The Fairfield-Hocking county line runs through Clear Creek Metro Park. (See the map for the location of the county line.) eBird hotspots are organized by county. If you carefully keep your bird records by county, be sure to use the specific hotspots in this park so that the birds will be assigned to the proper county.

The Lake Trail, .9 mile, is a moderate to difficult hike on a dirt surface. The trail winds through the woods to an observation deck overlooking Lake Ramona.

The Lake Trail can be accessed from either the Ironwood or Valley View picnic areas, each of which have parking lots. A small portion of Lake Ramona is visible from the observation deck. More of the lake is visible from a trail going north from the main park road.

Clear Creek Valley is one of the most pristine and secluded natural areas in Central Ohio. Variations of land surfaces, soils and climates have produced a medley of habitats that harbor more than 800 plant species and 150 species of birds, many of them rare.

You may catch a glimpse of turkey, deer, ruffed grouse, coyote, black vultures, or even see the traces of the elusive bobcat along the park’s 12 miles of trails.

Centuries of glacial flooding have cut the valley through the Black Hand sandstone leaving an array of scenic cliffs and rugged rock formations overlooking the creek.

Oak and hickory forests interspersed with giant hemlocks and ferns, along with the last remaining Ohio colonies of rhododendron, provide the perfect backdrop or a getaway from city life.