Alum Creek State Park Multipurpose Trail - Outside Delaware, Ohio
Posted by: 
Mr. 0
N 40° 11.971 W 082° 56.983
17T E 334052 N 4451724
A nice hike through both forested and grassland areas. The western portion of the loop provides scenic views of Alum Creek Lake. There is also plenty of wildlife and plantlife to be seen.
Waymark Code: WM1EV7
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/22/2007
Views: 80
This trail seems to be under used for the most part. It is open to hiking, and pets are allowed if on a leash. During the winter when the snow is abundant enough it is open for snowmobiling as well. The trail is generally flat, about 20' wide, and grassy. As with most trails in the area there are areas of persistent mud due to the many small springs.
The trail starts near a boat ramp in the southern portions of Alum Creek State Park, and winds its way north along the edge of Alum Creek Lake. It is actually comprised of two connected loops, split by what appears to be an old access road. The southern loop claims to be 1 mile, however I believe it to be longer than that. I hiked the entire southern loop, plus a little bit of the northern loop and ended up with a 4.4 mile tracklog. The only additional extra part was a little side trip down the access road to get to the lake side. After reaching the old access road you can continue on into the northern loop, or head east and then eventually back south through mostly grassy meadows.
The western portion of the path seems to be very well used, and I passed by several people walking this portion. I think this part is more used by folks wanting views of the lake, as they are abundant along this part of the trail. It also provides easy access to an area where you can sit on a small bench right on the lake's edge. I didn't see a single other person along the eastern part of the loop. Most people probably head back using the western part of the trail. This however provides a great opportunity for seeing wildlife of all kinds. When I was there I spotted many different birds; Cardinals, Finches, Baltimore Orioles, Flickers, Woodpeckers of various sorts, and a couple Red Tail Hawks just to name a few. I didn't see any today, however tracks in the mud indicate deer, raccoon, opossum, and fox run around here at night. The entire trail will also be great during the autumn, to see the fall colors. If not passing through, the trail is always on the edge of both primary and secondary growth mixed hardwood forests. Many of the spring fed "puddles" in the trail provide habitat for tadpoles, aquatic insects, and probably salamanders.