A Path Less Travelled: Berea College Forestry Outreach Center
During my time in the Cincinnati area, I seized the opportunity to explore regions outside southern Ohio. Namely, I wanted to see what adventures eastern Kentucky had to offer, and let me down it did not. As I scrolled through Alltrails, in search of some summits to bag, I came across an area with multiple low summits all within a short distance of each other; Berea College Forest. The forest is part of the university's Forestry Outreach Center which "... provide(s) a space in which people of all ages can learn about the natural world and, specifically, the Berea College Forest." Not only did I find what I was looking for in my mountain climbing pursuit, but I found myself returning for seconds as it had too much to offer in a single trip.
East Pinnacle
The forest consists of 9000 acres of steep, rocky terrain which offers some of the best summit views I've seen for such small elevation gain. With only a meager 9 miles worth of trails, the forest makes up for distance in the number of summits, with 8 to ascend in total and several more that stand with no designated trails to reach them. In my initial visit to the forest, I attempted to bag them all within a single day, but simply couldn't due to exhaustion and a lack of water on a hot summer day. Some trails are heavily traversed and packed down while others are rarely touched and feature Class 1 and Class 2 scrambles through cracks and ledges. I rarely encountered others the deeper I traveled into the forest and would recommend trekking poles, snacks, and plenty of water for the workout ahead of you.
About the Forest:
Open from dawn to dusk, the forest offers plenty of parking, and the Forestry Center is open to visitors every day except Monday. The Center hosts a variety of programs such as group hikes, guided hikes, and family and youth events. While the Pinnacles and overlooks close to the entrance are relatively easy for inexperienced hikers, Robe Mountain and Basin Mountain are much more strenuous, so be sure to bring extra water and appropriate equipment if you are unfamiliar with the terrain.
For more information or to plan your next mountain climbing experience, please visit the Forestry Outreach Center's website.
