Rockbridge State Nature Preserve

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Under the "Rock Bridge"

Rockbridge State Nature Preserve is located in Hocking County, Ohio, USA, west of the city of Logan, Ohio. It is part of the Hocking Hills Region, but the actual natural bridge in the preserve is formed of sandstone lower in the stratigraphic sequence than that which forms most of the notable features of the area. It comprises 182 acres (about 74 hectares).

The preserve proper is reached from the parking area by a 3/8-mile trail on a narrow neck of land acquired for trail access. The preserve features two loop trails, one of which passes the natural bridge, which is the largest in Ohio, and the other of which goes to a rock shelter. These formations are set back from the banks of the Hocking River only a short distance.

[edit] Driving notes

Rockbridge, the preserve, is to the Southeast of the town by the same name on US Route 33.
It is just to the south of a rest area on the highway. It is easier to note the rest stop signage and then look for the turn, than the other way around. The turn is easy to miss. The simplest means of access is to travel North on US Route 33.
The only access is via the highway turn off, and one must slow considerably to take the turn safely.
The access road narrows to one-lane after a short bit, and travel above 20 mph is not recommended. Care must also be taken after rains, for passing attempts may yield a stuck vehicle. That said, the one-lane portion is short, about a quarter-mile. Also, road traffic is rather light; It serves only a few houses, and the traffic for the park.

[edit] Seasonal notes

Farm scene

Deer Season - As the area is rather rural in nature, hunting is something to be aware of. During the gun season, your visit will be accompanied by shotgun fire. Gun season for deer hunting in Ohio typically occurs around the same time as the peak of the fall foliage change. Any hunters seen will likely be traveling to areas well-removed from the park. (Hunting season dates can be gleaned via the Ohio Department of Natural Resources web site.)

The park access path is bordered by farms, and wide areas of clear pasture. Also, the farming culture of the area can make for some nice picture taking opportunities. Please note the sign at the entrance to the access road. It stresses the agricultural nature of the area, and the fact that there may be smells. Said smells -- dairy in nature -- are more likely to be noticed during still summer heat waves.

Rain/Snow melt - The access path is largely unimproved and grass. During the spring thaw, and also after rains, it can be rather muddy. Appropriate footwear should be worn during these times.

[edit] External links

Rockbridge State Nature Prserve Official Website

Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.5753° -82.5007°
- Street map from Google Maps or MapQuest
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth, or WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

	Protected Areas of Ohio Department of Natural Resources
State Parks	Adams Lake \| Alum Creek \| A.W. Marion \| Barkcamp \| Beaver Creek \| Blue Rock \| Buck Creek \| Buckeye Lake \| Burr Oak \| Caesar Creek \| Catawba Island \| Cleveland Lakefront \| Cowan Lake \| Crane Creek \| Deer Creek \| Delaware \| Dillon \| East Fork \| East Harbor \| Findley \| Forked Run \| Geneva \| Grand Lake St. Marys \| Great Seal \| Guilford Lake \| Harrison Lake \| Headlands Beach \| Hocking Hills \| Hueston Woods \| Independence Dam \| Indian Lake \| Jackson Lake \| Jefferson Lake \| John Bryan \| Kelleys Island \| Kiser Lake \| Lake Alma \| Lake Hope \| Lake Logan \| Lake Loramie \| Lake Milton \| Lake White \| Little Miami \| Madison Lake \| Malabar Farm \| Marblehead Lighthouse \| Mary Jane Thurston \| Middle Bass Island \| Maumee Bay \| Mohican \| Mosquito Lake \| Mt. Gilead \| Muskingum River \| Nelson Kennedy Ledges \| Paint Creek \| Pike Lake \| Portage Lakes \| Punderson \| Pymatuning \| Quail Hollow \| Rocky Fork \| Salt Fork \| Scioto Trail \| Shawnee \| South Bass Island \| Stonelick \| Strouds Run \| Sycamore \| Tar Hollow \| Tinker's Creek \| Van Buren \| West Branch \| Wolf Run
State Forests	Beaver Creek \| Blue Rock \| Brush Creek \| Dean \| Fernwood \| Gifford \| Harrison \| Hocking \| Maumee \| Mohican-Memorial \| Perry \| Pike \| Richland Furnace \| Scioto Trail \| Shade River \| Shawnee \| Sunfish \| Tar Hollow \| Yellow Creek \| Zaleski
Natural Areas and Preserves	Acadia Cliffs \| Adams Lake Prairie \| Audubon Islands \| Augusta-Anne Olsen \| Aurora Sanctuary \| Baker Woods \| Evans Beck Memorial \| Betsch Fen \| Bigelow Cemetery \| Blackhand Gorge \| Bonnet Pond \| Boord \| Brown's Lake Bog \| Burton Wetlands \| Caesar Creek Gorge \| Lou Campbell \| Carmean Woods \| Cedar Bog \| Chaparral Prairie \| Christmas Rocks \| Clear Creek \| Clear Fork Gorge \| Clifton Gorge \| Howard Collier \| Compass Plant Prairie \| Conkle's Hollow \| Copperrider-Kent Bog \| Crabill Fen \| Cranberry Bog \| Crane Hollow \| Crooked Run \| Culberson Woods \| Davey Woods \| Davis Memorial \| Marie J. Desonier \| Drew Woods \| Dupont Marsh \| Eagle Creek \| Emerald Hills \| Erie Sand Barrens \| Etawah Woods \| Flatiron Lake Bog \| Fowler Woods \| Frame Lake Fen \| Gahanna Woods \| Gallagher/Springfield Fen \| Goll Woods \| Goode Prairie \| Gott Fen \| Greenbelt \| Greenville Falls \| Gross Memorial Woods \| Hatch-Otis \| Halls Creek \| Headlands Dunes \| Hueston Woods \| Hutchins (Highland) \| Irwin Prairie \| Jackson Bog \| Johnson Ridge \| Johnson Woods \| Karlo Fen \| Kendrick Woods \| Kessler Swamp \| Kiser Lake Wetlands \| Kitty Todd \| Knox Woods \| Kyle Woods \| Ladd Natural Bridge \| Lake Kathatine \| Lakeside Daisy \| Lawrence Woods \| Little Rocky Hollow \| Mantua Bog \| Marsh Wetlands \| McCracken Fen \| Mentor Marsh \| Milford Center Railroad Prairie \| Miller \| Morris Woods \| Mud Lake Bog \| Myersville \| Newberry \| North Pond \| North Shore Alvar \| Novak Sanctuary \| Old Woman Creek \| Owens/Liberty Fen \| Pallister \| Pickerington Ponds \| Portage Lakes Wetland \| Prairie Road Fen \| William C. McCoy \| Raven Rock \| Rhododendeon Cove \| Rockbridge \| Rome \| Rothenbuhler Woods \| Saltpetre Cave \| Sears Woods \| Seymour Woods \| Shallenberger \| Sharon Woods Gorge \| Sheepskin Hollow \| Sheick Hollow \| Sheldon Marsh \| Siegenthaler-Kaestner Esker \| Smith Cemetery \| Spring Beauty Dell \| Spring Brook Sanctuary \| Springville Marsh \| Stage's Pond \| Strait Creek Prairie \| Stratford Woods \| Swamp Cottonwood \| Edward Thomas \| Tinker's Creek \| Travertine Fen \| Triangle Lake Bog \| Trillium Trails \| Walter Tucker \| Tummonds \| Warder-Perkins \| Whipple \| White Pine Bog Forest \| Zimmermand Prairie
Scenic Rivers	Big Darby Creek \| Chagrin River \| Conneaut Creek \| Cuyahoga River \| Grand River \| Greenville Creek \| Kokosing River \| Little Beaver Creek \| Little Darby Creek \| Little Miami River \| Maumee River \| Mohican River \| Olentangy River \| Sandusky River \| Stillwater Creek
National Parks and Forests	Cuyahoga Valley \| Dayton Aviation Heritage \| First Ladies \| Hopewell Culture \| James A. Garfield \| Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial \| William Howard Taft \| Wayne