This small, fifty acre hiking venue caught my attention for one reason – on-line mention of an old-growth wood. We were nearby for another outing, so I thought it was worth a visit. I was still in the van when I saw this sign – recognition by the national Old-growth Forest Network, which gave instant credibility to claim.
On-line information mentioned the Ridge Trail but at the trailhead we were met by these two signs.
It was an inviting entry into the wood, with an open understory and an absence of invasive plants.
Shortly after entering the forest we came upon this placard – a reproduction of the cover of a children’s book that tells the story of Smallmouth Sonny, a young fish that lives in the nearby, scenic Little Miami River, a waterway that we frequently visit. In actuality, the Storybook Trail overlaps a segment of the Ridge Trail for its short distance.
Due to the presence of some large trees to our left, that was the direction we headed. Before long we came upon additional signage, this time from the end of the children’s book, that told the story of the author, the illustrator, and the Eagle Scout that made the trail happen.
It was not till weeks later, when we reviewed our collection of photos from the day, that I realized the photographer’s attention had been sucked into the abyss of children’s literature. Only 7 of the 52 photos were of the forest and trees, the remainder were of the storybook signs. We were walking the Storybook Trail backwards and I believe she wanted to be able recreate the storyline to read it in the correct order.
The small forest itself is outstanding, with massive trees that included Red Oaks, White Oaks, Sugar Maple, Black Cherry, and Beech.
And as hard as it is for me to say, the presence and presentation of the Storybook Trail was as equally outstanding as the old growth trees. Perhaps it was the element of surprise. We have spent a lot of time on trails of all sorts and have never had the mirth that we experienced on this short hike, even reading the book backwards.
One last comment on the quality of the integration of the children’s story to the forest that the kids find themselves in, were that the last few signs tied the characters in the storybook to the wildlife that could be found in the woodland and creek habitats of the forest.
In summary, Simpson Forest Preserve is a hike like no other – the marriage of a small old-growth forest with a well written children’s book. We will be back in the winter to appreciate the architecture of the trees and to search for the many species of woodpeckers who thrive in these mature forests. If you enjoy introducing children to nature, we can not imagine a more engaging venue to do so.
Footpathsblog.com posts are released every Sunday morning and some bonus content is added periodically. Please click on a social media icon above to follow for future posts and to make sure that you catch all our reflections on, and adventures with, the great outdoors.
Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview:
Location – at the rear of Phillips Park, 11667 Rich Road, Loveland, OH, 23 miles northeast of downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – asphalt lot for 30 cars.
Facilities – at the nearby ball fields.
Trail Conditions – bare dirt. The Storybook Loop is laid out to be experienced counterclockwise.
Print Trail Map Link – none.
Benches – yes.
Picnic Tables – at the trailhead.
Kids – kids of all ages will do well on the trail.
Dogs – welcomed on a leash.
Paired Hiking Trails – East Loveland Nature Preserve is about 1 mile away and was featured in an earlier Footpaths article.
Links: