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

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117 parks in 7 regions

High Bank Works

Chillicothe · Ross County · Southern Ohio
A circle and an octagon that track the sun and moon
Hopewell Culture National Historical ParkUNESCO World Heritage Site (2023)

The one Hopewell park site you cannot walk, with astronomy built into its walls.

Shapes
A large circle and an octagon, each roughly 1,000 feet across
Alignments
Line up with the sun on both solstices and with the moon's lunar standstill cycle
Link
The large circle has the same diameter as the Observatory Circle at Newark
Access
Closed to the public; used for archaeological research

The story

High Bank Works is a group of geometric earthworks along the Scioto River south of Chillicothe: a large circle and an octagon, each roughly 1,000 feet across, with many smaller structures. The lines of the walls match the sun's path on both solstices and the moon's path during the lunar standstill cycle, which suggests the Hopewell had detailed knowledge of astronomy. The large circle has the same diameter as the Observatory Circle in Newark.

Of the five sites in Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, it is the one that is closed to the public and used for research.

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
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Use the listed address for directions; treat the map pin as a general area.
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures

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.

The Site You Cannot Walk

Ask at the visitor center about High Bank and the answer is that you cannot go. The circle and the octagon sit in a field of nearly 200 acres, and the park keeps it closed so that archaeologists can work in peace.

It is a reminder that some of what the Hopewell built is still being studied.

Behind the legend

The closure is documented, and it is a research site. The alignments, to the solstice sun and the lunar standstill, are described by the National Park Service and in the UNESCO nomination.

It is one of the five Hopewell Culture NHP sites that make up part of the UNESCO Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.

If you go

Learn about it at Mound City's visitor center, and pair the visit with Hopeton and Mound City.

Visiting

Status
Closed to the public
Managed by
National Park Service
Hours
Not open to visitors; used for research.
Please note
Not accessible.
Official information →

Parks nearby

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
About 0 miles · The national park that protects this site.
Open
Great Seal State Park
About 5 miles · Hills that inspired the state seal.
Open
Scioto Trail State Park
About 8 miles · State forest and CCC lake.
Open

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.