Hiking At Blackhand Gorge

Blackhand Gorge is located near Toboso in central Ohio not far from Dillon State Park. It is approximtely forty-five minutes east of Columbus. From Route 16 you take the Route 146 exit to the southeast and travel for less than one half mile.

Last Saturday my husband and I set off to explore this gorge that was created by the Licking River as it eroded the sandstone. There is a nice asphalt path about four miles long for walkers and cyclists, but we opted to first travel the narrow path through the woods that would take us to the top of the gorge and around the rim of the quarry.

I know this does not look like a spring photo but in central Ohio the trees that are not bare are the ones that still have dry brown leaves clinging to them. It is actually better for us as the bare trees will allow us a better view of the cliffs when we get to the top. These photos were taken April 5th.




The trail was narrow and steep. Fall off the path and you could be a goner. Now we are getting to the top.



Now we can see how high we've climbed.






Now we'll head down and around the rim of the quarry. This is the actual color of the water in the quarry. I did not alter it.



We made our way to the bottom and now we're headed for the asphalt trail.






Part of the Central Ohio Railroad that was built in 1851. Trains have not traveled through the gorge since 1929.




Now we are looking at the muddy brown water of the Licking River. This lock was part of the Ohio and Erie Canal. It's said that the gorge got it's name from early settlers who found a black hand carved in the sandstone. They suspected that the hand was engraved by Native Americans as a sign for other tribes or perhaps to mark the way to the flint needed to make arrowheads. The hand was destroyed during constrution of the canal. I saw a video on You Tube that claimed this lock was haunted. Don't know. No one said boo to us.



A charming little old cabin that can be seen from the parking lot.



Photos taken by me with Olympus FE-100.