Scioto Loop

Dogs Unknown

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

Great run anytime of year, it's just enough of a challenge for kids between 4-8, but lots of things to stop and see. Great areas to play in the creek, but it gets very muddy on the southern most leg and along the river sometimes.

There is a great chance to catch crawdads and have some fun skipping rocks or fishing by the river. Not usually crowded, and shaded for lots of the run, so it usually doesn't get sweltering hot in summer.

Parking is easy to find, start off with a gentle gravel path that leads to a hill entrance to the river trail connector that heads towards Mingo Trail. There are lots of birds around and usually lots fo good bugs to see.

Once down the hill you'll find out pretty quick how much it has been raining lately, it can get pretty messy and muddy at certain times, very slippery, so be careful (we've turned back early a couple times to avoid getting completely covered in mud).

Once you reach the creek you can cross the rope bridge, then come back over the rocks and see if you can spot fish, crawdads and minnows.

Head back the way you came and you'll get back up the hill and instead of turning left to go back up the gravel path, keep going straight into the woods, you'll pop out into a clearing after a short stroll and if you cross the clearing you'll continue right along the river path and pick that up all the way to the canoe drop in point, run up the hill and follow the paved paths down along a couple frog ponds and you'll eventually hit the parking lot area again.

Once you come up from the woods it can get pretty hot being in the sun for the final leg, but you can get back a little faster by sticking to the trails on the left vs the right.