Hours and Info

Year-round: 6:30am-dark

Phone: 740-969-8210

Programs at Clear Creek

About

Clear Creek Metro Park features 5,470 acres of woodland interspersed with blackhand sandstone cliffs, ravines and creeks and is home to more than 2,200 species of plants and animals. Forested areas range from Canadian hemlocks and ferns, to oak and hickory, to Ohio’s last remaining colonies of rhododendron. Home to Ohio’s largest state nature preserve.

Photo: Ken Browne

Photo: Bruce Miller

Park Map

Click the map below for a zoomed/enlarged version

CLC_Web_1980

Trails

Benua

1.9 miles
Moderate to Difficult – Hike ­– Dirt & Gravel
Loop trail through woods and fields leading to Lake Emily.

Cemetery Ridge

2.5 miles
Moderate to Difficult – Hike ­– Dirt & Gravel
Begins with a steep zigzag ascent through the woods peaking at about 700 feet. At the top of the ridge the trail alternates between forest and meadows.
Interactive Map: Cemetery Ridge

Chestnut

2.2 miles
Difficult – Hike – Dirt & Gravel
Goes through valleys with sandstone formations and crosses forested ridges.
Interactive Map: Chestnut

Creekside Meadows

1.7 miles
Easy – Hike/Pets – Grass
Follows the banks of Clear Creek through open fields. A 1-mile section of the trail west of Starner Road is also a pet trail.
Interactive Map: Creekside Meadows

Fern

1.7 miles
Moderate to Difficult – Hike – Dirt
Goes along a steep ridge and through a forest with pines and hemlocks.
Interactive Map: Fern

Good Prairie

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Dirt & Gravel
Loops around a prairie.
Interactive Map: Good Prairie

Hemlock

1.5 miles
Difficult – Hike – Dirt & Gravel
Descends and ascends a steep ravine and goes through shady hemlock groves, sandstone outcroppings, a carpet of ferns and ridges topped with hardwood trees.
Interactive Maps: Hemlock

Lake

0.9 miles
Moderate to Difficult – Hike – Dirt
Winds through the woods to an observation deck overlooking Lake Ramona.
Interactive Map: Lake

Prairie Warbler

0.6 miles
Easy to Moderate – Hike – Dirt
Crosses a rolling hilltop, goes around a meadow and through the woods.
Interactive Maps: Prairie Warbler

Tulip Tree

0.6 miles
Moderate to Difficult – Hike – Dirt
Loops through the woods along a rolling hillside.
Interactive Map: Tulip Tree

Photographers from the Focus Group on the Cemetery Ridge Trail at Clear Creek.
Photo: Virginia Gordon

A man hikes on the Fern Trail during the winter hike at Clear Creek Metro Park.
Photo: Tina Fronk

Shelters

Non-Reservable Shelters

Picnic Areas: Fern and Creekside Meadows

Hiking trails around picnic areas totaling approximately 7 miles.
2 Picnic Areas: Picnic Tables, Grills, Vault Restrooms

Barnebey-Hambleton Day Use Area

From U.S. 33, area is located approximately 5 miles down Clear Creek Road, near county line. Area is in Fairfield County.

Picnic Areas: Valleyview and Ironwood

One non-reservable family shelter in Valleyview Picnic Area only, with grills and restrooms. Capacity 30.
The Ironwood Picnic Area includes picnic tables and grills

Activities

Photo: John Cagnina

Fly fisherman in Clear Creek, Clear Creek Metro Park.
Photo: Mindi McConnell

Access points are located along Clear Creek Road and fishing is available along the 5-acre Lake Ramona and from the dams at Lake Emily.

 A view of a forest in Clear Creek from a ravine. Taken during a backcountry hike to Buzzards Roost at Clear Creek Metro Park.
Photo: Tina Fronk

The 4,729-acre Allen F Beck State Nature Preserve is the largest in Ohio, featuring scenic cliffs of blackhand sandstone and rugged trails over ridges and through deep-cut gorges. (Off-trail activity is prohibited in the nature preserve).

PET TRAILS

Creekside Meadows Trail
Leashed pets are allowed on a 1-mile section of the trail west of Starner Road (but not on other park trails).

Domesticated dogs and cats are also permitted in picnic areas, parking lots and on roadways. Pets shall be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

Picnic tables and grills are available at the Fern and Creekside Meadows areas. The Barnebey Hambleton Area has a shelter, grills and restroom.

Get Outside, It’s Your Nature!