ABOUT OUR TRAILS

Edgar Evins State Park is a great place to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the outdoors! We have approximately 12 miles of trails ranging from easy to strenuous that will take you through some of the most beautiful and diverse habitats in our area. Be aware of the wildlife sharing your space and be respectful of them. Remember, it is against the law to remove anything; plant, animal, or mineral from a state park. Be sure to take nothing but pictures and to leave nothing but footprints, so our park will be here for future generations to enjoy and to cherish. Enjoy your stay!

Both the Millennium Trail and the Merritt Ridge Trail share the same trailhead. Registration is required at this trailhead. Other trails vary in length and do not require registration. View Trail Map

DUNHAM CEMETERY TRAIL 0.10 MILES
A very short, (one-tenth of a mile), trail that winds up the side of the ridge, taking you to the historical Dunham Cemetery. This peaceful location overlooks the lake and is a beautiful place to linger.

EVINS RIDGE TRAIL (LOOP) 0.60 MILES
Access to this trail is in the cabin area, across from the interpretive center. A small parking lot is available. This rocky trail winds through a drier forested area, as evidenced by the prickly pear that grows here (our native cactus). The trail takes you up and over a ridge that offers lovely views of the lake on either side. Other features of this trail are the abundance of paw paw trees (the food plant of our state butterfly, the zebra swallowtail), and several natural limestone sinks. This half-mile trail is of moderate difficulty.

HIGHLAND RIM NATURE TRAIL (LOOP) 1.35 MILES
This trail loops behind the visitor’s center and is one of the richest and most diverse trails in the park. It is an excellent wildflower trail in the spring. The trail also happens to be a superb location for bird watching, including a possible glimpse of the cerulean warbler. The trail descends into a forested gully and travels along the lake before ascending back up the ridge behind the visitor center. The trail is considered moderate/difficult.

MARINA TRAIL 0.90 MILES
This one-way trail takes you from the campground to the marina or vice versa. It is a gently sloping hike through a lush lakeside forest and offers excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing, especially birds. This is an easy/moderate, one-mile trail.

MILLENNIUM TRAIL (LOOP) 2.35 MILES
The beginning of this wooded trail follows an old roadbed that once led to the Wolf Creek community. Remnants of two old homesteads can be found along this trail, as well as several old stone walls. After meandering along the Wolf Creek inlet, the trail follows the creek through a rich, wooded hollow before climbing steeply up a ridge. Once you begin to descend the ridge, shooting star can be seen blooming along the trail in the spring. This trail also happens to be a great place to hear barred owls at dusk. The trail is of moderate difficulty.

MERRITT RIDGE TRAIL (LOOP) BRANCHES OFF THE MILLENNIUM TRAIL 5.35 MILES
If you are in the mood for a longer and more vigorous hike, this is your trail! The Merritt Ridge Trail branches off the Millennium Trail, approximately one mile in. It climbs steeply on top of Merritt Ridge and offers spectacular views of the lake and surrounding landscape in the early spring and winter months. Two acres of wild hyacinths can be found on this trail in the spring, as well as patches of yucca and the rare western wallflower. Another interesting feature is a mysterious wall of massive stacked stones high up on a bluff along the trailside. We are not sure who put these stones there or what their significance was. This trail is rated moderate/difficult.

STORYBOOK TRAIL (LOOP) 0.40 MILES
The trailhead is to the right of the interpretive center. A small parking area is provided. It is a half-mile hike that combines a nature storybook while enjoying the great outdoors. The trail is on a hillside bordering the shores of Center Hill Lake. It is an easy trail..