Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Sinking Spring Section

Pike, Highland, Adams · South Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
54miles
12 of 26clockwise
3counties

Forests, earthworks and rural roads through Pike, Highland and Adams counties. This is the section of ancient sites.

Passes through Pike State Park and Forest, Fort Hill earthworks, Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs and the Great Serpent Mound.

Highlights

  • Pike State Park and Forest
  • Fort Hill Earthworks and Nature Preserve
  • Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs Nature Preserve
  • Great Serpent Mound

Parks on this section

Pike Lake State Park
Pike State Park and Forest are on the route
Open
Pike State Forest
The trail runs through the forest and next-door Pike Lake State Park
Open

Mounds and earthworks

Fort Hill State Memorial
A hilltop wall of earth and stone above Ohio Brush Creek
Open
Great Serpent Mound
The largest serpent effigy in the world
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official Sinking Spring Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Pike Lake State Park has a campground and cabins
  • Check the BTA section map for other sites

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Water

Water at Pike Lake; filter everything else.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

The file holds 8 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Peebles is the Buckeye Trail Town, near Serpent Mound.

Food and fuel

Peebles Trail Town
A historic village ringed by forested ridges and ancient sites, close to Serpent Mound.
Forty-One Family Restaurant
Homestyle meals and soups
Directions
Local Jack's
Burgers, steaks and pizza; closed Sunday
Directions
First Stop
Open 24 hours with a drive-thru
Directions
Peebles 1st Stop
Gas and food, with room for RVs
Directions
Near Pike Lake State Park
The Paxton Restaurant
The closest proper sit-down meal, opens 6 a.m. Closed Sundays
Directions
Country Crust Bakery
Amish bakery on the way in. Cash only, closed Sundays
Directions
Bainbridge 1st Stop
Opens 5 a.m. — fuel up here, options thin out fast toward the park
Directions
Near Pike State Forest
The Paxton Restaurant
The closest proper sit-down meal, opens 6 a.m. Closed Sundays
Directions
Country Crust Bakery
Amish bakery on the way in. Cash only, closed Sundays
Directions
Bainbridge 1st Stop
Opens 5 a.m. — fuel up here, options thin out fast toward the park
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.