Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve is in my regular rotation of great places to hike but I had a particularly memorable hike there over the weekend. We awoke to fog on Saturday and there was a fine, misty rain in the air on the way. Luckily, it cleared up before we arrived at our trailhead.

While a snowless winter can be a lackluster time in Ohio, this place was positively gorgeous at every turn. 

Eastern hemlocks, ferns and mosses provided color and texture. Bits of life like small buds and the tiniest signs of green made us think that spring really is on the way. We stopped to listen to a conversation between two owls. We also heard a chorus of small frogs known as Spring Peepers or, in my family, as March Peepers. The air smelled of fresh earth and decomposing wood, a rich aroma that will always, always, always make me stop and sniff the air.

It was almost magical.

If you search this blog for Lake Katharine, you will find more stories and pictures. Visit Make The Journey Fun on Facebook to view more pictures from the hike. If you’re in southern Ohio, consider stopping by for a literal breath of fresh air that hasn’t been ruined by the tourists you find at a lot of our state parks. 

Lake Katherine is a state nature preserve so you’ll have to leave your pets at home and there are no trash cans so plan to carry out whatever you carry in. There is a port-a-john but I would not recommend relying on that. There are some fast food restaurants and stores in Jackson that are much better options for a potty break. 

Lake Katharine is located at 1703 Lake Katharine Road, Jackson, Ohio.