Hiker's Path: A fall walk on the Hemlock Cliffs National Scenic Trail
One of my favorite places to hike has always been in the Hoosier National forest. It contains over 200,000 acres throughout the hills of South-central and Southern Indiana. The trail system itself has approximately 266 miles of trails, many located in beautiful and unique places. One such place is found at the "Hemlock Cliffs National Scenic Trail."
The trail lies within the Hemlock Cliffs Valley which is located within the central portion of the National Forest.The trail is 1.2 miles in length and is a loop trail. It’s considered moderate in ease of hiking. It provides access to sandstone cliffs and seasonal waterfalls as well as Hemlock trees and rare wintergreen plants. The trail drops into a small canyon that is surrounded by the beautiful Hemlock trees and large stands of Oak forests. There are sandstone rock outcrops, rock overhangs, rock shelters, and deep ravines. There are also small caves and creeks.I recently made a trip down to hike there.
The trail is located near English, Indiana so a bit of a drive but so worth it! I arrived late morning and found the trailhead located in a gravel parking lot. The sky was blue and the sun was shining as I set out on my day’s adventure. I started hiking along the wooded path, lined with beautiful trees. The landscape around me was rich with high cliffs and moss covered trees and rocks. Signs of fall were everywhere. The forest was alive with color. The musky scent of Autumn leaves was in the air. A great day to be at this special place.
I continued on with my walk and passed a steep cliff that had wooden fencing along the edge. While peering over the edge I could see the reason for the fence. Thank goodness, the trail in front of me was clearly marked. I ascended some stone stairs that were up the hillside and then came to a fork in the trail. There, I found an arrow pointing to the right. Then the trail led me up to a water falls.
The waterfalls was not as big as I remembered due to the seasonal drought that Indiana has experienced as of late.But still, the landscape was stunning with the Hemlock trees with a backdrop of rock outcrops. The trail wrapped around some pretty steep rocks and a little climbing was called for. For no longer than the trail was, it made quite the impression on this hiker.
When I finally finished my hike, I made my way back to the parking lot. Like always, it had been a good day and a great hike.To get to this place: drive south on State Highway 37 from Bloomington until you come to State Highway 237 which is right before English. Turn onto it and follow it until you see the sign for W. Union Chapel Road on your right. Follow it until you see the turnoff for Hemlock Cliffs on the right, turn there and follow to the parking lot.It's about a two hour drive and about 90 miles from Owen County.A quote for your week: “If you walk into a forest - you hear all kinds of subtle sounds - but underneath there is an all pervasive silence.” - Eckhart Tolle - Author and Spiritual TeacherUntil the next trail,Susan
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hiker's Path: Hemlock Cliffs National Scenic Trail
