Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve, Newark

It’s a nice place, there are some very nice views on a few of the trails. It can get crowded on a weekend, so come early for parking. If you hike from the main parking lot, take the red and yellow trails that branch off, those are the best. The Marie Hickey trail is also one of the better trails. The canal trail has some nice spots as well. You can easily spend a whole day here, there is a marathon nearby with drinks and snacks.

Another gorgeous parcel of land set aside by the State of Ohio, and free for everyone to enjoy. This is quintessential Ohio nature - thick forest and a rocky gorge, with trails of varying levels of difficulty and accessibility. The paved trail is open to walkers, cyclists, and pets, and it meanders alongside the Licking River. There are a couple of unpaved trails as well that offshoot from the main paved trail (The Quarry Rim and the Marie Hickey trails). These are rustic and unimproved, with exposed roots and rocks that could be hazardous to some hikers. There are red arrows posted periodically to help you find your way. The views of the gorge are great! Well worth the visit.

Recently had a chance to check this park out. I ended up walking over 8 miles and loved almost all of it. As many others have noted, the main "trail" is a paved path that meanders along the river. This alone offers a great experience. I decided to explore the actual trails. I found these easily as they are on the left side of the paved trail, with clear signs. These are of course more challenging than walking a paved path, but the biggest challenge at the time was simply that they were a bit muddy in spots, and very slippery, as it had rained the night before. I had sneakers and I managed, but better trail shoes would have been better. The flip-side is that I walked back along the paved path and the sneakers were nice to have. I was first in the parking lot and it was a weekday, so I had the trails to myself at the start. I saw nine deer in groups of two to three. The trails were ideal...beautiful. I found myself often stopping just to pause and look around. The water features were perfection. Overall a great experience. I came up from the south, but went through Newark on the way back. Great coffee shop located on the square...worth a visit.

Gorgeous place. Rich history. You have an option of a paved trail with some primitive trail offshoots, or the other side of the river has a dedicated primitive hiking trail overlooking the river. Either option is beautiful and allows accessibility. Wonderful place to just hike and get away.

Absolutely one of the most beautiful parks in Central Ohio and what Wiki calls, "a capsule of Ohio transportation history." Native American history dates back, supposedly, to 13,000 BC with the Hopewell Indians - it is cool to stomp around where there could have been ancient civilizations living. There are a bunch of trails the jut out into the woods that give you a splendid view of the nature experience!