Lake Hope State Park Hosts Two Naturalist Programs Saturday, March 7

Lake Hope State Park near Zaleski offered Vinton County residents two naturalist-led programs Saturday, March 7, pairing a hands-on animal tracking activity for families with a rugged off-trail hike to a recess cave few visitors have encountered.

The morning program, Keep Track, ran from 11 a.m. to noon at the Nature Center. Participants learned to identify common animal prints found within the park, then created stamped paper impressions of those tracks. The program was free, required no registration, and provided all materials.

The afternoon offering was more physically demanding. The Off-Trail Hike departed from Oak Point at 2:30 p.m. and ran until 4 p.m., covering a difficult one-mile route away from established trails. The destination was a recess cave that, according to the park's program description, "not many have seen." Along the way, participants explored the geological forces that shaped the landscape and searched for modern-day wildlife as well as unique fossils recently unearthed in the area.

Given the terrain, the park advised participants to wear sturdy, closed-toe, and waterproof boots and to dress appropriately for the weather. Anyone wanting extra stability on the uneven, steep ground, which could include snowy or icy patches in early March, was encouraged to bring additional equipment for the conditions.

The two March 7 programs were part of Lake Hope's ongoing seasonal nature calendar. Earlier offerings this winter included a three-mile Winter Nature Hike along the Peninsula Trailhead on Feb. 6, an adults-oriented "Amorous Animals" program on Feb. 13 at the Nature Center covering the courtship rituals and mating habits of Ohio's native wildlife, and a Valentine's Day Hike on Feb. 14 from the Peninsula Trailhead.