Highlands Nature Sancturary

I recently visited Highlands Nature Sanctuary and Appalachian Forest Museum near Bainbridge, Ohio with my daughter and our cousins.  The Garmin GPS flawlessly guided us there, even though the road the sanctuary is located on becomes little more than a path before arriving at your destination.  Our cousins are city girls, but enjoy hiking in the great outdoors, so the adventure of exploring this site that was formerly operated as 7 Caves for over 80 years, was a treat for all of us.

The caves are no longer open to the public as the management of the site works to bring them back to their original, pre-visitor state. The hiking trails through the Rocky Fork Gorge offer breathtaking views of cliff overhangs, streams, huge Beech trees, wildflowers and rock formations.  This land is now a part of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, a charitable non-profit, stewarding over 3,000 acres of native Eastern Forest throughout southern Ohio. 

We especially enjoyed the Valley of the Ancients Trail, hiking
single file among the coolness of the huge rocks that line much of the path with my youngest cousin, age seven, singing (rather loudly) Just a Spoonful of Sugar which reverberated throughout the gorge. Something the abundant wildlife in the area probably hadn’t ever experienced before! It was truly a delightful, peaceful time shared with my family of which we will always have fond memories.

Experiencing the outdoors in this way can be a transforming experience.  When you can walk among dense nature, you begin to notice and appreciate even the tiniest creatures and plants.  Your stress and worries slip away and you experience inner peace. Hopefully, you can find a special place to visit this week and with each step along the path, you can let go of your worries and truly know that All Is Well.