Mohican State Park is in Loudonville, Ohio, about an hour northeast of Columbus. This 1100-acre park provides an endless amount of outdoor adventures for all ages! The park’s trails will have you hiking through a hemlock forest, past waterfalls cascading over massive cliff walls, onto outstanding overlooks of the Clear Water Gorge, and beside the rushing Mohican River. After exploring the park’s hiking trails, grab a canoe or kayak, and get out on the beautiful Mohican River! The scenic, shallow river is the perfect place to float, swim, and fish on any warm summer day. Below is a 2-day itinerary to get your Mohican State Park adventure started. Please reach out below with any questions!
Entrance Fee: FREE
Lodging: There is one lodge inside the park. Reservations for the Mohican Lodge and Conference Center can be found here- Lodge Reservations. The park also has one campground. The campground offers deluxe cabins, camper cabins, 100 electric sites, 51 full hookup sites, and 33 non-electric sites. Reservations for the campground can be found here- Mohican Camping. The closest hotel options are located in Mansfield, OH.
Dining: The Mohican Lodge has two restaurants onsite – Bromfield’s Dining Room and Boxer’s Lounge. Menus and hours for both dining options can be found here- Dining in Mohican State Park. The closest dining options outside the park are in Loudonville, OH. Check out The Black Fork Bistro or The Copper Mug Bar & Grill at Landoll’s Mohican Castle.Â
Must Know Before You Go:
- The Clear Fork Mohican River runs past or through every trail in the park. Waterproof shoes and a change of clothes are highly recommended.
- Pets are permitted inside the park, on leash.
- Fishing is allowed throughout the park. A valid Ohio fishing license is required for those over 16 years old.
- There are tubing access points throughout the park. Bring your swimsuits if you are visiting in the summer months😊
- If you plan on exploring the water, it is very rocky; I highly recommend water shoes.
- We rented a raft through Mohican Adventures, 24 hours in advance, to explore the river. They also have canoes and kayaks available to rent.
Cell Service: There is no cell service inside the park.
Two Day Itinerary
Day 1
Lyons Falls/Pleasant Hill Loop- There is so much to see on this first trail- Little Lyons Falls, Big Lyons Falls, Covered Bridge, and the Pleasant Hill Dam. Park in the lot near the dam and start on the Lyons Falls Trail. You will see Little Lyons Falls and Big Lyons Falls before continuing to the Covered Bridge. If your kiddos have water shoes and swimsuits, bring them. There are plenty of areas to explore the water along this trail. Once you come to the Covered Bridge, cross the bridge and head back to the parking lot and dam area via the Pleasant Hill Trail. This entire loop is just under 3 miles, with 250 feet of elevation gain, and moderate in difficulty- mostly because there are SO many stairs on this loop!
Gorge Overlook Trail- Head to the Gorge Overlook Lot for this next trail. The lot is large, but the path is popular, so securing a spot may take a little longer on the weekends. There are two stunning overlooks just off the parking lot to check out. Make sure to keep your eyes on the trees. So many incredible birds and even three vultures were sitting on branches near one of the overlooks.
After checking out the overlooks, start this trail at the trailhead to the LEFT of the parking lot. This trail has a ladder portion. Cliffside ladders, especially with little kids, are easier to climb up rather than down. This entire loop is 1.5 miles with approximately 300 feet of elevation gain. If you start with the trailhead on the left, it is easy to descend into the beautiful gorge. We spent some time at the bottom enjoying the water, skipping rocks, and checking out a cool swinging bridge. From the swinging bridge, it is a strenuous climb up the cliffside using ladders and several steep sets of stairs.
If you wanted a more accessible but still moderately challenging climb back up instead, turn around and head back the way you came. Many people warned us that this trail was too tricky for small children as we headed out, but I am so glad we went anyways. We hiked this trail with six kiddos, ranging in age from 10 to 3yrs old, and everyone had no trouble completing the loop. Just take your time on the way up, and I’m sure your crew will do great😊
Wolf Creek Grist Mill Historical Village and Trail- The day’s last stop is the Grist Mill area. There is a historic village containing many buildings that have been restored, dating back to the 1800s. There is a cabin, smokehouse, corn crib, outhouse, chicken coop, farm equipment, and so much more to explore.
After checking out the grounds, head into the 1830s Mill that has been converted into a two-story museum. The museum has plenty of farm equipment and mill history to learn about and explore.
After exploring the museum, (our kiddos could have stayed there indefinitely), head to the Grist Mill Trail just behind the Mill. The 0.75-mile loop trail is short but steep, with a beautiful overlook of the area and a perfect way to end day one 😊
Day 2
Hog Hollow Trail- Most of day two should be spent on the water, but if you want to get one trail in before heading out, this is the one I would choose! The Hog Hollow Trail can be started at the Covered Bridge Lot. It is 4.6 miles, out-and-back, with almost 800 feet of elevation gain and gorgeous forest views the whole way. If you are visiting on a busy day, this trail is perfect if you are looking for a more peaceful hike away from the crowds.
Mohican River- If you brought your own canoe or kayak, water access is on the park’s east side, just north of the Grist Mill Area.
There are also several places just outside the park to rent canoes, rafts, and kayaks. We did not bring our own boat, so we booked a raft with Mohican Adventures. We were staying at one of the campgrounds along the water, so Mohican Adventures shuttled us to their boat launch, and then we traveled down the river for about 7 miles until we ended up back at our campground’s boat launch. The raft was left right at the boat launch, and someone from Mohican Adventures came to pick it up. It was so easy! I could not recommend them enough. Also, we only had to make a reservation 24 hours in advance, even on a holiday weekend.
The entire trip took about 3 hours. Along the way, there are plenty of places to stop and even restaurants along the river to grab food or a drink. We packed our lunches and found a perfect spot to dock and enjoy lunch before continuing our trip. Floating on the beautiful river is a great way to end your trip to Mohican State Park😊
Hope you have a wonderful adventure!
Looking for another state park in Ohio to explore? Check out this 3-day itinerary for Hocking
Hills State Park, about 2 hours south of Mohican State Park- 3 Days in Hocking Hills State Park.
Also, check out our hiking gear and apparel below!
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