Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Through all the years, I can still hear the roar of the tumbling rock-infested stream and visualize the fresh impossibly spring green of the beautiful forest that crowded its banks.
The place was Snake Hollow, a secluded piece of wilderness surrounded by the thousands of wild acres in Shawnee State Park and Forest. It’s a beautiful area blessed with a rich abundance and variety of wildlife, including rare sightings of the timber rattlesnakes that give the hollow its name.
Shawnee State Park and Forest can leave an indelible impression no matter the time of year. But spring in Shawnee is special. Really special.
Shawnee is the whole package. Forested peaks and ridges, deep cool hollows, classically beautiful mountain streams. Visitors can immerse themselves day and night in secluded campsites along a backpack trail or go to the other extreme, exploring nature all day and retreating to the Shawnee State Park Lodge and cabins at night.
And then there are the wildflowers. Especially spring wildflowers, seemingly everywhere. Along roadways, service lanes, trails, on ridgetops and crowded along stream banks. Down in the hollows, on hillsides, in big patches on the forest floor, in sunny openings.
You’ll see an amazing variety of species and colors. It’s diversity is due in large part because the region is unglaciated and it’s at the northern edge of the range for many southern Appalachian species. It’s a haven for many of the more typical Appalachian species like the pink lady’s-slipper and azaleas, both of those species thriving in the acid soils.
Then there’s Indian paintbrush and spotted mandarin joining a host of trees linked to the Appalachians. Sourwood, pitch pines, longleaf pines, and, coolest of all, big-leaf magnolia with three-foot long leaves and phenomenal flowers over a foot in diameter.
There’s no better time to explore for wildflowers than during May, with the bonus that the huge state park and forest is a haven for migrating songbirds.
You can enjoy miles of trails or just drive any of miles of dirt and gravel forest roads, up valleys and along high ridge tops and you’ll see the flowers. All kinds and all colors, and it’s just about guaranteed you’ll seen some never seen before.
“Most of the wildflowers you can see from the road but you have to know where to look,” said Guy Denny, a native Toledoan who is now retired as chief of Ohio’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Shawnee State Park and Forest protect more than 64,000 acres of rugged land hard on the Ohio River due south of Columbus. It’s the largest remaining contiguous natural area in Ohio. In spite of its size, finding the spring wildflowers is easy.
While it’s the species diversity that excites Guy, the wider scenic beauty isn’t lost on him either.
“It really is a favorite spot of mine in Ohio,” he said. “It’s like a miniature portion of the Smoky Mountains in Ohio. It has that much diversity and so much scenic value. You get up on some of the ridges and see the Ohio River, and you can see the other side – Kentucky. You have a feeling that this is a whole different part of Ohio.
“It’s very special.“
If you drive the area, Guy recommends that you start on Pond Run Road.
“I think Pond Run Road is the place to start,” he said. “It’s the fire tower road and has the greatest diversity, in my mind.
“If you take that road, you’ll see the big-leaf magnolias and, if you go up toward the fire tower, that’s where you see vernal iris, birdfoot violet, and an awful lot of diversity.”
Pond Run Road is also popular with birders.
“Particularly the neo-tropical warblers – the wood warblers – cross the Ohio River and then move up the valley. So they accumulate along those ridge tops. It’s very good for early spring warblers.”
It’s about a four and one-half hour drive from Northwest Ohio to Shawnee, where you’ll find those excellent campgrounds and cabins. Comfortable rooms and dining are available at the very scenic Shawnee Resort Lodge. Among the good sources for more information are OhioDnr.gov and www.ShawneeParkLodge.com.
