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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  • 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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State parks & forests117 places, with cabins, campsites and trails117 places Waterfalls34 falls, with trail notes34 falls Mounds & earthworks64 ancient sites, from Serpent Mound to Newark64 ancient sites Caves & caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters12 caves Lake Erie beaches20 public beaches, Conneaut to Toledo20 beaches Historic sites40 places, from the frontier to the Civil War40 places Road trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail33 drives Oddities19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops19 roadside stops The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile loop, all 26 sections1,444 miles

New to the guide?

Six places to start

One from every corner of the state, each with its full story inside.

01Old Man's CaveHocking Hills · SoutheastA gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center. 02Great Serpent MoundAdams County · SouthwestA gigantic earthen snake on a hilltop over Ohio Brush Creek, built by a people whose name is still argued over. 03Brandywine FallsCuyahoga Valley · NortheastThe tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with an accessible upper overlook. 04Marblehead LighthouseMarblehead · Lake ErieThe oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, lit since 1821, on nine acres of limestone shoreline. 05Zoar VillageTuscarawas County · EasternA well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal. 06Longaberger Basket BuildingNewark · CentralA seven-story office building shaped like a picnic basket, with handles that are heated in winter.

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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

David Stitt Mound

Chillicothe · Ross County · Southern Ohio
A big subconical mound on high ground near Chillicothe
National Register of Historic Places
Directions →

A sizable Adena mound near Chillicothe, listed for what may still lie inside it.

Size
About 19.4 feet high with a diameter of about 130 feet
Shape
Sub-conical
Setting
On elevated land a good distance from the Scioto River
Inside
Adena mounds often cover log charnel houses, so bones and traces of wooden buildings may remain
Listed
National Register of Historic Places, 1972

The story

The David Stitt Mound stands on elevated land near Chillicothe in Ross County, well away from the Scioto River. It is sub-conical, about 19.4 feet high and about 130 feet across. Because the Adena typically built their mounds over log charnel houses, bones and traces of wooden structures may still be inside, which is why it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as a potential archaeological site.

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.
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Use the listed address for directions; treat the map pin as a general area.

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.

What the Mound May Still Hold

Chillicothe is the heart of Adena country, and the big mounds are the famous ones: the Adena Mound, Story Mound, Mound City. The David Stitt Mound is one of the quieter ones. It is large, high above the river, and mostly unstudied.

What is inside is unknown, and that is why it is protected.

Behind the legend

The National Register describes the possibility of charnel houses and bones as an expectation based on how the Adena built, not something that has been found. The record does not say who first named the mound for David Stitt.

If you go

See the Adena Mound and Story Mound entries for mounds you can visit in Chillicothe.

Visiting

Status
Not developed for visitors
Managed by
Check locally
Hours
There is no public visitor information for this site; do not enter private land.
Please note
Please respect private property.

Parks nearby

Great Seal State Park
About 6 miles · The hills of Ohio's state seal, north of Chillicothe.
Open
Scioto Trail State Park
About 8 miles · State park and forest with a 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.