Shawnee Lookout

Shawnee Lookout

2008 Lawrenceberg Road North Bend, Ohio 45052

Official Website
Shawnee Lookout map

About this Location

Shawnee Lookout is well known for its historical Springhouse School and Log Cabin, Indian archaeological earthworks, and nature trails, including the 1.3-mile Blue Jacket, 2.0-mile Little Turtle, and the 1.4-mile Miami Fort trail that offers a spectacular view of the Great Miami River. The park also offers boat access to the Great Miami River, picnic areas, and a playground.

Ulmansiek Wildlife Sanctuary is a 263-acre of seasonally flooded riparian habitat located along the Great Miami River and noted for the wide variety of migratory waterfowl that use it as a resting area. An additional 914 acres are wetlands located adjacent to the park and are protected through conservation easements. The area provides valuable habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Notable Trails

Shawnee Lookout Trails
Blue Jacket Trail – 1.3 miles – moderate
Smell the rich aroma of the northern spicebush as you enter the trail. Look for small yellow blooms in the spring and their bright red fruit in the summer. Further on, look for tall prairie plants in the clearings. View the oxbow from the overlook above the Great Miami River. The oxbow hosts many waterfowl species. Bald Eagles are commonly seen cruising the river as are Black Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks, and the occasional osprey. Looking down you may find an Eastern Box Turtle crossing your path. Looking up, watch for woodland birds such as Ovenbirds, Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhees, and Gray Catbirds.

Little Turtle Trail – 2 miles – moderate
Breathtaking overlooks of the Ohio River characterize this trail. The likelihood of catching sight of a Bald Eagle from late winter to early spring is high as they’re scouting out nesting sites. The contrast of the white head and tail feathers against the dark body and its massive size is unmistakable. Listen for Downy Woodpeckers, or the much larger (at least as large as a crow) Pileated Woodpeckers “knocking” on trees to pry insects from them. You might even hear their laughter as they speed by. Visible from the trail is a prehistoric burial mound from the Woodland period, dating between approximately 1000 BC and 1000 AD. Of the over 10,000 earthworks in Ohio, nearly 40 of them are found in this park. Flint artifacts, such as knives, drills, and spear points, as well as stone pestles, hammers, and tablets, were left behind to tell the story of over 14,000 years of history of this space.

Miami Fort Trail – 1.4 miles – moderate
Enter the Miami Fort earthwork, built by the Adena and Hopewell cultures, dating back nearly 3,000 years ago. Notice the high, constructed berms to your right as you enter the fort, possibly used for water retention and agricultural irrigation. Look for other burial mounds along the trail also constructed by the Adena and Hopewell cultures. View the confluence of the Great Miami River and Ohio River at the point. Indiana and Kentucky are also visible. Keep your eyes open for American Bald Eagles and Black Vultures soaring on the updrafts from the river. Commonly found on the trail are Fowler’s Toads, Zebra Swallowtails, and their host plant the Pawpaw tree, Cerulean Warblers, American Redstarts, and Fox Squirrels.

Former Golf Course Trails – 3.8 miles – paved, hilly
The golf course has been decommissioned, but the cart paths have been left in place for walkers. Each half of the golf course is about two miles, but they can easily be combined for a full loop of four miles. Very hilly, so it makes for a good workout.

The AllTrails website has descriptions with maps of hikes on all 4 of the trails at Shawnee Lookout.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

Content from Official Website