Mohican SP--Covered Bridge

Mohican SP--Covered Bridge

Loudonville, Ohio 44842

Mohican State Park Official Website
Mohican State Park map

Also, see all the hotspots at:
Mohican Important Bird Area
Mohican Birding Drive

About this Location

The Covered Bridge is the oldest and most recognizable sight of Mohican. Drive through and visit the area around the bridge, which includes several trailheads, picnic area, and river access.

About Mohican State Park

See all hotspots at Mohican State Park

Mohican State Park and the adjacent State Forest are located in the heart of Mohican Country, Ohio’s great vacation region. The park is comprised of 1,110 acres with 5 miles of the scenic Clear Fork Branch of the Mohican River running through it. The recreational opportunities available to the park visitor include fishing, hiking, picnicking, camping, cottages, and a resort lodge. The Mohican Memorial State Forest surrounds the park with 4,795 acres. Hunting, hiking, and bridle trails are available to forest visitors.

Mohican State Park is located in southern Ashland County bordered by OH-3 and OH-97, close to Loudonville, Ohio. The park can be easily accessed from I-71.

The scenic beauty and natural features of the Mohican region can be attributed to events that occurred over 14,000 years ago during the ice age in Ohio. The last glacier to enter Ohio, the Wisconsinan, ended its advance in the Mohican region forming a glacial boundary. Several moraines, linear ridges of soil and rock till deposited along the ice edge, are evident in the area.

The erosional forces of glacial meltwaters hastened the carving of the narrow gorge of the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. This gorge cuts into the sandstone bedrock exposing huge outcroppings and creating steep cliff walls. The gorge is more than one thousand feet wide at the top and over three hundred feet deep. The striking Clear Fork Gorge with its towering hemlocks and stands of old-growth white pine is of national significance. The National Park Service has thus dedicated the area as a Registered National Natural Landmark.

The Mohican-Memorial State Forest surrounds the park and contains great plant and animal diversity. Ridge tops contain stands of white, red and black oaks, red maple, and white pine. Beech, ash, and tulip can be found in the middle and lower slopes with hemlock and yellow birch. The bottomlands contain sycamore, willow, buckeye, hawthorn, and dogwood. The diversity of ferns in this region is astounding with as many as fifteen different species identified, including the rare walking fern.

Mohican is home to numerous mammals including raccoon, white-tail deer, skunk, opossum, and red fox. Reptiles such as the box turtle, black ratsnake, and the venomous copperhead are present in the area. Dusky salamanders, American toads, and the gray tree frog are samples of local amphibians.

Notable Trails

There are trailheads for two trails at the Covered Bridge:

Lyons Fall Trail – 2 miles – Moderate to Difficult – follows Clear Fork Gorge and features two waterfalls
Pleasant Hill Trail – .75 mile – Easy – Follows the lake shoreline and offers beautiful views of the lake

Content from Mohican State Park Official Website