Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
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  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Caesar Creek Section

Greene, Warren, Clinton · Southwest Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
55miles
17 of 26clockwise
3counties

Lakeshore paths, forests and trails, with the college town of Yellow Springs and Glen Helen.

Leaves the Little Miami Scenic Trail into Caesar Creek State Park for more than 20 miles of lakeshore footpath, then goes through Yellow Springs and Glen Helen to Pearl's Fen.

Highlights

  • Caesar Creek State Park and its beach
  • Yellow Springs and Glen Helen Nature Preserve
  • Great Council State Park in Oldtown
  • Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve nearby

Parks on this section

Glen Helen Nature Preserve
The trail passes through the preserve and Orators Mound
Open
Clifton Gorge – John L. Rich State Nature Preserve
Glacial gorge preserve near Yellow Springs
Open
Caesar Creek State Park
More than 20 miles of lakeshore trail
Open
John Bryan State Park
Clifton Gorge and Glen Helen are next to the route at Yellow Springs
Open

Mounds and earthworks

Orators Mound (Glen Helen)
The mound where Webster and Clay both spoke
Open

Historic sites near this section

Great Council State Park (Old Chillicothe)
The site of a Shawnee capital, now a state park built with the Shawnee nations
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official Caesar Creek Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Caesar Creek State Park has camping
  • John Bryan State Park has a campground near Yellow Springs

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Lodging near the trail

Three Ten Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast, Yellow Springs
Walkable to downtown Yellow Springs, a Buckeye Trail Town beside Glen Helen.

These are places to sleep near the route, not places that advertise to hikers. Confirm that they welcome hikers, and ask about shuttles.

Water

Water at the park and in Yellow Springs, Xenia and Spring Valley.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

The file holds 15 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Good: Spring Valley, Xenia and Yellow Springs are all Buckeye Trail Towns.

Food and fuel

Spring Valley Trail Town
A peaceful small town with trails and wildlife.
Stone House Tavern (Waynesville)
Burgers, wings and a big patio in Waynesville, on the Little Miami trail about eight miles south; open daily
Directions
Village Family Restaurant (Waynesville)
Family restaurant and breakfast in Waynesville; open daily
Directions
bp (Waynesville)
Gas and a small grocery in Waynesville; open 24 hours
Directions
Xenia Trail Town
The hub of four rail-trails, with Underground Railroad history; it was nearly wiped out by a 1974 tornado.
Nick's Restaurant
Known for wings; open daily except Monday
Directions
Butterbee's American Grille
Sports-bar menu of burgers, ribs and wings; open daily
Directions
Shell
Gas and convenience store with a drive-thru
Directions
Yellow Springs Trail Town
An arts-minded college town beside Glen Helen, Clifton Gorge and John Bryan State Park.
Ye Olde Trail Tavern
Said to be Ohio's oldest tavern
Directions
Sunrise Cafe
Local, organic breakfast and lunch spot
Directions
Peach's Grill
Casual bar and grill, live music
Directions
Yellow Springs BP
Center of town, closest to the park
Directions
Speedway
A short drive from the park entrance
Directions
Near Glen Helen Nature Preserve
Ye Olde Trail Tavern
Said to be Ohio's oldest tavern
Directions
Sunrise Cafe
Local, organic breakfast and lunch spot
Directions
Yellow Springs BP
Center of town, closest to the park
Directions
Near Clifton Gorge – John L. Rich State Nature Preserve
Ye Olde Trail Tavern
Said to be Ohio's oldest tavern
Directions
Sunrise Cafe
Local, organic breakfast and lunch spot
Directions
Yellow Springs BP
Center of town, closest to the park
Directions
Near Caesar Creek State Park
Little River Bar and Grill
The classic post-Caesar-Creek stop, across from the canoe livery. Closed Mondays
Directions
1572 Roadhouse Bar-B-Q
On the Renaissance Festival grounds — unusual setting, excellent tri-tip. Thu–Sun only
Directions
bp
24 hours, the usual stop heading out to the park
Directions
Near John Bryan State Park
Ye Olde Trail Tavern
Said to be Ohio's oldest tavern
Directions
Sunrise Cafe
Local, organic breakfast and lunch spot
Directions
Yellow Springs BP
Center of town, closest to the park
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.