Annual Moonlit Evening Winter Walk — AKA Morris Mercer Memorial Field Trip

One of Oxbow Inc.’s beloved founders, Morris Mercer, loved the night winter woods, especially when there was snow on the ground. He and his good friend John Klein started this night walk in the Shawnee Lookout woodlands that overlook the Oxbow many years ago. Morris is no longer with us, but John keeps Morris’s spirit alive by continuing this annual field trip, which we refer to as the Morris Mercer Memorial field trip. If you are looking for a unique experience, join John as he leads us on about a two-hour night walk around Shawnee Lookout Park. John, an Oxbow Inc. board member, and retired Land Manager for the Hamilton County Park District is the perfect guide. This date will be just after a full moon, with a fair chance that owls, deer and flying squirrels will be seen or heard. John will talk about the history of the Oxbow and the Shawnee Lookout area and also do a bit about stargazing. As always at some point, John will pass out M & Ms to celebrate Morris’s memory.
Meet John in the parking lot of the closed Shawnee Lookout Golf Course Clubhouse at 7:00 pm. The rangers will have the entrance gates open for us. Remember to dress warmly. While John, like Morris, would like a little snow on the ground, severe weather will cancel this trip. If you are unsure if the trip is cancelled, call John at (513) 304-2310.

Visit the Shawnee Lookout website at http://www.greatparks.org/parks/shawnee-lookout
Directions to Shawnee Lookout Park: Shawnee Lookout is located at 2008 Lawrenceburg Road, North Bend Ohio 45052. To get there from I-275, take Kilby Road Exit # 21. Turn right onto Kilby Rd and go to the light at US 50 and turn right. Go about 1.7 miles to Lawrenceburg Road and turn left at the light. Follow Lawrenceburg Road across the bridge (Lost Bridge) over the Great Miami River. Turn right at the stop sign and go about 1.5 miles to the entrance to Shawnee Lookout Park on the left. Follow the Park Rd to the Old Golf Course. A Motor Vehicle Permit (MVP) is required for all Hamilton County Parks. The price of the annual MVP is $10 for a Hamilton County resident and $16 for a non-resident. Daily MVP’s can be purchased for $5 each for Hamilton County residents and $8 for non-residents. If you don’t have a MVP don’t let that keep you home. You can always buy one from a ranger if necessary.