Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve

13614 Fort Hill Rd.
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
800-283-8905   |  http://arcofappalachia.org/fort-hill/

Hours: Admission:   Free

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Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve

Built over 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell Native Americans in the epicenter of their cultural reach, Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve offers an up-close experience of one of the best-preserved hilltop enclosures in the country. A hike through the earthworks and its 1,300 acres of surrounding natural area leads through one of the largest contiguous forests in Ohio.

Built over 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell Native Americans in the epicenter of their cultural reach, Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve offers an up-close experience of one of the best-preserved hilltop enclosures in the country. A hike through the earthworks and its 1,300 acres of surrounding natural area leads through one of the largest contiguous forests in Ohio.

Be sure to print the park map and brochure and bring it along to guide your hike. The trailhead is located near a shelter house built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which has signage explaining the origins of the earthworks and what makes its forest home unique. Eleven miles of trails offer different views of the earthen enclosure and a nearby circular mound. After following the perimeter of the earthworks, hike up the Fort Trail to enter the enclosure through one of its 36 gateways. The enclosure was likely used as a ceremonial gathering space by the Hopewell people. On the Buckeye Trail, a well-preserved circle mound may have been a Hopewell artisan workshop or short-term habitation site.

A museum near the entrance to the nature preserve provides information about the Hopewell Culture and the earthworks.

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Notes for Travelers

Be prepared for a strenuous hike on narrow and sometimes steep trails. Don’t miss the impressive wildflower showcase in this nature preserve each year in mid-April; in late August visitors might enjoy a ripe pawpaw, the only tropical fruit native to Ohio, while hiking the Fort Trail. Hiking trails might be closed during deer-hunting season; check the Fort Hill website for closures before visiting during late autumn and winter.

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Credits

Bridget Garnai

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Additional Resources

Lepper, Bradley T. Ohio Archaeology: An Illustrated Chronicle of Ohio’s Ancient Indian Cultures. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2005.

Moore, Andrew. Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, Inc., 2017.

Woodward, Susan L. and Jerry N. McDonald. Indian Mounds of the Middle Ohio Valley: A Guide to Mounds and Earthworks of the Adena, Hopewell, Cole, and Fort Ancient People. Blacksburg, VA: McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, 2002.