Ricciardi Spring–School Forest Trail, 3 sights is a 5-mile out-and-back in Glen Helen Nature Preserve near Yellow Springs, OH. The route reaches Ricciardi Spring at the turnaround, 2.3 miles in. It climbs 394 ft. It scores 42/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Ricciardi Spring–School Forest Trail, 3 sights
5 mi · ▲ 394 ft · 1 hr 52 min
Elevation 852–1,013 ft
Out & Back · Glen Helen Nature Preserve
Trailhead: 39.80119, -83.88446
Weather Sep 20: Heavy rain, high 83°F / low 70° · precip 62% · wind 16 mph · sunrise 7:22 AM · sunset 7:38 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.7 miSharp left onto Upper Birch Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Sassafras Grove Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Upper Birch Creek Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Very Steep Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miPass Ricciardi Spring.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto School Forest Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Upper Birch Creek Trail, heading NW.
- 350 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 450 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading W.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Little Miami Scenic Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.2 mi in (~31 min). Leave by 6:47 PM for the 7:38 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- The Cascades–Yellow spring, 3 sights 5.5 mi · ▲ 313 ft
- Upper Birch Creek Trail 2.4 mi · ▲ 159 ft
- Upper Birch Creek Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 263 ft
- Traveler's Spring via Upper Birch Creek Trail 4.1 mi · ▲ 352 ft
- Little Miami Scenic Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 245 ft
- Little Miami Scenic Trail Loop 3.2 mi · ▲ 222 ft
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