Mohican State Park
Pleasant Hill and Lyons Falls Trails
On the last day of 2021, we headed out to explore the Mohican State Park in northeastern Ohio to find waterfalls, a dam, and a covered bridge. It was a misty, cloudy day but the temperature was ideal. The park sits adjacent to nearly 5,000 acres of forestland and offers year-round activities like fishing, swimming, hiking, camping, water sports, bridle and snowmobile trails, lodging and adventure parks. Perfect for a getaway weekend or extended stay. This is also home to “Johnny Appleseed,” a pioneer nurseryman that introduced apple trees to parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
As we made our way along county roads, vibrant eastern hemlocks lined the roadside. These evergreens are frequently referred to as Canadian hemlocks since they were transplanted from the north during the Ice Age 14,000 years ago. Hemlocks have been known to live in excess of 800 years and 300- to 400-years-old is not uncommon. Hemlocks have gained status as dominant canopy trees.
Driving over the Pleasant Hill Dam, we looked across the 783-acre manmade Pleasant Hills Lake. Completed in 1936, the 113 ft dam was built on the Clear Fork section of the Mohican River. The lake was quiet when we arrived, but we did see a couple of boats and fishermen. In a warmer environment, we could imagine this would be a much more happening place.
After finding a place to park, we walked over to check out the spillway. The Morning Glory Spillway is a unique flood control structure designed and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The bell-mouthed spillway was shaped like the morning glory flower acting like a drain that goes underground and feeds back into the Clear Fork River on the other side of the dam. Since its construction, the spillway has never been used. It is one of two morning glory spillways in the US. The second one is in Berryessa, California.
As we always do, we tracked our three-mile hike on #AllTrails. For the first mile, we started on the Pleasant Hill Trail making our way to the Mohican Covered Bridge. From the top of the dam, we scanned the grassy hill, the descending stairs, and the gorge that gave way to the river below. We could hear the rush of water pouring from the spillway tunnel, and we could see low lying clouds had settled amongst the trees. We made our way down the hillside and found a number of fishermen along the shoreline casting their lines. Once on the trail, we found it to be easy but quite muddy at times. Frequently, the river overflowed the shoreline and covered the trail, so we had to improvise. Thankfully, we were wearing the right shoes.
The Mohican Covered Bridge pays tribute to the historical covered bridges that still exist in Ohio. Built in 1968, the two-lane bridge is framed in wood to look vintage and sits on top of steel beams. Walkways run along either side of the bridge for foot traffic and allows access across the Clear Fork River. Near the bridge there is parking, picnic areas, and the trailhead to the Big Lyons and Little Lyons Falls.
Starting at the covered bridge, we headed back towards the dam on the opposite side of the Clear Fork River. The Lyons Falls Trail is a moderate loop trail that features two waterfalls that run down the side of the gorge into the river below. Since we had parked near the dam, we did not complete the loop but still managed to get in another two miles. About a mile in, some rough terrain, and 100 ft elevation gain, we found the Big Lyons Falls. The Big Falls is an impressive 80 ft drop over a recessed cave. The sound of water flowing over the falls was magnificent.
We then made our way to the Little Lyons Falls which was a short hike of about a 1/4 mile down the trail. The Little Falls is a 25 ft drop into a narrow gorge of collapsed rocks and sandstone. Smaller but just as beautiful as the Big Falls. After another 1/2 mile, we were back at the dam where we started from.
Once we completed our hike, we hopped in our truck and drove through the rest of the park and found the 80-ft Mohican Fire Tower. Fire towers were built in the 1920s and 1930s to create a 360-degree view of the surrounding forests and hills. The average visibility was 10 miles in all directions and was used as a lookout for wildfires. Once aircrafts started providing aerial surveillance in the 1940s, the fire towers slowly phased out. The last tower was closed in 1978. The Mohican Fire Tower is no longer in use, but visitors are allowed to climb the stairs of the tower and take in the magnificent view from the top.
Before heading home, we stopped at the Gorge Overlook. The view was hazy, so the view was limited, but we still had to stop. The erosive forces of glaciers during the Ice Age, carved the narrow gorge which is now occupied by the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. The gorge is more than 1,000 ft wide at the top and over 300 ft deep.
