Arboretum East Trails

Dawes Arboretum, Ohio

The Dawes Arboretum, a privately owned non-profit arboretum founded in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes, covers 1,800 acres of woodlands, wetlands, plant collections, gardens, and natural areas in the heart of Ohio’s Licking County.

Visitors can explore the grounds of Dawes Arboretum, one of North America’s premier public gardens, along the eight miles of hiking trails and the four-mile auto tour—hikers enjoy trails amid the Cypress Swamp, the Japanese Garden, the wooded Oak Trail, Dutch Fork Wetlands, and the permit only Arboretum East Trails.

Obtaining a permit to hike the trails of the East Side Natural Area couldn’t be easier, simply go to the Visitor Center during regular business hours and they will issue a pass right there on the spot—all they ask is that you follow the rules and return the pass after completing your hike.

The East Side Trails, consisting of the Mound Loop (1.08 miles), Main Trail (1.98 miles), and the Gorge Spur (1 mile roundtrip), appeal to the more adventurous Dawes Arboretum visitors—the trails are rated moderately difficult due to elevation gain along uneven terrain and seasonally wet and muddy areas.

The trailhead, located near the Cypress Swamp, crosses under State Route 13 via a culvert/tunnel that opens into a vast grassland teeming with goldenrod, milkweed, Queen Anne’s Lace, asters, and daisies in the late summer—watch for butterflies, including monarchs, swallowtails, question marks, and red-spotted purples as you climb the mowed path through the wildflowers and into the forest.

A sign marks the beginning of the trail—a clockwise direction takes you on the Main Trail whereas a counter-clockwise loop follows the Mound Loop Trail first. We opted to hike in a counter-clockwise direction, tackling the only real climb along the loop at the outset of our hike. After a climb of about 40 meters (131 feet), the trail tops out at the base of an ancient Indian Mound— built by the Adena between 1000 BC and AD 100, this unexcavated single conical shaped mound is at the highest elevation of the 1,800 acre Arboretum.

Continuing along the Mound Loop Trail, you enter a beautiful hardwood forest of beech, oak, maple, hickory, and ironwood—spicebush, paw paw, and multiflora rose dominate the underbrush. The wide double-track path allows for side by side walking for the majority of the hike—a nice alternative to the usual “follow the leader” formation.

After walking for about 0.4-mile, the Mound Loop intersects with the Main Trail—you can turn left to shorten your hike, or continue to the right along the Main Trail/Gorge Spur for a longer outing. We followed the Main Trail to the right for a jaunt across numerous wooden bridges to the start of the out and back Gorge Spur Trail (0.5-mile, 1-mile roundtrip).

The Gorge Spur leads to the Gorge Overlook where you can peer into the deep and narrow picturesque gorge formed nearly 20,000 years ago when the Wisconsin Glacier deposited its terminal moraine near what is now Somerset Road—these deposits dammed Quarry Run Stream, which eventually overflowed and cut the deep sandstone gorge you see before you.

After admiring the wooded gorge, retrace your steps to the Main Trail—at the junction, turn right to complete the 3.01-mile loop. Continuing on the Main Trail, you will admire more hardwood trees and seasonal crops planted by the Arboretum—this is a particularly good area to watch for butterflies, birds, and spiders.

The last section of the Main Trail/Mound Loop skirts the edges of open grassland and the shores of Scout Pond—watch for the resident monstrous carp that call the waters of the pond home.

Near the end of your hike, you will hear the traffic along State Route 13—your signal that the loop hike is nearing its completion. Once back at the road, simply cross back over to the Cypress Swamp via the tunnel—from there you are free to explore the other amazing places that Dawes Arboretum has to offer, including the Azalea Glen, the Conifer Glen, the Discovery Center, Daweswood House, and the 36-foot Outlook Tower.