Hike the Pleasant Hill Trail at Ohio’s Mohican State Park

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Tonya Prater, Owner

A 2018 Ohio Travel Leadership Academy graduate, Certified Travel Ambassador, published author, and founder of the "Day Trips in Ohio" private Facebook group, Tonya is a former full-time RVer and aspiring van camper who balances her time between traveling with her husband's job, cherishing moments with her grandkids, and plotting her next road trip.

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Mohican State Park is one of my family’s favorite warm weather attractions in North Central Ohio. When my kids were younger, we’d make frequent trips to the state park to view the Clear Fork Gorge Overlook, climb the stairs of the Fire Tower and hike two of our favorite trails; Big Lyons Falls and Pleasant Hill Trail.

As you enter the park from State Route 97, you’ll want to follow directions to the Covered Bridge, parking areas and shaded picnic areas.  Though there are many parking spots, on busy days you’ll find spots hard to come by with cars parking along the roadway as well. There are also pit toilets, though they were in desperate need of some attention on our visit over the weekend, so I suggest going before you leave home or stopping at one of the other restrooms in the park (there is another restroom near the Gorge Overlook).

It’s common to see people fishing in the Clear Fork River and when the water temperature is warmer, and water level lower, you’ll find visitors floating down the river in tubes as well.

The Pleasant Hill Trail begins near the Covered Bridge and follows along the river to the Pleasant Hill Dam. If you park near the picnic areas, walk towards the bridge and you’ll find the trail head across the road. Look for the brown signs.

 The Pleasant Hill Trail is an easy, level walk that is about a mile long. Unless it’s been really dry, the trails at Mohican State Park can be a bit muddy so don’t wear your favorite pair of tennis shoes, unless you don’t mind a bit of dirt. It was also a bit early for us to worry about critters, but when things warm up, you don’t want to forget the insect repellent. Just take my word for it.

Sometimes you’ll see turtles sunning themselves on logs near the river’s edge, a few wild flowers, lots of birds and the occasional snake or two.

As you approach the end of the trail, you may see and hear water pouring from the spillway tunnel from the dam.

You may want to stop on the grassy hill to rest and take in the scenery or you can continue up the steps to the top of the hill to cross the road to see the dam.

That final part of the walk is a bit strenuous and steep with lots of stairs. We saw a lot of people stop on the climb up to rest a bit and my husband, daughter and I were all huffing and puffing a bit by the time we reached the top. We were glad that we’d packed some bottled water with us because we needed a drink at that point.

 A hike along the Pleasant Hill Trail with the river on one side and occasional rock outcroppings on the other was the perfect way for my family to relax while getting a bit of recreational exercise.

We even took the time to see the Pleasant Hill Dam and look out over the reservoir.

 You can chose to begin the hike here at the dam as well. You’ll find parking, a small picnic area, restrooms with flush toilets (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) and informational kiosks at the trail head.

On your return trip, you can continue to hike the Pleasant Hill Trail or go to the bottom of the hill and take the trail on the right which will lead to the Big and Little Lyon’s Falls.

Looking for something else to do near Mohican State Park?

• 15 Things to do with the Family at Malabar Farm State Park
  
• Malabar Farm Restaurant
• Queen for a Day: Landoll’s Mohican Castle

Looking for more things to do in Ohio? Check out The Ultimate Bucket List for those who want to Explore Ohio.

Have you visited and hiked any of the trails at Ohio’s Mohican State Park?

This post is linked to Budget Travelers Sandbox for Travel Photo Thursday.