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

Explore by type

What are you in the mood for?

See every place →

Plan a trip

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

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

117 parks in 7 regions

Fortified Hill Works

Ross Township · Butler County · Southwest Ohio
A Hopewell hilltop enclosure saved at auction
National Register of Historic PlacesHopewell hilltop enclosureGuided tours only

A Hopewell wall that follows the rim of a hill above the Great Miami, bought at auction in 2019 and now shown on small guided walks.

Shape
A wall that follows the rim of a hilltop above the Great Miami, with the ditch outside and three gateways
Walls
8 to 10 feet high when surveyed in 1847
Inside
The 1847 survey recorded a small circle and small mounds holding altars
North Mound
A burial mound outside the walls, once 10 to 12 feet tall and about 5 feet today
Saved
Bought at auction in 2019 with Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation funds and given to Pyramid Hill
Listed
National Register of Historic Places, 1974

The story

Fortified Hill is a Hopewell hilltop enclosure in Ross Township, near Hamilton. Its wall follows the edge of the hill, with the ditch on the outside, and encloses nearly 17 acres. Hamilton's James McBride surveyed it in 1836, and Ephraim Squier and Edwin Davis mapped it in 1847 for their 1848 book Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, recording walls 8 to 10 feet high, three gateways, a small circle and small mounds holding altars. Outside the walls the North Mound, a burial mound, once stood 10 to 12 feet tall; erosion, plowing and looting have brought it down to about 5 feet.

When the last private owner died without leaving instructions, the hill came up for auction and faced development. A community effort won it in 2019, with Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation money, and it was given to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park. Restoration took about six years, with advice from the Shawnee Tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Wyandotte Nation, and public tours began in 2024.

Related sites

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
November 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Verified entrance or visitor center
Published coordinates
Seasonal access
Seen only on guided tours. In 2025 tours ran the first weekend of each month from June to November; check Pyramid Hill for the current schedule.
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
Tickets or admission info

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

Sold to the Right Bidder

For nearly two centuries the walls on the hill sat on private land. When the owner died, the property went to auction, and the earthwork could have become house lots.

The winning bid came from people who wanted it saved. Now small groups walk the rim with a guide.

Behind the legend

The 2019 auction, the Wilks Family Foundation funding, the gift to Pyramid Hill, the tribal consultation and the start of tours in 2024 are reported by Pyramid Hill and by WVXU. The wall measurements come from the 1847 Squier and Davis survey. Tour schedules and prices change, so check before you go.

If you go

Book a tour, wear hiking shoes and pair it with a walk around Pyramid Hill's sculpture park, which your ticket includes for the day.

Visiting

Status
Guided tours only
Managed by
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum
Hours
Seen only on guided tours. In 2025 tours ran the first weekend of each month from June to November; check Pyramid Hill for the current schedule.
Admission
In 2025: $30 adults and $10 children for non-members, $20 and $5 for members, including same-day park admission. Ross Township residents toured free.
Please note
The tour is a mild to moderate hike. Stay off the walls and the burial mound.
Official information →Directions

Parks nearby

Hueston Woods State Park
About 17 miles · A lake park with a stand of old-growth beech-maple forest.
Open
Eden Park
About 18 miles · A hilltop city park above the Ohio River in Cincinnati.
Open

Details last checked 2026-11-05. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

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