Hopeton Earthworks Hike August 27, 2011

Length: 2 miles Difficulty Level: Easy, Rolling Terrain Meet at the Hopeton Earthworks located on Hopetown Rd. in Chillicothe. Call 740-774-1126 for directions or pick-up a driving map at the Mound City Group visitor center (16062 State Route 104). Hopeton Earthworks is a 10 minute drive from the Mound City Group visitor center. Hopeton Earthworks is comprised of a large circle and a square whose walls were once twelve feet high. No burials have ever been discovered here, but a parallel set of mysterious earthen walls stretch from the heart of the complex for nearly half a mile toward the Scioto River. What function this earthwork served is lost in obscurity, yet archaeologists discovered that prehistoric people regularly gathered here in large numbers. Regrettably, after centuries of plowing, Hopeton's great walls, like most Hopewell earthworks, are now only barely visible. Hopeton Earthworks are not yet open to the public, so this walk is an uncommon opportunity to explore one of the national park's newer acquisitions.