Ross County: Hopewell Culture, Nature and History
Accommodation in Ross County
Ross County combines impressive remnants of the Hopewell culture with forests, wetlands, prairies and museums about Ohio’s history. This creates a varied mix for planning your trip: You can learn about ceremonial earthworks, explore paved trails, visit historic estates or devote an entire day to the landscape.
Hopewell Culture Around Chillicothe
The Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is located in Chillicothe, Ohio. Its visitor center offers a 19-minute orientation film. The Mound City Group is particularly distinctive as the only restored Hopewell earthwork. It includes 23 mounds of varying sizes and shapes, enclosed by an earthen wall about three feet high. There is also a nature trail and a paved walking path along the Scioto River. The Mound City Group visitor center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Other sites reveal different aspects of this culture. At Seip Earthworks, visitors can see the restored central mound and a reconstructed section of the original large circle. A well-maintained, relatively flat nature trail leads from the parking lot to this reconstructed mound. The Hopewell Mound Group covered about 130 acres and included 29 burial mounds; the paved Tri-County Triangle Trail also passes through the site. It is considered a type site for the Hopewell culture. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks served as ceremonial centers and were built by dispersed, non-hierarchically organized groups.
Forests, Ravines and Wetlands
Those who want to include exercise and nature between cultural sites will find a variety of landscapes. The Hopeton Earthworks are accessible to visitors during daylight hours and feature a 1.1-mile loop trail to a viewpoint. The Hopeton Earthworks once included a series of monumental wooden posts that formed a gigantic “Woodhenge.”
Buzzard’s Roost preserves more than 1,500 acres and has more than seven miles of wooded hiking trails. The Lookout Trail offers views of sandstone and shale layers descending into Paint Creek Gorge. The Hoggard Trail passes the Hoggard Family Cemetery as well as remnants and other traces of earlier settlement. At Herron-Downs Fen, the Sycamore Trail offers views of the lowlands and the chance to observe a landscape where wetlands are being restored. Kinnikinnick Fen is a 154-acre alkaline wetland with several endangered plant species and some animal species that are endangered in Ohio. Maple Grove Prairie is a 99-acre former agricultural area that has been transformed into a landscape of native grasses and wildflowers.
Historic Sites and Special Experiences
The Ross County Heritage Center covers, among other topics, the history of the Northwest Territory, the creation of the state of Ohio, prehistoric cultures of the Scioto River Valley, the Civil War, Camp Sherman, decorative arts, and vehicles and transportation. The tour also includes the Knoles Log House. All public areas are accessible; ADA-compliant parking spaces are available off the road for cars and buses.
Adena Mansion & Gardens is a National Historic Landmark whose construction was completed in 1807. Visitors can tour the gardens, grounds, outbuildings, and the education and visitor center. The renovated grounds include three terraces with flowers and vegetables, an orchard, grapevines and a grove of trees. Another cultural experience is TECUMSEH! on the large outdoor stages of the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre, featuring galloping horses and live artillery fire. Since its premiere in 1973, more than 2.5 million people have attended the outdoor drama.
The Right Base for Your Trip
When choosing a vacation rental in Ross County, it is worth considering the daily routine you want. Those primarily interested in history and culture can focus on museums, historic estates and earthworks. For active days, the nature trails, forest paths and paved cycling and hiking trails are good options. The Paint Creek Recreational Trail is 32 miles long and runs between Chillicothe and Washington Court House. This allows you to choose your accommodation based on the type of excursions you want to define the character of your trip, without limiting your itinerary to a single focus.
For an additional regional discovery, Frankfort lies northwest of Chillicothe. There is an Amish church as well as a deli and a bakery. For further orientation, you can also visit the town pages for Londonderry and Chillicothe.
For the overall travel overview: Ohio.
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