Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Mohican State Park, OH

  • Published 2022/12/16

Mohican State Park is in the village of Loudonville, Ohio.

You can find it in Ashland County, between Cleveland and Columbus, which is around 70 miles from either city and is easily reachable from Interstate 71.

The place is a state park and a state forest located within the Mohican-Memorial State Forest.

The park stretches to around 1,100 acres of land, while the forest covers 4,500 acres.

You can visit the park or hike on the trails without fees or parking.

Discover the best things to do in Mohican State Park.

Discover Exciting Activities at the Mohican Adventures Canoe Livery & Fun Center

You’ll find no dull moments at the Mohican Adventures Canoe Livery & Fun Center.

This unique place offers a full-service campground with eight squeaky-clean shower houses and restroom amenities.

Mohican Adventures Canoe Livery & Fun Center features a 4.5-acre lake that doesn’t require a permit to catch and release fish.

You can rent pedal boats, play volleyball or basketball with friends or family, and let your kids discover the playground.

Several tent campsites include full RV hookups, perfect for small groups and families.

If you don’t want to camp outdoors, you can spend the night in the log cabins for a restful sleep.

Fish and Camp at the Mohican State Park and Campground

River flowing at Mohican State Park

Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Looking for the perfect place to spend your family vacation should be fun and memorable.

Mohican State Park and Campground provide a full-package service campground with eight spotless shower houses and restroom facilities.

Your kids will love fishing in the state park’s 4.5-acre catch-and-release fishing lake that requires no fishing permit.

You can also rent pedal boats or play with kids on the playground.

Otherwise, play cornhole, horseshoe rings, basketball, or volleyball.

After those enjoyable activities, enjoy a hearty meal with your family at one of their clean picnic pavilions.

Choose from 180 RV/full hookup sites, which can accommodate the smallest to largest rigs.

Enjoy your stay at the Mohican State Park and Campground!

Discover the Wonders of Mohican State Park

Small waterfall at  Mohican State Park

April DeBord / Shutterstock.com

The Mohican State Park boasts many waterfalls, a 360-degree viewing fire tower, a gorgeous river, and an overlook deck giving you a spectacular view of the giant gorge.

Wander the park on your bike along the Mohican State Park MTB trail, the state’s longest single track stretching to more than 25 miles.

You can reach the waterfalls on foot and see the profusion of different blooming wildflowers in the spring.

A hiker exploring the Mohican State Park

Marked Imagery / Shutterstock.com

Moreover, you can bring your dogs along while hiking and in the campground as long as they are always on a leash.

The park also offers a wide array of overnight accommodations with free admission.

Cascade at  Mohican State Park

Richard345 / Shutterstock.com

Cross the Mohican State Park Covered Bridge

View of Mohican State Park Covered Bridge

David Byron Keener / Shutterstock.com

Constructed in the late 1960s, the exemplary Mohican State Covered Bridge extends across the Clear Fork of the Mohican River.

Stan Pace, a resident, designed this iconic covered bridge between Mohican State Park and Lyon Falls, replacing an old iron bridge.

Located on Park Rd, Perrysville, the original iron bridge arched across Clear Fork near the dam.

It needed to be removed before filling the lake.

Stunning view of Mohican State Park Covered Bridge

Cathryn Anatra / Shutterstock.com

In March 1938, the Civilian Conservation Corps dismounted the iron bridge and moved it to its current location.

Currently, the Mohican State Park Covered Bridge welcomes thousands of motorists each year journeying between the northern and southern parts of the forest and park.

Side view of Mohican State Park Covered Bridge

Richard345 / Shutterstock.com

Check Out the Big and Little Lyons Falls

View of Big Lyons Falls

April DeBord / Shutterstock.com

The Big and Little Lyons Falls are low-flow waterfalls in the Mohican State Park, formed on the 300-foot deep and 1,000-foot vast Clear Fork Gorge.

Both falls lie on small streams that spill into the gorge.

You can compare Big Falls to Ash Cave Falls, located in Hocking Hills.

View of Big Lyon Falls

April DeBord / Shutterstock.com

It’s an 80-foot drop over a cave opening, and you’ll see a lot of water after heavy rain.

Little Lyons Falls, on the other hand, is also worth checking out because of the cave at the waterfall’s bottom.

Explore the area near the Big and Little Lyons Falls!

Other Things to Do Nearby

Spend the Night at Malabar Farm State Park

Distant view of Malabar Farm

shriesik / Shutterstock.com

The Malabar Farm State Park is a great place to visit if you want to see what Ohio looked like in the past.

Situated in Lucas, Ohio, this fantastic park was the dream of Louis Bromfield, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

You’ll see that outbuildings and pastures still contain goats, beef cattle, and chickens while corn, oats, hay, and wheat adorn the hills.

The Big House at Malabar Farm

OHWiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The forests and fields provide visitors with the cultural and natural history of the area.

Spend a night camping with the family at a 15-site horseman’s camp that offers primitive camping for horsepeople, with amenities such as picnic tables, toilets, fire rings, and drinking water.

You can also fish for catfish and bluegill from the farm ponds, provided you have a valid Ohio fishing license.

The Malabar Farm State Park is 12 minutes from Mohican State Park.

Interior view of the house at Malabar Farm

Niagara66, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Explore Wolf Creek Grist Mill

View of Wolf Creek Grist Mill

David Byron Keener / Shutterstock.com

The Wolf Creek Grist Mill offers a ¾ mile loop to the observation deck overlooking the mill.

There’s also a bike or walk trail that you can use from the junction of Route 97 to the mill.

Your family can ride horses in the outdoor horse arena, which is available to rent.

Whatever the weather, your family or group will be safe in one of their vast heated tents.

Enjoy almost 75 foreign and local domestic beers and wines, together with sumptuous food and live music!

The Wolf Creek Grist Mill is three minutes from the Mohican State Park, just a mile south of the Mohican State Park Campground on St. Rt. 3.

Ride a Horse at the Equestrian Valley Farm

The Equestrian Valley Farm is a Mohican -style farm founded in 1815 on Crimson Road, Mansfield, Ohio, 21 minutes from Mohican State Park.

Built in 1825, the house overlooks the serene pond and nearby pastures.

This 200-acre Equestrian Valley Farm offers trails on panoramic rolling hills and pristine forests.

The exciting ride will take you through open pastures and across the woods.

You might see a deer or two if it’s your lucky day.

Throughout the hour-long ride, you’ll go up and down the hillside.

You might even go on a gallop many times.

Visit the Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau

The Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau provides the best and most accurate information about fabulous places.

It’s your initial stop when looking for the finest shopping, lodging, and dining in the region around Ashland County.

They provide maps and the easiest route to your destination, whether by foot, bike, hoof, boat, or wheels.

The Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau provides trail maps about all the neighboring parks.

The bureau also provides Malabar Farm State Park and Mohican Memorial State Forest trail maps.

Located on N Union St. Loudonville, you’ll never go wrong or lose your way with the Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau.

This visitor center is five minutes from Mohican State Park.

Enjoy Recreational Activities at Pleasant Hill Lake

Pleasant Hill Lake during autumn

M. DiCesare / Shutterstock.com

Pleasant Hill Lake lies on State Route 95, Perrysville, Ohio, enveloped by 1,350 acres of land.

This 850-acre lake draws hundreds of thousands of guests annually to enjoy different recreational activities.

The whole family will enjoy camping, boating, hunting, fishing, picnicking, hiking, kayaking, and much more.

The self-guided water trail’s five stops along the lakeshore emphasize the area’s hidden history.

It has 34 horse camping sites, 50 amp electricity, and more than 60 miles of horse trails connecting Pleasant Hill Lake Park, Mohican State Park, and Malabar Farm.

This lake is 11 minutes from Mohican State Park.

Explore the Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve

Declared a National Natural Landmark in 1967, the Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve lies along Clear Fork’s north bluff and used to be a part of the Kaskaskia people’s historic homelands.

Glacial meltwater permeating the sandstone bedrock formed Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve some 14,000 to 24,000 years ago.

This beautiful canyon is 1,000 feet wide and more than 300 feet deep and has preserved a rare forest variety, including native white pine and skyscraping eastern hemlock.

Dense vegetation at Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve

Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Clear Fork Gorge showcases a wide array of other tree species more common across the state.

Ash, beech, and maple clusters grow on the ridges above.

The park prohibits camping in the state nature preserve.

Still, there are available cabins, lodges, a campground, and park-and-pack camping in the Mohican State Park and Mohican-Memorial State Forest.

This preserve is seven minutes from Mohican State Park.

Brave the Mohican Fire Tower

View of Mohican Fire Tower

Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located on Mohican Rd 51, Perrysville, the Mohican Fire Tower is not for those who fear heights.

Face your fear and see the magnificent views of the forested Ohio countryside in virtually every direction from the top.

You can take the Hog Hollow Trail from the fire tower to an impressive wooden covered bridge.

Steps in Mohican Fire Tower

Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Constructed in 1934, this 80-foot-tall tower was one of 39 towers erected in Ohio between 1922 and 1970 to help detect forest fires.

Located three minutes from the Mohican State Park, the fire tower is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

Honor the Fallen at the Mohican State Park Memorial Shrine

Built in 1947, the Mohican Memorial Shrine serves as Ohio’s official monument to the almost 20,000 people who perished during World War II, Persian Gulf War, Vietnam War, Korean War, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Located on OH-97, Perrysville, the shrine features roof timbers from the state’s forest trees and six stained-glass windows depicting white doves with olive branches, red cardinals, and buckeye trees.

A set of eight binders is in the center of the rooms, replicating the “great book” listings by county and war.

Visitors can look for the names of their loved ones in the binders.

Those “great books” are the essence of the shrine, which draws 3,000 to 5,000 local and foreign visitors annually.

You’ll see two epic wood-bounded books comprising hand-written names of the 20,000 people who died in the war.

These books are preserved in a glass case in the shrine’s grotto.

The Mohican Memorial Shrine is two minutes from the Mohican State Park.

Learn the History of the Mohicans at Cleo Redd Fisher Museum

The nationally acclaimed Cleo Redd Fisher (CRF) Museum welcomes visitors to its Learning Center.

Look for articles, videos, and photographs detailing significant people, events, and places in Mohican history.

The CRF Museum recounts the stories of folk heroes, famous inventors, Mohican history, and more who revolutionized the way they lived.

You’re welcome to discover the remarkable history of the Mohicans.

Admission is free.

You can choose from a self-guided tour or request a guide during your visit to the museum.

The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum is a source for research, learning, and historical discussion to connect the community with the history and traditions of the area.

This museum is three minutes from the Mohican State Park.

Discover the Beauty of Charles Mill Lake Park

Spanning 2,000 acres, the beautiful Charles Mill Lake Park is in Mansfield, Ohio, 19 minutes from the Mohican State Park.

It features two campgrounds, Eagle Point and Main Camp, with 457 campsites and three patio cabins.

The lake has a surface area of 1,350 acres, inviting visitors to try different water activities, such as sailing and boating.

However, your boats must be below ten horsepower.

The family will enjoy fishing at the lake for Northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye, saugeye, muskellunge, white bass, and channel catfish.

Just secure an Ohio fishing license first.

You can swim on the public beach or challenge your friends to a basketball game on the public swimming beach.

Bring your family to Charles Mill Lake Park!

Final Thoughts

Trying different activities, especially new ones, shows you more exciting things.

More and more people travel to different places to explore new grounds, experience food, and meet new people.

Start discovering the best things to do in Mohican State Park!

© All rights reserved.