COLUMBUS, OH - Some of the best colors of the season will be on display at
Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve on October 20-21, for the
9th Annual Fall Foliage Event, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). More than 3,000 visitors are expected to participate in the festivities, which run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Conkles Hollow offers autumn visitors brilliantly colored landscapes, winding trails and spectacular views of the Hocking Hills, said Sam Speck, director of ODNR. Uniformed naturalists will be on hand during the Fall Foliage Event to direct visitors to the natural and scenic features of the preserve.
This years event features hikes along 3.5 miles of preserve trails, including the preserves popular East Rim Trail. Members of a local historic re-enactors group will set up camp west of the parking lot to show visitors what life was like for early pioneers. They will dress in period costumes and set up a 1790s encampment, complete with tents and campfires.
Known for its spectacular views and high-walled cliffs, Conkles Hollow features cliffs of Black Hand sandstone that rise nearly 200 feet above the valley floor. Named after an inscription, W.J. Conkle 1797, Conkles Hollow is home to Canada yew, teaberry, various ferns and several species of native orchids - as well as white-tailed deer, turkey, beaver and bobcat. The preserve is open sunrise to sunset year round. The 87-acre preserve is one of Ohio's 123 state nature preserves.
To obtain directions to Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve, visit the ODNR web site at www.dnr.state.oh.us . For additional information, call 740-420-3445
.