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footpaths.bsky.social
@footpaths.bsky.social
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Footpaths is a hiking and nature blog, publishing articles on our experiences in the great outdoors. We like to interact with others that love nature and advocate for Mother Earth.
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footpaths.bsky.social
To end 2025 Footpaths headed to the Tailwaters Trail at East Fort Lake State Park in Ohio. We had a few logistical surprises but in the end got the streamside views that we were seeking.

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Tailwaters Trail, East Fork Lake State Park – Bethel, Ohio
The Tailwaters Trail did not, in fact, have much to do with the tailwaters of the East Fork of the Little Miami River. It is called “Tailwaters Trail” because it arises from the Tailwat…
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January 18, 2026 at 1:50 PM
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Footpaths recently traveled to the Florida Panhandle to hike in one of our favorite habitats, the Longleaf Pine wet savanna. It was a welcomed escape from a Midwest winter into an ecological wonderland.

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The Spur Trail, Garcon Point Water Management Area – Milton, Florida
We were back in one of my favorite habitats – the Longleaf Pine wet savanna, and the simplicity and informality of this sign at the trailhead appealed to me. It was going to be a good outing.…
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January 11, 2026 at 1:14 PM
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This week Footpaths has done something a little different. We integrated some historic old photos of Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky into an article about the multi-use trail there, recapturing the same views almost 100 years later.

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The Multi-use Path, Devou Park – Covington, Kentucky
Everyone needs to have a go to place where they can quickly stretch their legs and get a little fresh air. For me that place is Devou Park, which lies just a few miles from our home. Its relatively…
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January 4, 2026 at 12:52 PM
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This past September Footpaths traveled to the South of France and hiked the Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe, and one of the largest in the world. It was a fascinating mix of geography, botany, and people.

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Dune du Pilat – La Teste-de-Buch, France
We were planning a vacation to the South of France and would be staying at a vineyard near Bordeaux. One of our British cousins, who we would be meeting there, had expressed interest in a road trip…
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December 28, 2025 at 1:42 PM
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Footpaths made a recent visit to the Florida Panhandle and hiked on a strip of land between the Gulf of Mexico and a beautiful coastal dune lake - a rare, diverse ecosystem.

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Dune Lake Trail, Grayton Beach State Park – Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
We had a plan, but plans are not foolproof. Over the years, in our pre-Footpaths days, we had hiked this trail several times and each time we saw a diverse population of waterfowl on Western Lake. …
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December 21, 2025 at 12:32 PM
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We had a fresh 5 inches of snow and a new telephoto lens when we headed to an old-growth forest, where snow does magical things.

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California Woods Nature Preserve in the Snow – Cincinnati, Ohio
It is a surprising paradox – a 50 acre old-growth forest only 7.5 miles from downtown Cincinnati, which I would argue is the most underappreciated piece of greenspace in the region. The old-g…
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December 14, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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Wet weather and a scheduling crunch caused us to look close to home for an outing, and we were rewarded by some interesting observations of things commonly seen in community parks. #Embshoffwoods

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Embshoff Woods – Cincinnati, Ohio
It had been a wet couple of weeks and we were heading into the Thanksgiving stretch, with a schedule that would prohibit a day on the trail. The photographer sensed my desperation and relented to m…
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December 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
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A surprise snow added beauty to our recent hike in Rocky Fork Gorge at the Arc of Appalachia's Highland Nature Sanctuary.

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Barrett’s Rim Trail, Highland Nature Sanctuary – Bainbridge, Ohio
The calendar said mid-November, but the weather said mid-January. We awoke to a temp of 24 degrees and a couple of inches of fresh snow. It was Veteran’s Day and our daughter Caroline, an edu…
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November 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
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Its not often that you come upon a 27 foot sculpture of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz in a forest. But then again, you can expect the unexpected at Bernheim Forest. #whimsy

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Iron Ore Loop Trail, Bernheim Forest – Clermont, Kentucky
We headed south of Louisville, to Bernheim Forest, to extend our leaf color season, and to hike with our grand-dog Cappy. She is a true hiking enthusiast. Oh, how we wished we lived closer to Bernh…
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November 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
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Recently Footpaths visited The Oxbow Nature Conservancy in Southwest Indiana to observe some of the migrating wildlife.

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Migration Season, Oxbow Nature Conservancy – Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Each fall, waterfowl and other migratory birds stop at The Oxbow, and so do I. They are resting and feeding in the shallow bodies of water on their long trip south. I am just taking inventory. A fr…
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November 16, 2025 at 12:54 PM
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It was a glorious fall day when we did a leaf color hike at East Fork Lake State Park in Ohio and we were treated to a bounty of yellow and some outstanding vistas. I so underappreciated this park as a hiking venue before this visit.

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Lake Trail, East Fork Lake State Park – Amelia, Ohio
When it came to fall leaf color, we struck gold – literally. After a less than dramatic leaf color hike the previous week, I was determined to find a color hotspot. Three days of steady rain …
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November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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This week Footpaths was on a tree color hike and we were surprised to find these outstanding Brown-eyed Susan's late in the season. You just never know what nature is going to throw your way.

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Grand Circle Trail, Timberman Ridge MetroPark – Hamilton, Ohio
My Wednesday golf outing caused a sense of urgency. We played in the cold with quite a bit of wind, but what really struck me were the intense orange and yellows of the Sugar Maples that lined a be…
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November 2, 2025 at 12:35 PM
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Fall is aster season, one of the last wildflowers to bloom before winter sets in. Recently Footpaths visited Salamander Run Nature Preserve and the asters were beautiful with their light, airy displays.

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Salamander Run Metropark – Hamilton, Ohio
I first heard about Salamander Run Metropark when it was featured on our local NPR affiliate, WVXU. It was newsworthy because the preserve was developed near the former site of the Fernald Uranium …
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October 26, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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This week's Footpaths article reports on a hike in a magnificent old-growth forest at Shrader-Weaver Nature Preserve. There I found this massive Red Oak acorn and saw what seemed to be innumerable matriarch trees - the queens of the forest.

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Woods Trail, Shrader-Weaver Nature Preserve – Connersville, Indiana
One of my favorite habitats to hike are old-growth forests. There is something about the majestic old trees that brings me peace and causes me to ponder. What I wouldn’t give to be able to tr…
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October 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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The saying is "big things come in small packages" and that was the case when we visited East Loveland Nature Preserve. Most notable were the nice views onto O'Bannon Creek and some massive trees.

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East Loveland Nature Preserve – Loveland, Ohio
This was the final rehab hike for the photographer before we headed overseas. While I wanted to up the challenge somewhat, I did not want to risk causing any strain to her healing Achilles tendon. …
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October 12, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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A late summer visit to Huffman Prairie put the photographer in one of her favorite habitats to photograph. This preserve has two types of prairie - wet and mesic, which is dry. Paired with the history of this parcel of land, it made for an outstanding outing.

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Huffman Prairie – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
Huffman Prairie is an 113 acre preserve that exists by the happenstance of history. At the turn of the 20th century this prairie was part of a farm owned by Dayton, Ohio banker Torrence Huffman. Be…
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October 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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Hisey Park was chosen as our hiking venue due to terrain that would be ideal for the photographer's rehab from Achilles tendon surgery. As always, nature rewarded us with some outstanding observations.

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Wetland Trail, Hisey Park – Waynesville, Ohio.
This was a measured outing for the photographer’s rehabilitation back to hiking. The previous week her post-surgical Achilles had done well on an asphalt trail, so we sought out a flat grasse…
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September 28, 2025 at 11:11 AM
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This week's Footpaths article is a review of the outstanding collection of nature essays, The Comfort of Crows, by Margaret Renkl.

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The Comfort of Crows – Margaret Renkl
Books of nature essays appeal to me. I enjoy contemplating other writer’s thoughts on their time outdoors and their observations of nature. I particularly enjoy succinct entries – those…
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September 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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Following an early June surgery and over 2 months in a cast then walking boot, the photographer was released to ease back onto the hiking trail. Her first venture out was a successful visit to Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve.

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Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve – Colerain Township, Ohio
This had been my plan for over 2 months. The photographer had her Achilles tendon repaired in early June and I knew that her return to full hiking would be incremental. The Pin Oak Trail at Farbach…
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September 14, 2025 at 7:25 AM
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Earlier this summer Footpaths enjoyed an informal hike across some of the campus at Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary in Frankfort, KY. I termed it a "random wandering".
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Random Wandering, Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary – Frankfort, Kentucky
We had completed the Blue Trail and Pond Loop and had no other plans for the sanctuary that day, but it was too early to head to our targeted brewpub. The map showed a bird blind that overlooked a …
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September 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
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We were surprised on Footpaths' recent visit to Quiverheart Gorge Nature Preserve. In addition to the anticipated gorge geology, we got to spend quite bit of time in botanically diverse cedar barrens, one of my favorite habitats.

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Quiverheart Gorge Nature Preserve – Peebles, Ohio
After parking, we were greeted by two things, the neighbor’s roosters calling us, and a beautiful cluster of Brown Eyed Susan’s at the trailhead. As a follower of the Arc of Appalachia …
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August 31, 2025 at 11:54 AM
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Footpaths recently visited Miller Nature Sanctuary, an Ohio State Nature Preserve. It features an outstanding gorge that was cut by the beautiful Rocky Fork Creek.

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Miller Nature Sanctuary – Bainbridge, Ohio
I wasn’t sure what to expect heading to this somewhat small, 85 acre preserve. It is an Ohio State Nature Preserve somewhat close to home that we had not visited. I knew that the preserve fea…
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August 24, 2025 at 9:53 AM
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This week Footpaths ventured to the 1000 acre Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve in central Ohio. In meadows and wooded creek valleys we saw many late summer wildflowers including this Heal-all.
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Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve – East Liberty, Ohio
And the Mississippi’s mightyBut it starts in MinnesotaAt a place that you could walk acrossWith five steps down Those lyrics, by the Indigo Girls, is what came to my mind when I finally reach…
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August 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
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Recently Footpaths visited Gray's Arch in the Red River Gorge. It was a challenging, yet great hike with a diversity of habitats where we saw several rare plants.

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Gray’s Arch Loop Trail, Red River Gorge Geological Area – Slade, Kentucky
Our daughter Caroline, the stand-in photographer for the summer, had stated that she wanted to visit Red River Gorge while on her summer break, and with her break winding down we headed south. I wa…
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August 10, 2025 at 12:30 PM
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Recently Footpaths traveled to Bigelow Cemetery, a tallgrass prairie remnant and the State of Ohio's smallest nature preserve. We were fascinated by the history of the pioneer cemetery which was surrounded by active agriculture.

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Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve – Irwin, Ohio
We were in Central Ohio to hike another preserve, but when that outing ended early, I suggested that we visit nearby Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve – a prairie remnant. The descriptio…
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August 3, 2025 at 11:19 AM