1. Trailside Museum
505 Corry St., Yellow Springs
Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun.
Trailside Museum is the best place to start your Glen Helen adventure. With a great view of the park below, this museum is a hotspot for birds (and plenty of squirrels) at the feeders outside of the windows. The stone stairs that wind their way down from the Trailside Museum into “The Glen” have a resting platform in the middle, so you don’t have to be daunted by the climb back up.
2. Pompey’s Pillar
Created by millennia of glaciers and freezing and thawing, Pompey’s Pillar is one of the hidden gems of the Glen. Even though it is one of the closest features to the Trailside Entrance, not as many people know about it. This rock column shoots straight up from the ground and is actually a piece of the nearby cliffs. Slowly but surely (and we do mean slowly!), Pompey’s Pillar is working its way down toward Yellow Springs Creek.
3. The Yellow Spring
The namesake for the Village of Yellow Springs, this visitor favorite features iron-rich water which gives the surrounding rocks their distinctive orange color. A favorite activity at the Yellow Spring is face-painting using the small, iron-tinted rocks that can be found in the tiny creek bed that leads away from the spring. Even though you should never drink from the creeks that run through the Glen, the Yellow Spring is regularly tested for drinking purity and is always cool and clean. It might taste a bit metallic, but many hikers use this opportunity to fill up their water bottles for the trek ahead.
4. The Cascades Waterfall
Another must-see destination at Glen Helen is the Cascades Waterfall. With a picturesque bridge over top and a bench at the perfect viewing distance below, the Cascades are really beautiful from any angle. You may be tempted to walk up to the waterfall itself, but you should resist the urge and stay on the trail to protect the area’s natural beauty.
5. The Stepping Stones
Just down the creek from the Cascades, the Stepping Stones are a fun way to cross the water, whether you are headed back to the Trailside Museum or extending your hike further into the park. A crowd favorite, the Stepping Stones can present different challenges due to the amount of rain and the height of the water in Birch Creek.
6. Glen Helen Raptor Center
The most underrated feature of Glen Helen, the Raptor Center is not only a great place to see some rare birds of prey, but it also is also one of the best raptor rehabilitation centers in the Midwest. The staff house in the building, affectionately known as “the Roost,” is off-limits to the public, but visiting the feathered residents who live in the surrounding cages is always worth the trip.
Still looking for more adventures at Glen Helen? Destinations that require longer hikes are: the Covered Bridge, the Pine Forest, Grinnell Mill, and the Horace Mann Monument. Visit Glen Helen's website, www.glenhelen.org, for more details.
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