Piney Knoll Conservation Area & Kennard Road Trails 5/27/2026

Today's first hike was at Piney Knoll Conservation Area in Orono. This property is owned and managed by the Orono Land Trust and has a nice network of trails, not far from downtown. The trail network is rather complex, and there are also unmarked trails, not shown on the map. However, it is still pretty easy to navigate, thanks to trail markings and a detailed map of the official trails. There are multiple trailheads to choose from, and I found that the ones with the best parking were the trailheads on Marsh Avenue, Colburn Drive, and Hillside Road.

Kiosk at one of the trailheads

Trail 11 & Ridge Trail

Trail 11 & Long Trail

The trails mostly wind through forested uplands with a high point on a small knoll covered in large pines giving the area its name. Two of the trails end at the railroad tracks, and it seems like there are some unofficial trails on the other side of the tracks, which I didn't explore. I found the section of the Long Trail between Colburn Drive and Peter's Field to be the most enjoyable section of trail to walk in the network. The trails were relatively busy, with a variety of bikes, hikers, and dog walkers out and about. It is a nice little trail network, and it is easily accessible from the University of Maine at Orono and the many surrounding apartment complexes.

Bridge over Vinal Stream on the Long Trail

Long Trail through Peter's Field

Long Trail leaving the railroad tracks

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Our second hike of the day was at the Kennard Road Trails in Newburgh. This quiet town-owned trail network has two easy intersecting loop trails, each being a little over a mile in length. The trails don't seem like they get very busy, but they are well cared for with good signage and ample parking. The loop with teal blazes follows a wider track through the woods, while the blue-blazed loop mostly follows a narrower footpath. Besides hikers, this trail system also seems to see quite a bit of use by equestrians, and the teal-blazed loop seems good for cross country skiing in winter. It is a great off-the-beaten-path place for a short and easy hike.

Sign for the trails

Signage at the trailhead

The teal-blazed trail

Trail intersection

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Blackbird State Forest, Delaware 5/18/2026

Earlier this week, while camping at Blackbird State Forest in central Delaware, we did some hiking around the state forest. The forest has a rather complicated network of trails, but there are three marked loop routes which make navigation easier.

Our campsite at Blackbird State Forest (#15)

State forest boundary marker

It was going to be a very hot day, so we got an early start. We began by following the Blue Loop counterclockwise through the eastern side of the forest. The trail wound through mature forest, mostly hardwood, with a thick green understory. It also passed along a field edge at one point. It was well maintained and easy to follow, with markers at every intersection.

Heading down the Yellow Loop to get to the Blue Loop

On the Blue Loop

Passing along a field on the Blue Loop

After completing the Blue Loop, we took a water break back at the campground, before continuing onto the Red Loop on the west side of the forest. We also went around this loop counterclockwise, and the terrain was very similar to that of the Blue Loop, with a few tiny hills. It was pretty easy going with how flat and level the terrain was, and it was a great hike for a very hot day!

A typical section of trail

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Ebright Azimuth, Delaware 5/17/2026

This wasn't exactly a hike per se, but on Sunday, we visited the highest peak in Delaware, Ebright Azimuth! Ebright Azimuth is the easiest of all of the 50 state high points to visit, as the recognized high point is on the sidewalk of a busy road. Because the area is so flat, the actual highest spot is disputed, but there is a large sign at the commonly recognized spot on the sidewalk.

The area around the high point 

Sign at the recognized high point 

After parking along the road, we started the arduous trek a couple hundred feet along the sidewalk to the summit. At the summit, we enjoyed the spectacular views of the nearby trailer park and posed for pictures with the summit sign. We were thankful for the provided bench to rest on after such a difficult journey!

Sampson & I at the highest point in Delaware!

USGS marker

Liberty Park, Ohio 5/16/2026

This morning's hike was at Liberty Park in Twinsburg, one of the Summit County Metro Parks. The park has multiple areas, and we went to the largest of those, the Twinsburg Ledges Area. We started by making loops on the Bluebird Trail and Coyote Run Trails. These easy trails made loops through grassland and shrub habitats with lots of birds along the trails.

Park entrance sign

Directional sign at the trailhead 

Bluebird Trail

We then made a loop on the Black Bear Trail. This trail wound through upland hardwood forest with some areas of impressively large trees.

Black Bear Trail

The last loop we made was on the Ledges Trail. We did the loop clockwise and it first went along a long boardwalk and observation deck at a wetland. Soon after the observation deck, it reached the ledges. These impressive cliffs had multiple large cracks and caves. Most were closed to exploration, but the largest one, called Glacier Cave, was open to public access. The cave was typical of the ones in the area and had a few different short passages and deep cracks in the ledge to explore.

Boardwalk on the Ledges Trail

Observation deck on the Ledges Trail

The ledges

After exploring the cave a bit, we returned to the trailhead. It was a great, well maintained, trail system, and I always enjoy checking out the ledge and cave formations in this part of Ohio.

The entrance to Glacier Cave

Glacier Cave

Glacier Cave

Glacier Cave

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