Fort Hill

Fort Hill is my favorite hike that I do as a day trip (my trips to the Hocking Hills region are for several days at a time).  The route I usually take is about 5.4 miles.  It is owned by Ohio History Connection and managed by the Arc of Appalachia.  It is best known for its beautiful outhouses.  Well, maybe for the Earthworks that were built by the Hopewell Culture of Native Americans, but you can click on the link on the right and read about that.  I have seen no one else on the web ramble on and on about the outhouses at Fort Hill, so I will.

But before we go to the outhouse we must first go to the picnic shelter.  There are some cool picnic tables with benches that are attached and fold under the table.  Nice craftsmanship.  Anyway, it's time to pee.  To the left of the picnic shelter is a meandering little stream.  No! Don't pee in the stream!  The outhouses are on the other side of the stream, surrounded by trees.  Not only are there separate outhouses for men and women, there are separate bridges across the stream to get to them.  Very picturesque.

Dogwood and redbuds flowering in April at Fort Hill.

The trailhead is to the right of the picnic shelter but I almost always start on the other side of the parking lot.  This is because way back when, when I first hiked here the trailhead was in the field (currently transitioning to forest) between the building and the parking area.  I think that trailhead was only temporary because the Native Americans were still building the earthworks.  Anyway, I used the "official" trailhead once and went straight uphill for more than half a mile.  That's no way to start a hike.  Be a rebel, walk across the parking lot and start at the sign that says "Exit only - Start at Trailhead" that must be new because last weekend was the first time I've seen it.

Thank God we are finally hiking - my fingers were getting tired from all that typing.  I'll have to start using my other eight fingers if I continue typing this much.  After just a couple hundred feet you will come to a fork in the trail.  Don't take it or no one will understand these directions.  Instead go right onto the Gorge Trail.  Two-thirds of this 4.1 mile trail more-or-less follow Baker Fork, sometimes at creek-level, often on outcrops fifty feet or so above the creek, and occasionally turning inland for brief periods.  This variety is what makes this hike so enjoyable.  By the way, you can see some photos from November 7, 2015, by clicking on the "Photos of Fort Hill..." page on the right.

You will reach the junction with the oddly named Canby's Mt. Lover Trail.  Unless it is a drought or you like wet feet, don't take it.  You have to cross Baker Fork twice and the stepping stones are under water October - June.  Continue on through the log cabin (don't worry - no one lives there any more) and be amazed by how the hike keeps getting better; The trees get bigger, the outcrops over the creek get higher, the small streams you cross and the hollows they flow down become more scenic, hell, even the person you are hiking with becomes more attractive.

The trail goes through this old house.

A small tributary of Baker Fork flowing between two slump blocks.

Keyhole Arch.

The top photo is typical of what you will see along the trail.  The bottom photo requires explanation.  Across the creek in the middle of the pic you can see a small waterfall.  Above that is brown of trees that haven't experienced bud-break, green of trees that are starting to leaf out, and black.  That is Keyhole arch.  In the winter when you are aligned properly aligned you can actually see straight through it.  The oddly named Canby's Mt. Lover Trail travels across the top of it, exits stage left, circles around, crosses the creek and re-enters the photo in the very bottom-left corner.  So, when you see the second sign for the oddly named Canby's Mt. Lover Trail you know to look for the Keyhole Arch.  But if you think you can wander off the trail to get a better view:

OK, you can take a couple steps off the trail.  Hell, this sign isn't even at Fort Hill, it's at Conkle's Hollow, 1 1/2 hours away.  Stop!!!  Hammer Time!!!

The hike keeps getting better from here as we proceed inland and upward, except when we don't.  If you have been paying attention during this hike you understand what this means.  Eventually we will make a left and start following a smaller stream.  If you look across the stream you will trip and fall.  If you look where you are going and take an occasional glance to the right you will soon see this:

Another arch.  To the upper right of the arch is a smaller arch.  Above that is a little bitty dot that is actually an opening the size of a golf ball.  I am calling this a triple arch.  I may not have a geological leg to stand on, but who cares?  I'm a rebel.  I hike backwards and like outhouses. Regardless, the slope in front of the arch is covered in wildflowers in the spring.  In fact this next stretch of the trail is wildflowerlicious in the spring.

A lame photo of wildflowers, I will get a better pic this spring.

Continue along the Gorge trail ignoring the Buckeye trail exiting to the right and ignoring (for now, someday I will hike it again and write about it. Edit: I have, see November, 2016 update at the end of this post) the Deer Trail and continue uphill to the hill, walk up that hill until you get to the Fort Trail.  Make a left.  You are now on a flat section of trail below the earthworks.  You have a hike of about ten minutes through the upland forest before you get to a sharp right turn and a brief but steep climb to the ridgetop.  An unusually large and flat ridgetop.  It is 35.3 acres in size and is encircled by a wall (the earthworks) that is more than 1 1/2 miles long as described here.

As you walk along the ridge stop and look in all directions.  In late fall, winter, and early spring you can see for miles around.  You are at about 1290 feet above sea level and all the surrounding ridges top out at least 50 feet below that.  There are several openings in the trees that allow a view even in the summer.  A bit closer to you, on the left of the trail you can see the wall.  The occasional openings in the wall are man-made and are not caused by weather or time.  On the right of the trail the ground is often wet, marshy, or there may even be vernal ponds.  (Those are ponds that dry up in the summer. Fish obviously can't live there so they make safe place for amphibians to live as tadpoles and such.)  There is much more to this part of the hike than I can describe in words or photos (if I knew how to take them).

When you get to the largest clearing and most unobstructed view the trail turns right and heads downhill to the parking lot.  Remember to take a right at the fork you saw at the beginning of the hike.

Don't forget to visit the outhouse(s) again before you go.

January, 2016 Update:

I added pictures some more pictures, specifically of the picnic tables (actually just the one that was not under the shelter, the others were too dark) and the outhouses.  What I didn't get pictures of was of the surrounding hills.  It was right at thirty-two degrees and was kind-of snowing,  The clouds were really low, giving all the hilltops a Smoky-Mountain-like look.  Pretty cool.  I also hiked in the recommended direction and liked it less.  The southeast half of the Fort Trail does not reach the ridgetop and is not as scenic as the northwest half I described above.  If you hike the entire Fort Trail as well as The Gorge Trail - Deer Trail loop it doesn't matter what direction you go, but if you are just looking for an enjoyable 5+ mile hike the route above is the best.  

November, 2016 Update:

I recommend hiking the Deer Trail to the Connector Trail and then turning left on the Fort Trail.  It adds about .75 miles to the hike, bringing the total almost 6 miles.  It is more scenic and has shorter hills than the continuous hill I redundantly wrote about above.  I have also added another page of photos from Fort Hill.