Glen Helen’s Talus Trail in Golden Autumn Light No. 1

The Story:      One of Ohio’s blessings lies in experiencing the fall color.  This enchanting scene was captured in Glen Helen Nature Preserve near the equally intriguing Yellow Springs, Ohio.   The park holds a small, but famous, waterfall called Yellow Springs, thus the village’s namesake.  As I hiked out via the Talus Trail, I witnessed the warm light illuminating the path ahead into the surrounding Sugar Maple trees.

The Rest of the Story:  I grew up in Dayton, Ohio and as I pursued my degree in Geology, I traversed Glen Helen and its sister parks John Bryan State Park and Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve.  My time in the US Air Force kept me away from Ohio for many years (California, Montana, Florida plus 8 deployments).  Years later, I finally caught up with my family during a mid-October visit.  We walked a trail very near to this one and I remember the vivid color and the leaves crunching under my feet.  When I describe the fall color as an Ohio Blessing, this hike is the memory that comes to mind.

I was in Glen Helen to capture the autumn sunlight on The Yellow Springs.   As the small waterfall sits deep in the gorge formed by Yellow Springs Creek, the shadows overtake the feature early in the evening.  In hiking back out of the park’s shadows, I finally reached the Talus Trail which runs along the top of the gorge.  For me, I was awestruck by the way the evening light illuminated the golden leaves as the footpath meandered into the forest of Sugar Maple trees.

You’ll find this Ohio Fine Art Print in two website galleries:  Glen Helen Nature Preserve and Forest Footpaths.

Sublocation:   Glen Helen Nature Preserve

City, State:      Yellow Springs, Ohio

Year:                2021