Tag Archives: gorge trail

The Old Cabin at Fort Hill State Park in Hillsboro, Ohio

Looking for some great hikes in Ohio, I came across the opportunity to hike Fort Hill in Highland County.  With over 1300 acres, many believe that Fort Hill has some of the best hiking in the state and I would add that the scenic drive to Fort Hill is spectacular as well.

Similar to Fort Ancient, the Hopewell Indians built a stone and earthen wall  enclosure at the top of the hill.  Accessible only by hiking, the ancient earthwork covers over 40 acres.  Resembling a fort his how it received its name.  For this trip,  I decided to hike the 4.1 mile Gorge Trail.

The preserve features 11 miles of hiking trails and is included in a portion of Ohio’s Buckeye Trail.  Owned by the Ohio Historical Society and operated by the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, it was a significantly spiritual place to the Hopewell Indians.  A second Hopewell structure on the south side of the park is known as the Circle Earthwork.

The earthwork measures one and a half a mile by the Hopewell tribe that lived between 100BC – 500AD.  It is thought that this location included a small village in the Brush Creek Valley as well as two ceremonial buildings.

Researchers believe that the earthwork was built for ceremonial purposes but the walls vary from six to fifteen feet,  Could it possibly be some type of fortification? The trail winds along Brush Creek where the pathway is clear and well marked.  It travels up then  down from the gorge and reaching the rim throughout the hike.

At one point the the trail passes through a log cabin.

From the base of the gorge to its rim, we had beautiful views of the creek and the valley.  In 1856, Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis excavated the area, writing about it in their book, Ancient Monuments of the Missisippi Valley.  Fort Hill was named a National Natural Landmark in 1974.

It was a beautiful day exploring Fort Hill and I wondered how it would have looked during the time of the Hopewell Indians.

Have you visited Fort Hill State Memorial?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.   Many thanks for reading about my visit to Fort Hill and wishing you many Happy Travels.

What to See and What to Do:

Fort Hill Earthworks and Nature Preserve
13614 Fort Hill Road
Hillsboro, OH  45133
Telephone: +800 283 8905

  • Admission Fee:  There is no admission fee.
  • Hours:  The park is open each day from 8:30AM to 9PM
  • Scenic View:  The valleys and hills of the Appalachians, bird watching, Indian mounds, the gorge.
  • Length of Visit:  1 – 2 hours
  • Tips for Your Visit:   Wear comfortable shoes for hiking.  Enjoye the sandstone outcroppings, the hike along the creek and views of the gorge.

Where to Stay:

Coyote Creek Farm
8871 OH-124
Hillsboro, OH  45133
Telephone: +937 393 5166

Stay in this beautiful bed and breakfast cabin surrounded by nature.

Where to Eat:

62 Classics’ Diner LLC
1581  N. High Street 9495
Hillsboro, OH  45133
Telephone:  +937 661 6113

Known to have the best burgers in town.

What to Read: 

  • Ancient Monuments of the Missisippi Valley, by Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis

Cedar Falls at Hocking Hills

One of my favorite childhood memories of visiting Hocking Hills State Park was hiking to Cedar Falls.   Starting our adventure at the trailhead of Ash Cave, we would pack a picnic lunch setting out towards Old Man’s Cave as our final destination.  Today, I was hiking with my friend Sarah and it brought back such great childhood memories.

It was easy to follow the trail as the pathway was marked by blue blazes, a section of Ohio’s Buckeye Trail. At the start of our trek, we hiked inside of the gorge and later reached the rim for some spectacular views.

There was a small chill in the air as we were surrounded by the local Black Hand Sandstone and bare hemlock trees.  The water had frozen over and waterfalls seemed suspended in ice.

We finally reached the fifty foot drop of Cedar Falls in the valley of Queer Creek.   While not the tallest or most breathtaking, these falls are the largest in volume than other falls throughout the park.  This was the reward for hiking Cedar Falls, so we took in the view and decided it was time for lunch before continuing the second half of our hike.

Have you had the opportunity to visit Cedar Falls?  What other aspects of your hike did you enjoy?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments below.  Many thanks for reading my short post about Cedar Falls and wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Cedar Falls at Hocking Hills
21724 Ohio State Route 374
Logan, OH  43188

  • Admission Fee:  There is no fee for hiking the trail.
  • Hours:  Open daily
  • Length of the Tour:  2 – 3 hours
  • Tips for Your Visit:  Wear comfortable shoes for hiking.  The rim trail can be very dangerous, so check out the trail before bringing children with you.  Stay on the trail.  Visit the nature preserve’s website for a map.

Where to Stay:

Hocking Hills Inn and Coffee Emporium
13984 OH-664 Scenic
Logan, OH  43138
Telephone:   740 270 2697

Where to Eat:

Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ
12790 Grey Street
Logan, OH  43138
Telephone:  740 385 5341

What to Read: 

  • Hocking Hills, by Doreen McMillian
  • Hocking Hills Day Hikes, by Mary Reed

Conkle’s Hollow Gorge Trail

There was a dead quiet as I approached the trail head for the Conkle’s Hollow Gorge Trail.  I had just completed the two and a half mile Conkle’s Hollow Rim Trail and was ready to tackle the three mile hike through the gorge.  Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve is a part of the Hocking Hills State Park near Athens, Ohio with some of the best hiking in Ohio.

The temperatures had been below freezing for several days.  While the gorge sheltered me from the cold winds from the rim, the wintry conditions within the crevices and caves protected the spectacular frozen waterfall formations.

Looking up from the gorge trail, I noticed the path I had just taken along the rim. As I took a moment in search of a hiker or two along the edge, I became more aware of the tall, still trees and the outcropping of rocks.

Through the trees there were several small crevices that were not reachable from the path.  Escaping the cold, I wondered what animals could be hibernaring inside of them.

I passed a cave-like structure of sandstone to my right and then climbed the stairs to explore the beautiful colors and pitted markings unique to each of the rocks.

Looking up into the rock formations, the porous sandstone seemed to make a great home for insects.

Ice Formations

Several frozen water features seemed to be growing up from the rocks below.

One of the largest frozen waterfalls along the trail.

I enjoyed finding images in the rock formations.

The scenic views of hiking

Exposed root systems

What a spectacular sight

I looked up towards the sky one last time making my way back to the trailhead.  I was reminded of the beauty of winter hikes and the unique features of the gorge.  Considered a favorite of many, I have always made a stop along the gorge and the rim during my visits to Hocking Hills State Park.

The trail took nearly an hour to complete and I was ready to move on to Old Man’s Cave.  What a great start to a beautiful day of hiking.

Have you hiked Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve Gorge Trail?  I would love to hear if you enjoyed it as much as I did if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below!  Many thanks and Happy Trails!

What to See and What to Do:

Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve
24858 Big Pine Rd.
Rockbridge, OH 43149
Telephone:    614 265 6561

  • Admission Fee:  Free. All state parks in Ohio are free.
  • Hours:  Open daily and closes at dark.
  • Tips for Your Visit:  While there are no campsites nor lodges, cottages and cabins.  There are several local business that offer these services.  Stay on the trails to ensure you do not become lost.  Wear appropriate hiking shoes/comfortable shoes for hiking. While dog are permitted at the park they are not allowed in the state nature preserves such as Conkle’s Hollow and Rockbridge.

Where to Stay:

Pine Creek Horseman’s Camp
23937 Big Pine Road
South Bloomingville, OH  43152
Telephone:  740 478 2520

While I usually stay with my sister and her family in nearby Athens, I learned about Pine Creek Horseman’s Camp for a local friend.  This property offers gorgeous luxury cabins as well as campsites and is perfect for visitors bringing their horses for trailriding.

Where to Eat:

Cutler’s Restaurant at the Ohio University Inn
331 Richland Avenue
Athens, OH  45701
Telephone:  740 589 3714

If you visit the park on a Saturday, take time to enjoy brunch at the OU Inn.

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