Van Buren Lake Trail

The Scout Trail at Oak Openings Preserve Metropark in Swanton, Ohio is an easy hike that covers a lot of beautiful ground! I love this hike and do it several times each season (REALLY recommend the fall for the gorgeous colors!). I am constantly surprised by how few people take advantage of this trail. It is fairly well maintained (though you will definitely encounter fallen trees) and easy to ...

I hiked this trail on a very cold, blustery day. A winter storm was blowing in across the ice and temperatures were downright frigid. Nevertheless, this trail was enjoyable and offered some great views of the lake. It is a very easy one mile loop and has a couple of side trails for fishing and hunting. I will definitely be returning when the weather gets warmer.

One of the easiest of the 50 State Highpoints in the United States to visit, Campbell Hill sits just outside Bellefountaine (pronounced Bell-fountain), Ohio.  Sitting on the grounds of the Hi-Point Career Center, Campbell Hill is open to visitors virtually everyday of the year during daylight hours. The facility is gated, but if the gate is open, its safe to visit. The parking lot for Campbell...

This is a fun, short trip.  Could be completed in about 30 minutes and rentals are available if you cannot supply your own kayaks.  The island is small, with adequate cliffs.  It has littered the water around it with fallen boulders and rocks.  Best done at sunset, as the reflection of the sun off the water makes the rocks and cliff faces seem to glow.  It is an easy and beautiful trip, but can...

Ohio Caverns is a locally owned private establishment with guided tours through the cave system that lies beneath the rolling farmland of Central Western Ohio. The caves were formed by the dissolution of the Devonian limestone bedrock below, giving way to some of the most phenomenal cave features in the state, including the Crystal King, a roughly 400 lb stalactite that is the largest in Ohio.A...

This pet-friendly park has some great sites for lakeside camping, all on the east-end of the lake, giving campers a great view of the sunset. The sites are near a 'field' of lily pads, and the frog calls that emanate from the area make for a relaxing sound to sleep to. There are few trees lakeside, so a clear night is definitely a starry one.There are 10 electric sites, and 108 non-electric s...