🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Cincinnati, OH
Hueston Woods & Brookville Lake — Old-Growth Forest, Fossils & Gorge
An hour northwest and west of Cincinnati lies a two-state weekend of big water and rare forest. Day one explores Hueston Woods State Park, whose 200-acre stand of virgin beech and sugar maple is one of the last uncut old-growth forests in Ohio, ringing Acton Lake and hiding some of the state's best exposed Ordovician fossil beds along its creeks. Day two crosses into Indiana for Brookville Lake — a 5,000-acre reservoir on the East Fork Whitewater River — and the dramatic Whitewater Gorge at Richmond, where the river has cut a fossil-lined canyon through the same ancient seabed. A night at the Hueston Woods Lodge, perched above Acton Lake, ties together two days of forest walking, fossil hunting, and shoreline miles close to home.
Day 1 — Hueston Woods old-growth forest, Acton Lake & fossil bedsDay 2 — Brookville Lake & the Whitewater Gorge
Day 1 — Hueston Woods State Park, OH
Day 1 — Hueston Woods State Park, OH
🚗 1 hr driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Cincinnati, OH → Hueston Woods State Park Nature Center
1 hr8:00 AM → 9:00 AM
Hueston Woods Old-Growth Forest & Big Woods Trail
★ 4.6At the park's heart lies a 200-acre National Natural Landmark: one of the last stands of virgin beech-maple forest in Ohio, spared the axe because the Hueston family that owned it valued the great trees. The gentle Big Woods and Sugar Bush trails wind beneath towering beeches and sugar maples two and three centuries old, a cathedral canopy that turns luminous gold in autumn and cool green in summer. Interpretive signs and the nearby nature center explain how this rare climax forest survived. Walk quietly; the old woods harbor pileated woodpeckers, owls, and spring wildflower carpets of trillium and bluebell.
9:00 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Continue at Acton Lake Fossil Beds & Shoreline
★ 4.6Use the afternoon to explore a different side of Hueston Woods Old-Growth Forest & Big Woods Trail — there's more to discover beyond the morning highlights.
10:00 AM📍 See location
🍽️ Lunch11:00 AM
Hueston Woods Lodge Restaurant
The lodge's dining room sits high above Acton Lake with big windows framing the water and forest, serving a full menu of American fare from sandwiches to steaks. It's the most convenient sit-down meal in the park and a fine spot to rest tired legs midway through a day of forest trails and fossil beds. On a clear day, ask for a table by the windows.
2 options · tap to switch
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Afternoon
Acton Lake Trails & Pioneer Farm Museum
★ 4.6The web of trails circling Acton Lake — the Cedar Falls, West Shore, and Blue Heron routes among them — offers easy-to-moderate afternoon miles through wooded coves, past a small seasonal waterfall, and along quiet stretches of shoreline good for spotting waterfowl and, in winter, bald eagles. Near the park entrance, the restored 1830s Pioneer Farm and Doty Homestead give a glimpse of early Ohio farm life. Mix a loop hike with the historic stop to fill the afternoon before checking into the lodge for the night.
12:00 PM📍 See location
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Evening
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Hueston Woods Lodge
Perched on a bluff overlooking Acton Lake, the Hueston Woods Lodge offers modern rooms and freestanding cabins along with an indoor pool, a stone-fireplace lobby, and the lakeview restaurant, all within the park and minutes from the morning's trails. Staying here means dark-sky evenings, easy access to the shoreline for sunset, and a quick start toward Indiana in the morning. Book a lakeside room if available, or reserve one of the cabins for more seclusion.
Day 2 — Brookville Lake & Whitewater Gorge, IN
Day 2 — Brookville Lake & Whitewater Gorge, IN
🚗 1 hr 40 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Hueston Woods, OH → Brookville Lake / Mounds State Recreation Area, IN
40 min8:00 AM → 8:40 AM
Brookville Lake — Mounds SRA Trails
★ 4.5Just across the Indiana line, Brookville Lake is a 5,000-acre reservoir on the East Fork Whitewater River, its long wooded shoreline laced with trails and coves. At the Mounds State Recreation Area on the lake's north end, hiking loops climb through hardwood forest to lake overlooks and pass a set of prehistoric earthworks that give the area its name. The clear, deep water is a magnet for paddlers and anglers, and the quiet morning trails see far fewer feet than the Ohio parks. Start at the Mounds trailhead and pick a loop that matches your pace along the water's edge.
8:40 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Whitewater Gorge Trail, Richmond
★ 4.5In nearby Richmond, the East Fork Whitewater River has cut a striking canyon through Ordovician bedrock, and the Whitewater Gorge Trail runs several miles along its floor past exposed fossil layers, small waterfalls, and the old Thistlethwaite Falls. It's one of the most fossil-rich accessible gorges in the Midwest, and casual observers can spot brachiopods and horn corals embedded in the canyon walls. The mostly flat cinder-and-dirt path threads between limestone bluffs and the rushing river, an easy but scenic walk that showcases the same ancient seabed you explored at Hueston Woods. Watch for slick spots where seeps cross the trail.
9:40 AM📍 See location
🍽️ Lunch10:40 AM
Little Sheba's, Richmond
In Richmond's historic Depot District, Little Sheba's is a longtime local favorite serving stone-baked pizzas, hearty sandwiches, and pub fare in a warm brick-walled setting near the gorge trail. It's a satisfying midday stop after the canyon walk and an easy detour before pointing back toward Cincinnati. The pizza and the friendly, unhurried atmosphere make it a good place to wind down the weekend.
2 options · tap to switch
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Afternoon
Brookville Lake Dam & Quakertown Overlook
For a final stretch of open-air time, the area around the Brookville Lake dam and the Quakertown State Recreation Area offers short trails and overlooks across the reservoir, with the tailwater below the dam a scenic spot to watch the river resume its course toward the gorge. It's a low-key, pretty way to cap the weekend — a last look at the big water before the easy hour back to the city. Swap in a short lakeside loop or a stop at the beach if the weather is fine.
12:00 PM📍 See location
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Evening
🚗
Drive
Brookville Lake, IN → Cincinnati, OH
1 hr5:00 PM → 6:00 PM
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