Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve East Trailhead
"Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization." ~ Charles Lindbergh
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve is a serene 607-acre preserve established in 2008. The mission was to provide a place for environmental education. Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve has a wide variety of plants and wildlife. The terrain varies throughout the park. It includes ridges, wooded areas, open fields, riverbanks, ponds, outcroppings, caves and waterfalls.
There are 3 trailheads:
· 7000 Beach Camp Rd (North Trailhead)
· 7100 State Route 664 (West Trailhead)
· 7793 Bremen Road (East Trailhead)
The Trails
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve is a large park that has approximately 7 miles of trails. Some of the trails are not the easiest to hike. Throughout most of the state nature preserve, you are either going up or down. The trails are all-natural and well maintained.
At the East Trailhead, located at 7793 Bremen Road, there is a small gravel parking lot that has room for approximately 10 vehicles (depending how people park).
The East trailhead is located off the southwest part of the parking lot. As soon as you enter, there is a station to wipe your shoes. This may seem like an inconvenience; however, it is important to try to stop the spread of invasive species.
The trail weaves back and forth through the trees on a constant incline for about .3 miles. The elevation change is about 200 feet. There is anywhere from a 2% to 16% grade change.
From the Buckeye Trail, you can turn right and go down the Cemetery Trail or head straight. Since we have never hiked the Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve Cemetery Trail, we turned right. The trail is rough, and it continues to go up. Finally, it goes back down, and you find yourself by the Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve Office.
The trail works its way through a small field. Then you must cross a creek. There is no bridge, so make sure you wear waterproof shoes.
After crossing the creek, you will find yourself going back up. This trail turns to the right, and you head towards Bremen Road.
Don’t blink, or you will miss the tiny cemetery located next to the road, overlooking the driveway to the Park Office. This cemetery is referred to as Pioneer Cemetery and Shepley Cemetery.
After the cemetery, the trail curves back around and makes its way in front of large rock outcroppings. Of course, the elevation continues to climb.
There is a small set of steps that take you to the top of the hill. Once you get to the top, you will see the open trail. It looks flat, yet still, the elevation continues to slowly rise at a 1%-2% grade.
Once you complete the Cemetery Trail, you will find yourself at location I. Since we have already hiked most of the other trails, we headed back towards the Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve East Trailhead on the Buckeye Trail.
Not long after getting back on the Buckeye Trail, you will come across a small pond.
The trail continues past the ponds and winds to the left, where you will find a small waterfall. The elevation goes down until you reach location J.
From location J, the elevation goes back up. It varies from a 4% to 11% grade. On this part of the trail, you will pass a small cave.
Once you make it to location K, it is all downhill to the parking lot.
Once you make it to location K, it is all downhill to the parking lot.
The hike from the East Trailhead around Cemetery Trail and back to the Trailhead is about 2.9 miles (the map only shows 2.5). It isn’t a long hike, but it is a good workout.
Not a Trail
This park is huge, and you need to pay attention to the trail signs. It is very easy to take trails that are NOT A TRAIL. There are quite a few Not a Trail signs along the paths.
Robinson Falls
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve has a waterfall that can only be visited by obtaining a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. We did not visit the waterfall during our visit. We are planning on checking it out during the spring when there is a lot of water flowing. The waterfall is not noted on the trail map.
What is the Buckeye Trail?
Information from the sign:
Founded in 1959, Ohio’s Buckeye Trail (BT) is the longest hiking trail entirely within Ohio. More than 1,400 miles loop through the wooded footpaths, abandoned railroads, historic towpaths, back roads, rivers, and lake shores, within both rural and community settings. The BT provides an intimate way to experience Ohio’s wonderful scenic and historic diversity.
The Buckeye Trail is marked along its length by blue paint blazes. The trail is open to all hikers, made possible by Buckeye Trail Association volunteers and the partnership of federal, state, and local agencies, as well as many private land-owners. The BT is also the proud host of two other long distance trails, the North Country Trail, from New York to North Dakota and the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail.
HIKE
Explore the best of Ohio on foot by following the blue blazes. Whether day hiking, section hiking or a 3 month circuit hike of the BT enjoy one of Ohio’s greatest ideas.
JOIN
Become a part of the movement to enjoy and develop the BT. Support the work of the Buckeye Trail Association by becoming a member.
VOLUNTEER
Give back to the BT. Since 1959 the BTA has been building, maintaining, protecting and promoting the use of Ohio’s State Trail. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow volunteers on and off the BT.
Social Distancing at Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
Even though Covid is not as bad as it was, the park still wants you to social distance. This park is so huge, this is not a problem. We only saw a few people on the trail, and it was the first 70 degree day of the year.
If you decide to visit any park, please stay on the trails. The trails are there for your safety and the safety of the natural plants and wildlife. There is plenty to see without tromping through the woods. To learn more about Trail Etiquette, check out our previous post HERE.
Photos from the West Trail Head
Below are some pictures of the Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve West Trailhead. We didn’t have time to finish that part of the trail. However, that gives us a good excuse to visit this park again.
Our Thoughts
We loved Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve and will make our way back to finish the last trail. The Nature Preserve was well-kept, and there was very little trash.
The trails are not the easiest in some spots, but are not the hardest trails around. They are great for getting in a good workout. The park was peaceful and quiet. We did not even hear any vehicle noise.
If you plan on visiting the park, we recommend that you wear a nice, comfortable pair of waterproof boots. There were a couple of muddy areas and a few water crossings.
What You Can Expect at Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
Please note that trail rules and regulations can change at any time. The following information was in effect for Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve in Logan as of March 2022.
There are no bathrooms.
Bicycles are prohibited.
There was quite a bit of activity. It should be a great place for birding during migration.
Foot bridge.
Concealed carry is permitted.
Dogs are prohibited.
Trail surfaces are natural. The trails are steep in places. The trails are easy to mildly difficult.
West trailhead parking lot is blacktop. North and East parking lots are limestone. The North and East lots have room for approximately 10 cars.
No picnic tables.
No playground.
No benches.
A lot of shade.
No shelter house.
Trails are well marked with paint on the trees and signs.
No trashcans.
Pond, creeks and waterfalls.
No ADA parking spots at North or East parking lots. One possible spot at West parking lot.
