Date: 02/23/2020 – Distance: 5.2 mi – Elapsed Time: 3.5 hr – Ascent: 945 ft – Descent: 876 ft – Difficulty: Medium
This park is managed by the Arc of Appalachia group and is the site of an ancient 35 acre earthen walled Native American fort perched atop a high ridge. They have over 11 miles of trails which have some rather steep climbs. The park is over 1600 acres.
The main parking lot is located off of Fort Hill Road. There is a nature center with hours during the warmer months, and a nice picnic shelter with restrooms.
Unfortunately one of the main trails, the Gorge Trail, was being reconstructed due to unsafe conditions. However all other trails were open. I hiked several including a spike to a second Native American circle mound.
Park Trail Map at the main kiosk.
I began hiking the hill up the Fort Trail toward the closed Gorge Trail.
When cresting the ridge, the fort surrounds the top of the hill.
The views from the top when the leaves are down are stunning.
Lots of old large trees here.
The mound is seemingly endless.
I can’t imagine the manpower it took to build such a structure.
Inside of the enclosure is vast.
At the opposite end, there is an opening which seems to drop off.
Looking back up the hill at the mound.
You can see how big the mound is from the underside.
I see these damn balloons everywhere. This one was too far up to get. Stop letting them go into the sky!!!
At the intersection of the Deer Trail, the trail to the right goes to the circle mound.
You come to the other end of the closed Gorge Trail.
The trail ends in an old farm field.
The circle mound is to the right at the field, it’s not very tall and could be difficult to see in the summer. It’s along the woods.
The circle mound is only a couple feet tall, but is a nearly perfect circle.
I headed back and took the Deer Trail toward the main parking area. The blue blaze is denoting a section of the Buckeye Trail.
The tops of the ridges are sandstone, while the valleys have shale.
Back at the main parking/picnic area there is a large quarried piece of sandstone.
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