Wildflower Pilgirimage Field Trips

Wildflower Pilgrimage

2025 Field Trips

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Participants take part in day-long field trips to wildflower destinations on Saturday and Sunday. Optional field trips are also offered on Friday, most of which are half day. Pilgrimage treks are led by some of Ohio’s most knowledgeable naturalists and botanists. Groups are limited to 12 people or less. Choose your top field trip preferences from the list below and share them with us on the registration form. Note: Some minor changes in field trip offerings may yet occur.

Friday Field Trip Offerings

Friday afternoon offers the following optional guided hike experiences in addition to the Pilgrimage’s main Saturday and Sunday field trip offerings. If you have never been to the Wildflower Pilgrimage before, be sure to also check out our indoor programs on Friday afternoon that are specially designed to deepen the experience of first-time visitors, and are highly recommended. Note that all Ohio River Bluffs’ hikes are all-day hikes, even on Friday. Be sure to pack a lunch. See Schedule for program details.

1:00 pm Gladys Riley Golden Star Lily - Aquatics Exploration

with Dr. Anna George, President of Conservation Science and Education at the Tennessee Aquarium , will show you fish as beautiful as the preserve’s flowers.

Gladys Riley is a bit of a drive but is worth the effort. The farther one drives south toward the Ohio River, the steeper the hills and the larger the forests. The preserve’s spring flowers on sandstone & shale are a bit later than in our Karst Country wildflowers. The showcase begins with harbinger of spring, hepatica, and golden star lilies beginning around April 1, and ends with peak Large-flowered trillium displays around the 3rd week of April. The cool, clean waters of Rocky Fork Creek which run through the preserve have an abundance of vibrantly colorful fish this time of year, and Dr. Anna George will be “diving into” the exceptionally clean waters of Rocky Fork Creek to share them with you, You will be provided up-close encounters with fish sporting their peak breeding colors. If you are interested in learning more about the fascinating and colorful world above and below the surface of our waters, we highly recommend this trip. This is also a great trip for photographers. Getting into the water is totally optional. However, if you want to, wear muck boots or other wadres so that you can keep warm. Photo: Rainbow Darter by John Howard

MEET ON SITE. Distance from Forest Museum: 37 miles (49 minutes)
Length of Trail: 1.25-mile loop. Because we will be seining for aquatic life, this field trip not require a particularly long hike.
Difficulty: Moderate. The terrain is rocky and the trails require good balance and strong ankles. The trail is without major ascents and descents. Naturally, the stream bottom is also rocky and uneven.

1:00 pm Miller State Nature Preserve -
The Henrietta Miller Memorial Trek

Miller State Nature Preserve is adjacent to the Highlands Nature Sanctuary and is the oldest preserve on the Rocky Fork Gorge. The preserve has an extremely rich and compelling display of karst-country wildflowers, with dense displays of wild ginger, sweet William, large-flowered bellwort, Virginia bluebells, and large-flowered trillium. Later in the season it is one of the best destinations to observe shooting stars. Several sparkling clean creeks dissect the preserve, sculpting out beautiful limestone rock formations, including a handsome stone arch. This hike is dedicated to Henrietta Miller, who donated much of Miller preserve to the Natural Areas many decades ago and was the Arc’s VERY FIRST large donor, helping our fledging organization get off the ground in 1995. Her dream was to one day connect the Highlands Nature Sanctuary to Miller Preserve, which back in 1995 seemed like a far-fetched fantasy. We did it, Henrietta!! Photo by Bob Miller.

Distance from Forest Museum: 3.0 miles (7 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.5 miles of hiking.
Difficulty: Moderate to easy. Trails are wide and level with lots of steps and bridges. Only a few short ascents and descents.

1:00 pm Kamelands - Highlands Nature Sanctuary

Kamelands’ trail leads through rolling meadows to a forest corridor bordering the high bluffs of Rocky Fork Creek directly across the gorge from the Forest Museum. We will be hiking right above the feature known as Mussett’s Pool. This trail boasts immense ancient oaks and impressive rock formations, including a stone arch. A stream crossing midway on the trail crosses a sparkling stone-bottomed. Spring ephemerals cling to the rim of the gorge and carpet the canyon floor, which we will reach through a natural passageway in the rock wall. The forest of Kamelands has a touch of a prairie influence in its floral assemblage, including such interesting late spring flora as bastard toadflax, smooth meadow phlox, and American columbo. Photo Mussett’s Pool by Tom Croce Photography

Distance from Forest Museum: 1.8 miles (4 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.0 mile loop
Difficulty: Moderate. A mostly level trail with an optional descent into the canyon floor which we will likely choose to enjoy.

11:00 am Ohio River Bluffs - An Arc of Appalachia Preserve - BE SURE TO PACK A LUNCH

The Ohio River Bluffs is a steep dolomite hillside that faces the Ohio River. The preserve boasts one of the most breathtaking wildflower displays in the Eastern United States - a dense, nearly unbroken carpet of spring blooms cascading from the ridgetop to the base of the slope. Ohio River Bluffs is one of the few remaining remnants of what was primevally a continuous floral expanse all several miles of the Ohio River in the region immediately west of the river town of Manchester. Early spring showcases feature rue anemone, purple cress, Virginia bluebell, and toad trillium. Mid-season displays add a dazzling explosion of dwarf larkspur and blue-eyed Marys. Late-season displays include false Solomon’s seal, wild hyacinth, and purple mint. If the weather cooperates, we will be visiting the Bluffs during the transition between its early and mid-season displays, giving us a chance to enjoy the best of both! From the ridgetop you will be able to see the Kentucky hills on the far side of the Ohio River. Photo by Tim Pohlar.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 48 miles (1 hr 10 mins)
Length of Trail: 2.5 miles. Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, due to the long ascent and steep-sided bluffs. Narrow but improved trails. The pace will be slow. We will be packing our lunch and eating at the top of the ridge, so bring a small tarp or plastic bag to sit on to stay dry.

Trimmer Arch - Paint Creek Reservoir
Managed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife

We heard rumors of this enchanting location a few years ago and sleuthed out where it was. It was more magical than we imagined, and we were smitten! This is Paint Valley magic at its best! Smothered in wildflowers, the dripping rock walls and fallen boulders in this humid, sheltered ravine have never seen a dry day. The landscape boasts two waterfalls plus a pristine rock arch so big a group of people can stand below it. The wildflowers are as pretty as you would have guessed. Large-flowered trillium, large-flowerd bellwort, wild ginger, and false rue anemones carpet the rocks, as well as an astounding number of Jack-in-the-pulpits, which won’t bloom for another week or two. Because invasive plants are starting to enter this landscape; the Arc is trying to figure out how to help the State of Ohio care for this delicate, vulnerable site. At this time, Trimmer Arch does not have an official entrance or legal parking. We have, however, obtained permission to enter for the Pilgrimage.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 9 miles (14 minutes) to the north
Length of Trail: 2.75 miles of hiking
Difficulty: The trail is moderately difficult. We will be walking in rocky, uneven terrain and off-trail much of the way. Hikers will need good balance.

Saturday & Sunday Field Trip Offerings

A Special Recommendation for the 2025 Pilgrimage. From year to year, the dates of the Wildflower Pilgrimage jump around a bit as we try to avoid Easter and hold the event as close to the peak of spring wildflowers in our showcase karst preserves as we can. The floral peak usually falls sometime between April 12 and April 18th. This coming year, in order to avoid Easter, we have scheduled the Pilgrimage earlier than at any time in the Pilgrimage’s history. To make the most of this early season Pilgrimage, we highly recommend that registrants visit Ohio River Bluffs sometime over the weekend. The Bluffs has one of the most phenomenal wildflower displays in Eastern United States. Being an early season showcase, our Pilgrimage usually is timed a bit past its peak, but not this year! We are offering trips on all three days - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - to give you more chances to see it. If you happen to live in Cincinnati, catching it on your way to the Pilgrimage on Friday, it a convenient way to arrange getting to its location on the Ohio River - or, again, when you are driving home on Sunday.

Quiverheart Gorge, An Arc of Appalachia Preserve

Quiverheart is a stunningly beautiful deep dolomite gorge in Adams County that boasts rock shelters, intriguing rock formations, rich riparian forests, karst country woodlands, scattered cedar glades, and a beautiful waterfall. A profusion of wildflowers cover the canyon floor and fallen boulders in this karst-country landscape, including large-flowered trillium, wild ginger, miterwort, hepatica, and false rue anemone, The most common adjectives for this preserve are “magical and enchanting.“ So many people have fallen under its spell that the parking lot is filled up nearly every weekend with eager hikers! One reason it is so compelling is that around every corner the hiker is presented with a completely different and singular geological landscape. Many hikers have shared that the landscape helps them remember the wonder and playfulness they experienced as a child. Photo by Brian Prose.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 30 miles (41 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.0 -miles of hiking if we take one trail, 3.5 miles if we take both.
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. The narrow trail has been attentively improved with steps, bridges, and much maddock work to level the trails. Nevertheless, the trails are rocky with several ascents and descents. If the group opts to take both trails, the trek will be of considerable length.

Cliff Run - An Arc of Appalachia Preserve
Featured as a land campaign in this year’s news magazine

Cliff Run and its tributary, Lewis Family Gorge, contain over one-half mile of a vertical-sided gorge that drains into Paint Creek Reservoir a short distance outside the preserve’s boundaries. The wildflowers along these two waterways boast signature karst country flowers in extravagant displays. Several species of flowers actually cling to 50-foot dolomite cliffs that border the stream, while large-flowered trillium and wild ginger tumble over the upper time of the gorge. This newly completed trail is not yet open to the public (but soon!), and when it does, it promises to be one of the most cherished of all the Arc’s trails. The trail is stunningly beautiful and offers diverse experiences, including walking on a boardwalk that crosses a small lake that shelters an active beaver colony. Afterward, we will take a late lunch break at Paint Creek’s Harmony Trailhead and picnic area, where restrooms will be available. Here, we will take a pleasant one-half-mile level hike on a sandy, floodplain trail carpeted in wild leeks and false rue anemone—photo by Brian Prose.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 4 miles (8 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.5 miles of hiking at Cliff Run; .5 miles at Harmony Trail
Difficulty: Moderate because of length. The few short ascents and descents have been improved with steps, and all stream crossings have bridges.

Sad Song Creek, at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary

The Sad Song Creek lies in the largest contiguous block of forest in the Sanctuary, This trip is a rare opportunity to see its enchanting landscapes. In Sad Song Creek proper, the large limestone boulders that span the creek lie in such a chaotic heap that the stream has to braid its way through them. In this sheltered dripping valley, every rock is covered with mosses, liverworts, bulblet ferns, walking ferns, and stonecrops. We will slowly work our way up the flanks of Sad Song Creek until we reach the flower-drenched knob of Celandine Hill, where we will enjoy a 360-degree view of protected preserves and Mennonite farms. Here the ridgetop is fabulously carpeted with a celandine poppy field that is accented with drooping trilliums and tall larkspurs - bringing to mind Dorothy’s poppy field made famous in children’s literature. Just don’t fall asleep while you are up there!

Distance from Forest Museum: 2.2 miles (5 minutes)
Length of Trail: 4.0 miles
Difficulty: This is a strenuous hike due to its length and elevation change (270 feet). Although we will be walking off- trail, The woodland is open and easy to traverse.

Hickory Hollows - near the Highlands Nature Sanctuary

Hickory Hollows is a beautiful mature woodlands that boasts magnificent specimens of hickories, hence its name. The towering trees of this mature forest overlook the sparkling waters of a private lake that borders the property. If you are nurtured by quiet expanses of open waters and you love wildflowers, this is the trip for you! The forest supports an unusual density of twinleaf and goldenseal, along with rue anemones, adders tongue, and hepatica. Along the trek you will be experiencing classic mesic wildflower display as well as karst-country showcases in regions of the preserve where dolomite bedrock is exposed at the surface, presenting beautiful geologic formations. Two small streams enter the lake, each forming its own small karst-influenced ravine. Photo by Tim Pohlar

Distance from Forest Museum: 8 miles (20 minutes). We will meet at Ridgeview Farm in Sanctuary West, and then shuttle together to the trailhead (2 more miles)
Length of Trail: 2.0 miles covered
Difficulty: Moderately difficult only because trails have not yet been developed at Hickory Hollows. We will often be walking against the slope of a hillside and will cross two unimproved stream crossings that you can navigate with stepping stones. The understory is open, the soils well-drained and the trail route is not particularly rocky underfoot.

Otter Banks, at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary

Otter Banks is a stunning biological area that protects an entire mile of creek frontage along the Rocky Fork in a remote, roadless regions of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary . Otter Banks shelters the most beautiful and dense wildflower display in the entire ten-mile stretch of the lower Rocky Fork, putting it among the most outstanding floral displays in the Eastern United States. The property shelters breathtaking rock formations, seeps and springs, a gorgeous rock arch, and several small but splendid waterfalls that cascade over the rim of the bluffs. And yes, we have seen otters at Otter Banks, hence its perfect name! Because Otter Banks can only be accessed by crossing private Mennonite-owned farms (first gaining permission), the only way to enter the property at this time is through one of our guided Wildlflower Pilgrimage hikes.

Distance from Forest Museum: 8 miles (20 minutes) We will meet at Ridgeview Farm in Sanctuary West, and then shuttle together to the trailhead (2 more miles)
Length of Trail: 2.0-mile loop trail. Difficulty: This trail is difficult because the trail is only lightly improved. It is cut into a very steep slope above the Rocky Fork, presenting a somewhat level, though sometimes a bit muddy, route.. The path is rocky and uneven and requires good balance. Elevation change is 100 feet.

Ohio River Bluffs - An Arc of Appalachia Preserve

The Ohio River Bluffs is a steep dolomite hillside that faces the Ohio River. The preserve boasts one of the most breathtaking wildflower displays in the Eastern United States - a dense, nearly unbroken carpet of spring blooms cascading from the ridgetop to the base of the slope. Ohio River Bluffs is one of the few remaining remnants of what was primevally a continuous floral expanse all several miles of the Ohio River in the region immediately west of the river town of Manchester. Early spring showcases feature rue anemone, purple cress, Virginia bluebell, and toad trillium. Mid-season displays add a dazzling explosion of dwarf larkspur and blue-eyed Marys. Late-season displays include false Solomon’s seal, wild hyacinth, and purple mint. The Pilgrimage is timed this year so that, if the weather cooperates, we will be visiting the Bluffs during the transition between its early and mid-season displays, giving us a chance to enjoy the best of both! From the ridgetop you will see the Kentucky hills on the far side of the Ohio River. Photo by Jerry Dalrymple.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 48 miles (1 hr 10 mins)
Length of Trail: 2.5 miles. Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, due to the long ascent and steep-sided bluffs. Narrow but improved trails. Because of floral density, however, the pace will be slow. We will be packing our lunch and eating at the top of the ridge, so bring a small tarp or plastic bag to sit on to stay dry.

The Arc’s Chalet Nivale and Davis State Nature Preserve

Chalet Nivale and Davis State Nature Preserve boast landscapes that exemplify the floristically richness of karst landscapes. Both preserves are notable for their large numbers of state-listed botanical species, beautiful spring wildflowers, and prairie-influenced flora. In mid-April, the preserve’ rich, moist soils are covered with Trillium grandiflorum, rue anemone, rock cress, wild ginger, hepatica, and drifts of unfurling ferns. Chalet Nivale also shelters the state-listed Early Buttercup, which we might still catch in bloom. Davis includes an even higher diversity of habitats, including spring-fed wetlands. Both drain into the exceptionally clean waters of Scioto Brush Creek. Look for the rare White Cedar - a disjunct population that is only found in a few places south of Canada, its homeland where it carpets the cool, north-country wetlands. Also look for the rare Sullivantia, a globally rare tiny saxifrage that clings to the vertical cliff walls. Photo by Nancy Stranahan.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 30 miles (45 minutes)
Length of Trail: 3.5-miles of hiking on loop trails
Difficulty: moderately difficult only due to length. Not a lot of elevation change but the trail is narrow in places and has few creeks that are crossed with stepping stones.

Cedar Falls Trail at the Edge of Appalachia
The Nature Conservancy & Cincinnati Museum Center

The Cedar Falls Trail offers a memorable wildflower experience. and is well worth the drive. Although the density of flowers is less than at the Rocky Fork Gorge, the biodiversity along this trail is absolutely breathtaking and quite likely provides the highest species count of all our field trips. Look for unusually large populations of goldenseal in bloom. Less common plants include the American Gromwell, and a hybridized long-spurred violet. The trail follows the rim of a deep ravine that has been sculpted by Cedar Run. The path winds upstream, passing a beautiful boulder field and a stately white oak forest. The trail ends at a wooden deck, where you will enjoly a handsome view of the falls and an elevated wooden deck where we will stop and eat our lunch. We will return at a brisker pace the same way we came.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 35 miles (55 minutes)
Length of Trail: 3.00 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: moderate due to length, but there are no major elevation changes. The trail can be intermittently muddy after a lot of rain.

Fort Hill, managed by the Arc of Appalachia on behalf of Ohio History Connection

Fort Hill protects the largest, oldest forest in Ohio. Its botanical charms were first discovered and promoted by the 20th C. botanist, Lucy Braun, whose botanical inventories and interpretive booklets gave Fort Hill its well-earned reputation of being a high-diversity botanical hotspot. The preserve boasts a remarkable plant list of 675 species, with more yet to be discovered. Fort Hill boasts a stunning rich karst country assemblage of diverse wildflowers along a two-mile stretch of a deep dolomite gorge that is bordered by spectacular arches, seeps, and grottos. Seeing so many floral showcases - hour after hour after hour - becomes an intensely emotional experience! Fort Hill is also a significant 2000-year-old indigenous ridgetop earthwork enclosure. Photo by Tim Pohlar

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 11 miles (19 minutes)
Length of Trail: 4.5-mile loop trail
Difficulty: Difficult and strenuous because of its length and many short ascents and descents. It is imperative that hikers be in good physical condition. Once we complete the section of the trail winding through the gorge, we will have to pick up our pace to get back.

Maude’s Cedar Narrows & God’s Country at the Sanctuary
An Arc of Appalachia Preserve

Maude’s Cedar Narrows protects a long section of the Rocky Fork Creek corridor and the lower run of Franklin Branch in the western reaches of the 3000-acre Sanctuary. It also boasts one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Arc Preserve system. Maude’s Trail follows a steep hillside overlooking the Rocky Fork right after the creek exits lake at the Rocky Fork State Park. In this high-humidity and wind-protected gorge, karst wildflowers flourish. On this trip, we will be sure to take an off-trail spur to see the signature feature of Maude’s - the dense trillium and blue cohosh displays of Franklin Branch - and the creek’s handsome waterfalls. In the afternoon we will walk the God’s Country Trail, leading to spectacular bluebell displays, a small cascade on an unnamed tributary of the Rocky Fork, and pleasing rock formations.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 9 miles (12 minutes)
Length of Trail: 3.5 miles of hiking
Difficulty: Moderate. The only difficulty is length. 50-foot elevation change. The trail is narrow but is cut into the steep hillside to create a level walkway. Hikers should possess good balance.

Barrett’s Rim Trail, the Highlands Nature Sanctuary

The Barrett’s Rim Trail in the Rocky Fork Gorge is spectacular in April. Dolomite rock walls line the Rocky Fork Creek like sentinels, and the fallen boulders bordering the trail support an incredulous density of wildflowers. Floral displays present themselves not only at one’s feet but also above one’s head, earning our nickname for the place “the jewel of the Rocky Fork Gorge.” We will be hiking along the winding creek of the Rocky Fork and under the beautiful cliff overhangs - admiring small cascades and bubbling brooks. Barrett’s Rim showcases a high density of karst country wildflowers, including large colonies of blue cohosh that tumble down the steep-sided ravine and incomprehensible numbers of large-flowered trillium. Only in April, and only in the Sanctuary are such magical experiences possible! Blue cohosh photo by Gallespie.

Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 2 miles (5 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.5-mile loop trail
Difficulty: moderately difficult due to length. This is a well-maintained and improved trial. The trail includes one descent and ascent of roughly 40 feet.

Sugarbush Hill at Tobacco Barn Hollow Preserve
near Pike Lake State Park

Sugarbush Hill is the latest expansion of the Arc’s Tobacco Barn Hollow Preserve in Pike County. The 39-acre property boasts immense maples, hickories, oaks, and tulip poplars and a rich understory of wildflowers. It is currently being developed with a hiking trail that will be open to the general public next spring. The trail takes visitors along a cascading stream to the top of Sugarbush Hill, which offers a panoramic view of the densely forested Appalachian hills of Pike State Forest. Afterward, for those who still have energy, we will caravan over to Pike Lake State Park for a behind-the-scenes look at an exciting new Arc acquisition project that will protect a beautiful and maturing Appalachian hardwood forest with a high diversity of spring wildflowers and rich water resources - a project that has yet to be publicly announced. Celandine poppy photo by Elijah Crabtree

Distance from Forest Museum: 12.6 miles (21 minutes)
Length of Trail: 1.5 miles of hiking
Difficulty: Moderate. We will begin at a mostly level trail on the first hike, with the option of hiking up a somewhat steep hill to view a small waterfall The second destination has not been developed with hiking trails. The woodlands has an open understory, but the route may be strenuous for those not accustomed to off-trail walking.