Hiking Team: dave Miller
Date: April 14, 2025
This Butler County Metropark was a fun 2.4-mile loop trail. It began with a 75-yard floating dock across water about one foot deep. The dock was made of plastic squares. If I kept moving, I was fine but once I stopped to take a photo of the Cattail Marsh wetlands and the water quickly engulfed my hiking boots. I could see small fish and a blue heron before quickly walking onward. Once off the floating dock, the trail continued for .7 miles on grass with a creek on the left and Kingfisher Pond with one bird blind on the right. This was a popular birding area. I saw dozens of turtles and finally reached a paved bike path for my final 1.6 miles. The first quarter mile ran parallel to the old Miami & Erie Canal, still full of water. Along this route were two pond overlooks and a spur trail – the .7-mile Highlands Trace Loop. Near the end of the hike, a foot off of the trail I spotted a three-foot-long green snake standing at full attention ready to strike.
