The Buckskin Man's Reviews
BIG SOUTH FORK - BEAR CREEK RESORT *Cabin Rental*, near Strunk, KY
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Just got back from a week long stay at Bear Creek Resort in Stearns, Kentucky. We stayed in a really nice, fully furnished cabin directly on the trails. The cabin and accomadations were very nice. We had a five stall barn and a couple turnouts/small pastures. The trails are very well maintained and very wide. There are a lot of cliffs, rock bluffs, and ledges that you ride through, which are quite stunning. There are also a lot of rugged hill climbs. If your horse is not in solid shape, you will want to definitely monitor their breathing and performance. Overall the experience was a good one. The only negatives that I would really mention are the following;
A. Surprisingly, there is nearly no wildlife. We didn't see a single wild animal (Not a raccoon, possum, deer, nothing). Better yet, we didn't see any tracks or evidence of wildlife either. This does not necessarily impact the quality of the trails, but it is worth mentioning. We really enjoy seeing wildlife when we ride and it was just very strange to experience how hollow the hills were with the absence of life.
B. We love riding horses, however this is literally all there is to do in Stearns, Kentucky. There is a train ride that is available, but other than that there are very few things to do. When we were there, the temperatures were around 90 degrees daily. As a result, we would ride early and late. We found ourselves looking for something to do in the middle of the day. There are some nice restaurants with very nice people. However there is little else to really do in this area. You are literally in the hills and backwoods of Kentucky.
All of this said, we would definitely go back. However we would probably not go back for a week long stay again. Next time we will probably go for 2-3 days. You can cover all of the Bear Creek horse trails in that amount of time and definitely feel like you have spent the necessary time in the saddle. |
| Reviewed by The Buckskin Man on 7/26/2010 11:14:43 AM |
Experience: Expert |
Ride Date: 7/23/2010 |
Hometown: Wilmington, OH |
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Deer Creek State Park, near Mt. Sterling, OH
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I visited Deer Creek for the first time today. My experience was very good, but my opinion varies as to the quality of the horse trails. First of all, the trails were in really great condition considering there had been substantial rain the day before I came. Evidently the local Ohio Horseman's Council has done a terrific job on keeping these trails in good overall condition. There were wet areas on the trail, but very few bad, muddy areas. The trails are really wide and you can literally ride side by side for large portions of time. These trails are maintained very well. Unfortunately I was able to ride every trail in the park within a total time of 3 1/2 hours. Now I did do a lot of loping and gaiting, but I wished there had been more trails. There are a lot of flat horse trails that wander through scrub brush and very young forests, and there are even a few minor hills. To be honest, an experienced trail rider might be disappointed in the lack of challenges available. Sadly, there really are not any great landmarks to ride to or go see. You do get to see the lake , but it is only for a very short period of riding time. I could understand advanced riders describing the place as boring. However, if you want a place to teach children and/or young horses the basics of horsemanship, these trails would be ideal. They are safe, wide, and great to travel at a faster pace on. If you are from out of state, there are simply better horse trail systems to visit; but if you live within a 60-90 minute drive from there, it is worth a visit. I would say that if you live within 20-30 minutes of the horse trails, it would probably be great for you. For me, there are simply more interesting places that I would rather spend my time driving to. I did not spend any time looking at the Horseman's camp because I really couldn't imagine spending the time camping with such a short horse trail system. I truly do not like sounding so negative, because there has obviously been a group of people dedicated to making this a nice place to ride. If nothing else, I respect people who take care of their local trails and keep them in good shape. Obviously these local people care about their place. Good for them! |
| Reviewed by The Buckskin Man on 12/14/2009 4:48:49 PM |
Experience: Expert |
Ride Date: 12/14/2009 |
Hometown: Wilmington, OH |
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Paint Creek State Park, near Hillsboro, OH
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Paint Creek is not extensive in length, however it is very well maintained and a pleasant ride for novice through expert riders. There is a variety of terrain that wraps around the lake through some medium size valleys and a lot of young forests and pine groves. There are a couple of creek crossings that are really tranquil to ride through. There is really not much to get into trouble with young horses and/or riders. One creek crossing has a fairly difficult crossing and hill climb, but it is clearly marked and offers an alternative route that is much easier. This is probably not a place that you will want to ride over and over, but it is an excellent place to visit occasionally. There are even a few places along the loop trails where they have built hitching posts and benches for short breaks. I just visited there on October 30, 2009 with my two sons. One of my sons is 5 years old and the other is 7. Don't let the ages fool you, they are good riders. However this was their first visit to Paint Creek and they handled everything very well. We did the South Loop Trail and rode around 10 miles. Had a great time and built a lot of confidence in my young riders. If you live in southwestern Ohio, Paint Creek is definitely worth the drive when compared to East Fork or Caesar's Creek... |
| Reviewed by The Buckskin Man on 10/30/2009 2:55:35 PM |
Experience: Expert |
Ride Date: 10/30/2009 |
Hometown: Wilmington, OH |
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