Nature Trails
at the Appalachian Forest Museum
The three trails at the Appalachian Forest Museum lead into some of the the Ohio's most stunning scenery - the sheer vertical walls of the Rocky Fork Gorge, towering hemlocks and beech trees, strange and wonderful rock formations, and the ancient cedar trees clinging to the rim of the limestone canyon.
Valley of the Ancients. A rock-lined trail curves down to the Rocky Fork Creek, winding through the bottom of a 100 foot high vertical dolomite gorge. Walk beneath towering hemlocks and rare white cedar trees of great antiquity, viewing the art of breathtaking panoramas sculpted from the elements of rock and water. 1/4 mile loop.
Etawah Woods Loop Trail. This trail offers a breathtaking trek along the rim of the Rocky Fork Gorge, with beautiful views of the canyon floor. Mid-way is a spur that takes you down a long flight of stairs into the canyon, below giant hemlocks, and eventually right up to the water, where one can enjoy the famous geologic feature known as the three sisters – three giant slump blocks mid-stream. 1/2 mile loop.
Big Beech Loop Trail. See the forest through the eyes of a frontier naturalist while walking through an authentic old-growth Beech Forest. Walk by ancient towering Tulip Poplars and massive Beech trees – such a rare experience in modern Ohio! This is not just a forest of old trees, but an intact ecosystem and forest community. 1/4 mile loop.
