Mohican State Park

I thought I would get around to posting these photos last week, but the back-to-school preparations just got the best of me. Ah well, if I consider that I’m still four years behind on scrapbooking, then a week doesn’t sound so bad!
clear fork gorge
Mohican State Park is located in southern Ashland County here in Northeast Ohio. My parents used to take my brother and I canoeing every summer, and Mohican was our favorite destination. The Clear Fork Branch of the Mohican River runs through this region, surrounded by acres of forest perfect for all kinds of outdoor recreaction. You can experience the area a number of ways: camping, hiking, canoeing, driving, horse-back riding, snowmobiling, etc.
clear fork
We chose to rent a raft so that we could all fit into one vessel. The river is shallow in places and has large boulders throughout, with a steady current, but nothing too adventurous. (We do have a five-year-old, after all.) We did get stuck a few times, but the kids enjoyed getting into the river to pull the raft through the shallows. The kids had a blast and requested several times that we do this every year.
I was concerned about taking the camera along and I wish I had purchased one of those cheap disposable varieties. I decided not to because the picture quality is not very good, but at least I would have had something. Next year, I’m definitely bringing a disposable camera. If it falls in, it won’t be the end of the world.
lodge1
We stayed the night at the state park lodge. I can’t say enough good things about it. If you are thinking of visiting the area, I can highly recommend it. The rooms were spacious and outfitted with better bedding than I’ve found in some fancy hotels! There were two very clean heated pools, one indoor and one outdoor. There was even a separate kiddie pool. It was also heated and filtered, and Ethan loved that he could play there without worrying he would get in over his head. The main lobby has a large open sitting area with a fireplace and game area where we enjoyed several games of ping pong. The lodge also has a lovely full-service restaurant that overlooks the lake.
jewelweed
We spent the next day doing some hiking in the park. We started out at Pleasant Hill Dam looking out over the lake on one side and the river down below on the other. Then we drove around to the scenic overlook area where we saw some wild turkeys and the park’s Fire Tower. The kids wanted to climb this thing, so I let them go part of the way. The stairs are very steep, and there’s nothing to keep them from falling through under the railing if they should stumble. So I cheerfully said “This is far enough”, and we came back down. From there, we decided to hike to the falls.
fire tower
There are two ways to hike in to see the falls. One entrance is at the top of Pleasant Hill Dam. The other is down by Clear Fork Covered Bridge. We decided to park at the covered bridge entrance and hike up so that the hike back would be downhill. I’m not sure that was the right choice, because by the time we got to the first set of falls and saw the steep climb to view the others, we were too tired to try it. The trail is pretty rugged over many tree roots and rocky spots. When we finally arrived at Big Lyons Falls, Jeff said “This is it?” The name Big Lyons Falls apparently refers to its height and not the quantity of water coming down.
big lyons falls big lyons falls2 catching water
I thought it was pretty. The kids had fun standing under the trickling water and then we all decided to head back.
cave
Once we made it back to the van, the kids were tired and hungry. We had lunch and then decided the kids were worn out and would not enjoy another hike. Jeff had no interest in a horseback ride, so we packed up, popped a movie into the DVD player and headed home. I can’t wait to go back. :)
jeff&kids
For more information on Mohican State Park, visit www.mohicanstatepark.org.

Comments

Louise said…
Very beautiful and it looks like a lot of fun. Only 4 years behind scrapbooking? That's NOTHING!!!
Carol said…
Well, I enjoyed this walk through the park with you....your photos are gorgeous...this is a part of Ohio I've not been to....its beautiful...BTW I know what you mean by being behind...
Pollyanna said…
Terrific pics! I especially like the little yellow flower and the kids "catching" the trickling water.

I'm five & a half years behind on my scrapbooking so you're doing better than me:)

Feel free to visit me: Picture This . . .
Lona said…
What great pictures Adrienne! I have been by it a few times but never went into see what was around. It looks like the scenery here in the hills. I am glad to see they still have an old fire tower also. Old things disappear to often.
Poor babies, school already.
DeniseinVA said…
That looks like such a wonderful place to take your kids Adrienne and your photos are fabulous. Lovely memories to look back on.
Carletta said…
I so enjoyed reading about your experiences in the park and your photos showing us what you saw are wonderful. I especially like the tower shot and the reflections in the glass of the lodge.
A really enjoyable post!
Kelly said…
thanks for the wonderful travelogue! I've read about this park. Looks like I definitely have to add it to the visit list! Looks like you all had a wonderful time!
Anonymous said…
Wow that is a beautiful place. I would like to think about going there someday. Your photos are very good and add so much to your visit story.

Thank you very much for visiting My Birds Blog and for the comment you left me there about my Coopers Hawk photograph. My Birds Blog
Linda said…
The back-to-school effect seems to spread further each year. This year we also have the 'going to university' effect, which seems to have taken up the whole summer!

I really enjoyed your account of your hiking trip. That lodge looks more like a cathedral then a tourist facility. And the wimpy waterfall was very droll!
Oh Adrienne, How did I MISS this great post???? Gosh---I'm sorry. I try to catch them all, but sometimes I do miss some.

Thanks for telling me... George and I have seen MANY waterless (or almost waterless) waterfalls before.. We usually go back during the winter/spring rainy seasons.

Beautiful place. Looks like you all had a great time. I wrote it down for our wish list.
Hugs,
Betsy

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