Hike the Joan Jones Portman Trail

Located right off the road next to an old shed, across the road from the main pavilion and barn, the trailhead for the Joan Jones Portman Trail winds upwards 0.8 miles one way across a creek and through a narrow section of prairie clinging to the hillsides of Southern Ohio.

This is one of the steeper trails in Ohio (it actually has switchbacks!), gaining over 400' in less than a mile. The payoff at the top is worth it though, with a grand sweeping vista at Floods Point, a limestone outcrop high above the rest of the valley.

This trail is also unique in that for its length it is also a part of the state-wide Buckeye Trail, a 1,400 mile long trail that circles that state marked by its famous blue blazes. There is a sign when you get to to Floods Point indicating that the Portman Trail ends here, but the Buckeye Trail does not. It is possible to continue along the Buckeye Trail for a significant distance before it crosses a road. The future plan is to connect the Portman Trail with Shawnee State Forest near Portsmouth as a new route for the Buckeye Trail, creating a 14 mile link between the preserve and the state forest.

Parking is plentiful, and even on a gorgeous summer day (blue sky, 75 degrees) there was almost no one on the trail, so if you're seeking solitude, this should be right up your alley.