By: Gia Mariani
Over spring break, I took a day trip to East Fork State Park near Bethel, Ohio. It's about an hour and twenty minute drive from Oxford and is one of the largest state parks in Ohio. The park surrounds a small beach and a man-made lake where boating, swimming and fishing are allowed. The park also features an archery range, archery/hunting trail, horseback riding areas, campgrounds and hiking trails. I hiked for several hours on a couple of the medium to advanced trails which included a small ravine, two different forest types and a lot of mud. Much of the trails I hiked on were full of standing water and muddy since it has rained recently, but it appeared that a lot of the water is there for most of the season on several of the trails.
View of William H. Harshal Lake from the beach in the middle of the park.
Mossy tree stump next to a trail.
Archery trail sign.
Small, new plants poking through fallen leaves.
Beginning of the hunting trail.
Standing water next to a main trail.
A water bug floating around what I believe to be tadpole eggs.
One of two small flowers found poking out of fallen leaves.
Trail markers nailed to a tree.
The trail I spent most of my hike on. The majority of it was this watery.
My boots showing just how much mud I hiked through.
One of several ravines.
The second section and type of forest I came across.
All photos by Gia Mariani