Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Jacque Kelly, Rosie Miller
Date: March 21, 2021
This National Historic Landmark is also maintained as a state historical park. This site of the largest prehistoric hilltop enclosure in the USA, has 3.5 miles of walls in the 100 acre complex built by the Hopewell culture who lived in the area from 200BC to 400AD. The mounds (Photo#1) and the earthworks vary from 4 feet to 23 feet in height. Our Earthworks Trail trailhead (Photo#2) sits on a wooded bluff 235 feet above the Little Miami River with several beautiful overlooks. The hiking trail winds to Cross Keys Tavern built in 1802 on west side of river. The Tavern occupies the former railway land that follows the river.
The hiking trail circled and followed the earthworks through wooded terrain crossing many foot bridges (Photo#3). From the ridge top we descended steps about 150 feet to the Little Miami River Bike Trail and the river (Photo#4). It was a tough climb back up but worth the effort.
