeping pads and our REI Half Dome tent. We dressed our 15 month old daughter in lots of layers (for sleeping she wore 2 footed sleepers, the outer fleece, with a wool hat and mittens), and she stayed warm as well. We did actually forget our own gloves, but extra hiking socks helped with our cold hands during morning camp chores!

Here are a few things you should know if you plan to camp there:

1. Sites can be reserved online, and there are no minimum night stays. This was important to us since we could only camp one night and it had to be on a Friday night due to Rob's work schedule. During our stay, the rates were $25 a night for the standard electric sites (30 amp), and there are no online reservation fees to mess with either. The nice thing about this campground is that you can view pictures of each and every campsite prior to booking! I LOVE this feature as I am all about getting the perfect campsite. Sites 8, 9, and 10 are very nice and spacious. Sites 22 and 23 are also very nice and preferable if you need multiple flat tent sites.

2. The new RV area is not shaded in the middle section, so be prepared if you get a spot there. Sites 13F through 2F would probably be preferable if you were RVing it, since they back up right into the woods.

3. The campstore sells hot food, including pizza you can order straight to your campsite (I guess this is handy if your campfire goes disastrously wrong, lol). They also have firewood available for sale for $4.99 a bundle. The firewood is not the greatest however, so bring your own (if you live in the area, otherwise don't move firewood!) and plenty of kindling if you can. The campstore is really a very nice building and has all the basics stocked in case you forget something important. The hours were 10am-8pm during our stay, so a late evening arrival still allows you time to get what you need.

4. Reserve online and early. Weekends book up fast, especially during prime camping season such as early and mid-fall. We were lucky to get a site a little over a week in advance, but the next two weeks are already entirely booked through. So book early if you can!

5. They also have deluxe as well as basic camping cabins available for those that prefer that route. I would stay away from the camping cabins 1, 2 and 5 though since they are in a very high traffic area. Although I didn't get to look inside, it appeared that the basic cabins had window AC units in them (check with the campground office though to be sure). This would be a really nice option if camping in the hot summer. The deluxe cabins are open year round, but the basic cabins are not. Price for the basic is $50 a night and the deluxe is $125 a night.

All in all, our stay at the Winton Woods campground was enjoyable and surprisingly quiet despite its proximity to the city. We are looking forward to our next stay, as soon as campsites are available that is! This is definitely a favorite campground we'll be returning to again and again.

Hocking Hills State Park

This week, we are heading out to Hocking Hills State Park for a little getaway. We've booked a cabin near the park and plan on doing lots of hiking throughout this beautiful region. Although we had originally planned on going camping, the weather turned cold again and we didn't feel it would be much fun to camp in below freezing weather with a 9 month old baby!

Hocking Hills is a geological wonderland, an extremely popular hiking and camping spot in Ohio. The cabins fill up fast in the summer months, and crowds can be a bit of a problem if you go on a holiday or summer weekend. Last time we went, it was dead winter and we had the park practically to ourselves. This time, it's still the off-season, so we anticipate a pretty quiet park again.

Grandma Gatewood Trail, Hocking Hills State Park, OH

Some of the trails we plan on hiking include...

Ash Cave to Cedar Falls -Last time, we hiked from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls and back, a roundtrip of just around 6 miles. For a winter hike, it was beautiful and peaceful. We want to finish the Grandma Gatewood Trail and hike from Cedar Falls to Ash Cave this time. The roundtrip for this hike is 4 - 5 miles.

Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve Gorge Trail - This 1.2 mile trek passes through a beautiful gorge with cliffs towering over 200 ft on either side. We are just doing the Gorge trail since the Rim trail can be a bit dangerous with small children!

Other trails we will decide upon as we see fit. Additional sites we would like to see include Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House and RockBridge State Nature Preserve. I will post a trip report as well as trail reviews upon our return!

Have you ever been to Hocking Hills? What is your favorite trail there?

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

This past weekend, we camped and hiked at the Big South Fork NRRA in Kentucky and Tennessee. It was only a 3 1/2 hour drive from Louisville, KY, which makes it a great weekend getaway for those seeking an outdoors or wilderness experience.


The first two nights we camped at Bandy Creek Campground ($19 a night), which is very well-kept but lacks the charm of Koomer Ridge in RRG. Since we were one of the very few tent campers, however, it wasn't much of a problem during our stay. I wouldn't recommend staying here on a holiday weekend when it may fill. Same goes for Blue Heron campground ($17 a night), which isn't much better.

The Alum Ford primitive campground and the Pickett State Park campground are great choices for those looking for an authentic camping experience. And as a bonus, they'll save you a bit of money (Alum Ford is $5 a night; Pickett State Rustic Park is $13 a night).

The north-west portion of the park is the best in terms of ruggedness, day hikes and backpacking trips. Many unique and challenging trails connect in this area.

We used two guidebooks on our trip, Exploring the Big South Fork and 100 Hikes in the Big South Fork. Of the two, the latter was much more informative, as it included several hikes in the outer lying areas of the BSF as well as many unheralded treks. Exploring the Big South Fork tended to disappoint in the amount of hikes it covered, but it was nice to have a comparison. We also used the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for navigation. I highly recommend carrying this map while exploring the area. The maps provided in both guides were truly inadequate, not to mention confusing.

Some tips for hikers and backpackers seeking to make the most out of a trip to the Big South Fork:

• Make sure your car has plenty of gas. There aren't many roads that travel through the park, meaning you have to drive around it in order to get from one place to another. This can be frustrating for the day hiker, so plan hikes that are near each other to limit the amount of driving.
• Bring all your supplies with you. Unless you can properly stock up on supplies at Wal-Mart, you'll need to have everything with you before you enter the park. There are no outfitters nearby. Firewood is also hard to come by, so plan accordingly. (Note: if staying at the Bandy Creek campground, firewood can be purchased for $10. Pickett State Park campground provides free firewood for campers.)
• Be prepared for seclusion. Although it was a nice weekend, we only ran into one other batch of hikers, and each night we practically had the campgrounds to ourselves.
• Bring a map and guidebook! There were several confusing trails we encountered on our trip, and had it not been for the guidebook, we would have found ourselves re-routed to another portion of the park.

Louisville Area Day Hikes

As a new resident of the Louisville, KY area, I can't wait to discover the new trails that exist within the city! Here are a few I plan on reviewing. As soon as a post is up, the link will become active.

E.P. Tom Saywer State Park (Goose Creek Nature Trail)- Inside the city, this is a different type of state park, but it still affords many recreational opportunities. My husband and I have visited once, and discovered there are a couple miles of nature trails in the park.

Brown Park - Although there aren't any hiking trails in this nature park, there is a nice paved walking trail that winds along a stream. It makes for quick and convenient access to nature when time is limited.

Jefferson County Forest Trail

Charleston State Park (IN)

Knobstone Trail (IN)

Hayswood Nature Reserve Trail

Hike and Bike Trail

Cull Hollow Trail

Welcome!

This blog will follow my hiking pursuits across the tri-state area as I seek to compile information for my book. I plan on using this blog as a sort of digital data book where I can share about hikes in the area and receive feedback from other hikers as well.

Areas I plan on targeting before May 2009 include:

-Indiana area (Brookville Lake/Adena Trace, Knobstone Trail and any others I learn about)

-Cincinnati parks (Mt. Airy Forest will be my main concern- to this date there is not official map of the trails in the forest. I plan on changing that!)

-Tower Park (Ft. Thomas)

I think this is a reasonable list of goals that will keep my plenty busy in the next couple of months. With the warmer weather coming, it shouldn't be too hard to fit in a hike every so often! I plan on giving mileage information, terrain and park notes and pictures of the area/trail.

Follow me to learn more about hiking and backpacking- you just might discover a love for it yourself!