Monday, October 20, 2003
The park in Columbiana County is one of the most scenic in the state.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
EAST LIVERPOOL -- One sunny afternoon this month, I climbed astride a quarter horse named Buck and disappeared into the scenic forest of Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County.
Moving single file with a group of other horseback riders, I traveled the same rocky trail the pioneers used when they toiled through the untamed wilderness with wagon and ox cart.
And I enjoyed the same unspoiled view.
Golden leaves fluttered down from a tangled canopy of overhead branches, mossy rocks jutted from rugged ravines and deep in the river valley, the flowing water of Little Beaver Creek mirrored the fiery autumn foliage and bright blue sky.
I'd spent the previous 60 minutes in a car, flying down state Route 11 at 70 miles per hour trying to get to the stables on time.
Now I was rambling along at a turtle's pace, my feet planted in two stirrups and my hands holding the reins.
It was a refreshing change.
The colorful trees weren't a blur in the rearview mirror. Instead, I could study the patterns of the leaves and even spot a bird or a snake sunning itself on a branch.
It made me wonder what the pioneers would think of fast-moving automobiles.
Of course, pioneers had their own kinds of travel adventures -- such as crossing Little Beaver Creek on horseback.
Now I was about to do the same.
Sensory experience
The sound of rushing water filled my ears and the sparkling current mesmerized me as my horse plunged in and began picking its way carefully among the submerged rocks.
"Don't look down at the current. It will make you dizzy," cautioned trail guide Gary Bookman Jr.
Clad in Western wear and sporting a handlebar mustache, Bookman Jr. looked as if he'd been reared on rodeos and horses.
And he was.
He also grew up with an appreciation for nature and history, an attribute that makes him an ideal narrator for a horseback ride through Beaver Creek State Park -- a place as rich in natural beauty as in historical significance.
At one juncture of the trail, Bookman paused to point out the remnants of what was once a little town called Sprucevale.
Now, the only signs of civilization were some mossy foundation stones and a few gnarled apple trees.
At another juncture, Bookman motioned to a sprawling oak tree and said: "You can tell that tree was here when these forests were cleared into fields because its branches are low growing. That tree is probably 200 years old."
About the rides
Bookman has been leading riders along the park's equestrian trails since he and his family bought the Beaver Creek Trail Rides business about three years ago.
Riders must be at least 8 years old and can expect to travel trails ranked at an intermediate skill level.
One-hour rides cost $20 per person, two-hour rides cost $35 per person and three-hour rides cost $50 per person.
Trail rides start in April and continue through November, weather permitting.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Monday through Friday by appointment only.
Bookman Jr. recommends that weekend hopefuls call ahead to make sure the schedule isn't already full.
And weekends do tend to fill up fast, especially when the leaves turn red and the frost freshens the air.
"This is the best time to go horseback riding through the park," Bookman said. "It's one of the most beautiful times of year here."
No doubt about that.
Scenic park
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Beaver Creek State Park is one of Ohio's most scenic, and Little Beaver Creek qualifies as a state and national wild and scenic river.
The park's roughly 3,000 acres of terrain vary from bottom lands to forests to rocky cliffs and plunging ravines.
The gentle rapids of Little Beaver Creek make it ideal for kayaking and canoeing, and the 25 miles of equestrian trails and 100 horsemen camp sites attract horse enthusiasts from near and far.
The park's rich history also lends a haunting intrigue to its tangled forests of maple, birch and hemlock.
During the early 1820s and 1830s, settlers built the Sandy and Beaver Canal -- an offshoot of the Erie Canal -- and for a while, the Little Beaver Creek valley bustled with canal-related activity.
Mules pulled canal boats along well-worn towpaths, homes were built and settlements sprang up out of the wilderness.
But the hustle and bustle came to an end in 1853 when the Sandy and Beaver Canal closed down.
Remnants around park
Today, crumbling stone remnants of the canal's numerous locks and dams can be seen throughout the park, and during a horseback ride, Bookman leads visitors past an abandoned brick house at Gretchen's Lock and a circa-1820s grist mill called Hambleton's Mill.
Another section of Beaver Creek State Park features a pioneer village, which includes the fully restored, circa-1830 Gaston's Mill, a log schoolhouse, chapel, blacksmith shop, covered bridge and trading post. The pioneer village is open May through October.
Beaver Creek State Park also offers hunting, fishing, hiking, sledding, rafting, picnicking and camping.
Bookman said many of his customers have expressed an interest in camping out after a day on the horse trail.
"We are thinking about doing that next season," he said. "We'd ride to a camp site, spend the night there and then get up the next morning and cook breakfast."
XFor more information on Beaver Creek Trail Rides call (330) 853-5241. For more information about Beaver Creek State Park call (330) 385-3091.