Fall Foliage Hikes This Weekend
Wahkeena's Colors
Near Their Peak

It's mid-October, mornings are crisp and fall colors are just about to peak – time to get away for a day or a weekend to enjoy the season before winter's gray days set in, and a perfect time to enjoy the rustic beauty of the Ohio Historical Society's Wahkeena Preserve near Lancaster.

Located at the edge of southeast Ohio's picturesque Hocking Hills, this outdoor education area is used for nature study and is a preserve for birds and other wildlife. Wahkeena's sandstone cliffs are part of the famous Black Hand sandstone, and the hills are forested with a variety of trees providing a wide palette of fall colors. The 150-acre nature preserve also features interesting flora, including great rhododendron and mountain laurel in season, and about 26 types of ferns. Located on the southeastern boundary of glaciation in Ohio, Wahkeena hosts an abundance of plants and animals typical of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, as well as some glacial relicts.

Eight native orchids have been identified at Wahkeena, including the showy orchid and pink lady's slipper. Over 69 species of birds and 15 species of mammals have been observed including the pileated woodpecker and white-tailed deer. The rustic lodge houses nature-study exhibits, and there are two hiking trails.

A Quiet Retreat for Nature Lovers
In 1930, Dr. Frank Warner acquired a run-down farm that he gave to his new wife, Carmen, as a wedding gift. Over the next two decades, she developed Wahkeena as a getaway made more beautiful through the addition of trees, flowering shrubs and other plantings chosen to enhance its rustic character and natural rock outcroppings.

In 1956, she bequeathed Wahkeena to the Ohio Historical Society, whose mission encompasses preserving Ohio history, prehistory and natural history. Today the Warners' legacy is a popular outdoor classroom and a quiet retreat for nature lovers.

Peak Fall Color Nears
According to naturalist Tom Shisler, who's managed Wahkeena for the Ohio Historical Society for 29 years, the coming weekend is expected to be the peak for fall color at Wahkeena, an excellent time to enjoy the wooded trails and sandstone outcroppings. For those who prefer a guide, Shisler will lead fall foliage hikes at Wahkeena this Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.

Wahkeena is at 2200 Pump Station Rd., one mile west of Old Logan Rd., located six miles south of Lancaster off of U.S. Route 33 in Fairfield County. Admission is $7/car (Ohio Historical Society members free). Wahkeena is open Wednesday through Sunday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, then closes until April. Questions? Call 800.297.1883.

More to See Nearby
Fairfield County is home to 18 covered bridges, the largest number of any county in Ohio. History lovers will also appreciate Lancaster's Square 13 Historic District, a neighborhood of well-preserved 19th century homes, churches and civic buildings, many dating from before the Civil War. Three houses are regularly open to the public – the Sherman House at 137 E. Main St., boyhood home of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and his brother, Ohio Sen. John Sherman; The Georgian at 105 E. Wheeling St., an 1832 home restored and furnished with Fairfield County antiques of the period; and the Reese-Peters House at 145 E. Main St., an imposing early Ohio home that now houses the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. The Square 13 Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.