Glen Helen Nature Preserve | Yellow Springs, OH

Glen Helen Nature Preserve, located in Yellow Springs, OH and adjacent to John Bryan State Park has 20+ miles of trails that are jam-packed with points of interest. The trails featured in this video are the Inman and Talus trails, which contain most of the sights found in the preserve.
The Inman Trail starts at the Trailside Museum next to the preserve's main parking lot, then descends about 100 feet into a valley and along Yellow Creek. About .25 miles in, hikers will come across a path that leads to Pompey's Pillar, which is an approx. 20 foot hoodoo (a boulder on top of a thinner pillar). There is a small limb of about 40 feet.
The next point of interest that hikers will come across is The Grotto, which is just as the name suggests. The small concave area is covered with moss and dirt as water from the Yellow Spring continually runs over it.
After a short climb, hikers will then encounter the Yellow Spring. The clear, cool water rushes out of stone and gradually down a slope towards The Grotto. The stone in the spring has turned a orange-yellow color over time, from deposits from the water.
A brief hike westward on the Inman trail leads to the Cascades, a beautiful waterfall under a bridge. This section of the trail also offers gorgeous views of Birch Creek and the ledges that run along it.
The Talus Trail shoots off of the Inman Trail, taking hikers southward along a set of ledges that rest at the top of the Yellow Creek valley. This is a short hike of about .3 miles, and offers a fabulous view of the ledges and a nice overlook of the valley.
Another plus about visiting Glen Helen Nature Preserve is that it is close to downtown Yellow Springs, with plenty of dining opportunities.
For more information about Glen Helen Nature Preserve, visit: www.glenhelen....
For a map (pdf) of Glen Helen Nature Preserve, visit: docs.wixstatic...
Trailhead location, via Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/td...

[@lanitagibbs5577]

Very pretty. Would you consider this a easy to moderate hike?

[@NortheastOhioHikesandBikes]

Yes. it's mostly flat, with a few semi-steep grades. There's occasional rocks and roots but nothing requiring a climb or scramble.

[@wrmountian4538]

Are their bikes aloud on this trail or any mountain bike trails at the park

[@NortheastOhioHikesandBikes]

No Glen Helen has hiking trails only. However, there is a nice mountain bike trail at John Bryan State Park, which is just a drive of a few minutes from Glen Helen.

[@jasonwish-]

I was just there last week on my way back from Caesar Creek State Parks perimeter loop. I will be posting mine next week sometime :) Thanks for sharing.

[@NortheastOhioHikesandBikes]

It's a pretty fantastic little park. I wish we would have been able to hike more than the Inman Trail. Looking forward to your video!

[@flouteyey]

Hehe I went there