Mohican State Park

Mohican State Park is one of the most scenic and beloved natural areas in north-central Ohio, a rugged park centered on the spectacular Clear Fork Gorge, a deep, steep-walled canyon cloaked in towering eastern hemlocks and white pines along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. Surrounded by the vast Mohican-Memorial State Forest, the park offers a striking landscape of gorge, river, forest and waterfalls in the rolling hills near Loudonville.

The Clear Fork Gorge, a designated National Natural Landmark, plunges some 300 feet deep and stretches for miles, its cool, shaded slopes sheltering relict northern forest. Visitors paddle and canoe the popular Mohican River, hike rugged trails to the Lyons Falls and along the gorge, cross the iconic covered bridge, and camp, fish and explore. With its dramatic gorge, hemlock forests, river recreation and rich scenery, Mohican State Park is a treasured outdoor destination and one of Ohio’s finest.

Mohican State Park offers a wealth of recreation — canoeing, kayaking and tubing on the popular Clear Fork of the Mohican River, rugged hiking to Lyons Falls and along the Clear Fork Gorge, crossing the iconic covered bridge, mountain biking in the surrounding state forest, camping, cabins, a lodge, fishing and birding. The Mohican-Memorial State Forest adds bridle and bike trails and a fire tower. The dramatic gorge, the river and the deep hemlock forests make the park a premier destination for paddlers, hikers and outdoor lovers in north-central Ohio.

Late spring through summer is prime for river paddling and tubing, when warm weather suits the water and the liveries run, while fall brings spectacular color to the gorge and crisp hiking and winter a quiet, snowy beauty (with cross-country skiing in the forest). Spring brings full waterfalls and wildflowers. The river is busiest on warm-season weekends; the gorge and trails are rewarding year-round, with fall color in the hemlock-and-hardwood canyon a special highlight at Mohican.

The Mohican region takes its name from the Mohican people, and the gorge and forest carry a long human history of Native American use, settlement and logging. The dramatic Clear Fork Gorge was recognized as a National Natural Landmark for its old-growth hemlock and white pine and its geological significance. Ohio protected the area as Mohican State Park and the surrounding Mohican-Memorial State Forest — the latter dedicated as a memorial to the state’s war dead — preserving the gorge, river and forests for recreation and conservation.

Mohican State Park’s centerpiece, the Clear Fork Gorge, is a deep, steep-walled canyon — about 300 feet deep and 1,000 feet wide — carved by glacial meltwater and the Clear Fork of the Mohican River through sandstone and shale at the end of the last Ice Age. The powerful flow of meltwater rapidly cut the dramatic gorge, exposing the layered rock and creating the cliffs and slopes. The gorge’s depth and cool, north-facing slopes shelter the relict hemlock forest, making it a designated National Natural Landmark.

The gorge, river and forests of Mohican host white-tailed deer, wild turkey, foxes, and a rich community of birds, including pileated woodpeckers, hawks and warblers, with the cool hemlock gorge sheltering species more typical of northern forests. The Clear Fork and Mohican rivers support fish, and the moist gorge salamanders and amphibians. The deep, varied landscape of canyon, river and forest makes the park an excellent place for wildlife watching and birding in north-central Ohio.

Mohican’s Clear Fork Gorge is a designated National Natural Landmark for its remarkable relict forest — stands of old-growth eastern hemlock and white pine surviving on the cool, shaded gorge slopes as remnants of a colder post-glacial climate, far south of their usual range. The deep canyon, the river, the surrounding hardwood forests and the cool microclimate support diverse and significant plant and animal communities. Protecting the gorge, the old-growth and the river’s water quality sustains one of Ohio’s most important natural ecosystems.

Mohican State Park, with its spectacular Clear Fork Gorge, iconic covered bridge, popular river and deep hemlock forests, holds a cherished place in Ohio’s outdoor heritage, a beloved destination for canoeing, hiking and camping for generations. The gorge’s designation as a National Natural Landmark, the memorial forest honoring the state’s war dead, and the region’s scenic beauty give Mohican deep cultural and natural significance, making it one of the most treasured parks in north-central Ohio.

Mohican State Park is in north-central Ohio near Loudonville, off State Route 3 and State Route 97, about an hour and a half northeast of Columbus and south of Mansfield. The park is free to enter, with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, the covered bridge, river-access points, canoe liveries nearby and trailheads to Lyons Falls and the Clear Fork Gorge, all surrounded by the Mohican-Memorial State Forest. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for facilities, river access, trail conditions and reservations before visiting.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources protects the Clear Fork Gorge, the Mohican River, the old-growth hemlock forest and the surrounding lands of Mohican State Park and the Mohican-Memorial State Forest. Visitors help by staying on trails to protect the fragile gorge and relict forest, following river and paddling rules, packing out everything, protecting the river’s water quality, and respecting the National Natural Landmark. Protecting the deep gorge, the old-growth and the river sustains both the park’s ecology and its scenic and recreational value.

Mohican’s gorge trails are rugged with steep drop-offs — stay on trails, keep back from cliff edges and the tops of waterfalls like Lyons Falls, and watch footing on rocky, sometimes slippery terrain. On the river, wear a life jacket, check water levels (the Clear Fork can rise quickly after rain), and paddle within your ability, using a livery if new to it. Carry water, watch the weather, be mindful of ticks and poison ivy in summer, and supervise children near the cliffs and water.

The park is free to enter; follow Ohio Department of Natural Resources rules. Stay on designated trails and back from cliff edges. Paddle and fish per Ohio regulations and licensing; use designated river access. Camp only in designated campgrounds; cabins and the lodge require reservations. Pets must be leashed. Drones are generally prohibited in state parks. Collecting in the gorge and nature areas is prohibited. Pack out all trash. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for current rules and conditions.

The town of Loudonville — the ‘Canoe Capital of Ohio’ — lies near the park, with the surrounding Mohican-Memorial State Forest, the Mohican and Clear Fork rivers, Pleasant Hill Lake, and Malabar Farm State Park within reach. The cities of Mansfield and Columbus are within reach to the north and southwest. Mohican State Park anchors a region rich in river recreation, hiking and scenery, a centerpiece of a canoeing-and-gorge adventure in north-central Ohio.

Paddle or tube the popular Clear Fork of the Mohican River (book a livery in Loudonville), and hike the rugged trails to Lyons Falls and along the spectacular Clear Fork Gorge, crossing the iconic covered bridge. Visit in fall for stunning color in the hemlock-and-hardwood canyon, wear a life jacket on the river and check water levels, stay on trails and back from cliff edges, and use the lodge, cabins or campground as a base for a Mohican outdoor weekend.