The Martin's Blog

11/9/2021 Tu – arrived at the Mound City Group Unit of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (NHP) outside of Chillicothe OH at about 8:30am on a beautiful fall day.  This was my third visit to this site, which is the only fully restored Hopewell earthwork unit of the historical park.  See Blog for June 2012.

These mounds were built from A.D. 1 to 400.

Mound 7

Elliptical Mound

The Hopeton Earthwork Unit is on the east side of the Scioto River

After going through the Visitor Center, I drove to the undeveloped Hopeton Earthwork Unit and walked for two miles on the paths that were mowed through the field to simulate the location of the earthworks there.

After consuming a Philly Cheesesteak from Charley’s in Chillicothe, I visited the Hopewell Mound Group Unit.

I hiked an additional two miles here, both through the mounds area

Mound 25 – the largest Hopewell mound ever discovered, 500 feet long and 30 feet high

and along the Tri-County Triangle Bike Trail

It took about 15 minutes to drive to the Seip Earthworks Unit of the NHP on U.S. 50

This is the third largest burial mound that the Hopewell are known to have built

Stopped briefly at Fort Hill Earthworks, which is part of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System and the Ohio History Connection

My last stop was Serpent Mound, which is also a part of the Ohio History Connection.  I have wanted to visit here for a few decades and finally made it!  There is an $8 parking fee.

There are several burial mounds here as well as a Village Site

But the highlight is Serpent Mound

The next photo is from the viewing tower and shows the tail of the serpent

The following photo show the serpentine body with the mouth in the distance

Looking back toward the viewing tower, right center of photo

It was a two hour drive back to Springfield