Everything you need to know before you hike:
You are Entering a Highly Protected Nature Preserve. Regulations exist to protect natural communities from the impact of public visitors. Please follow them to leave Gladys Riley as beautiful as you found it. Remain on trails at all times, walking in single file to protect bulbs of native wildflowers bordering the trail. Do not disturb, pick or collect flowers, plants, rocks, or wildlife. Hunting, caving, fishing, trail biking, rock climbing, wading, campfires, and swimming are prohibited. Click here for a list of full regulations.
Dogs are not permitted at Gladys Riley. A dog owner’s guide to hiking Arc Trails.
Directions: Tick Ridge-Koenig Hill Road, Otway, OH 45657
From the Appalachian Highway, Rt. 32, just east of Peebles, turn south on SR 73 12.2 miles through Rarden to the little town of Otway, Ohio. In the middle of Otway, turn right or south on SR 348 for 1.1 miles. Turn left on Rocky Fork Road for just .2 miles, and then turn left on Tick Ridge-Koenig Road for another .2 miles. Just after you cross over the Rocky Fork Bridge, the gravel trailhead parking lot will be on your left. It is signed. Please note that Tick Ridge-Koenig Road is semi-circular and has two entrances on Rocky Fork Road. Coming out of Otway, be sure to make the first turn.
Interpretive Kiosk: An interpretive kiosk is situated at the trailhead. We encourage you to take a picture of the trail map with your phone before heading out on the trails.
Gladys Riley hiking trails are open from sunrise to sunset. Please note parking lots are not winter-maintained and the trails are not safe to hike during periods of heavy rain, ice, and snow. Trails are closed during our annual Deer Management Hunts which take place on 1) the Monday through Sunday following Thanksgiving, and 2) the Saturday and Sunday before Christmas.
Hiking Trails’ Difficulty - Moderate. The terrain is rocky and the trails require good balance and strong ankles. The White Walnut Trail is without major ascents and descents but the Yellow Buckeye Trail involves a long gradual ascent up to the ridge and back down.
Glady’s Riley’s Two Trails:
The White Walnut Trail - 1.25 mile loop that leads you through the rich floodplain of the Rocky Fork. This trail is aglow with blooming wildflowers in spring, beginning with the harbinger of spring and golden star lilies in late March, and peaking with the large-flowered trilliums in the second and third weeks of April.
The Yellow Buckeye Trail - 1 mile loop trail that winds to the top of the ridge and back through an oak-hickory hillside forest with many splendid old trees. The trails are designed to be hiked single file and are well-signed. The soils of the region are extremely rocky, and the base of most of the trails, especially in the lower elevation, is uneven cobble sized rocks. Good balance and strong ankles are advised.