🥾 ActiveLong weekend · from Cincinnati, OH

Mohican Country — Gorge, Clear Fork Canoe & Malabar Farm

Two and a half hours northeast of Cincinnati, the Clear Fork of the Mohican River has cut a hemlock-shaded gorge through the sandstone hills of north-central Ohio, creating one of the state's best-loved hiking and paddling destinations. Day one walks the Mohican gorge — the Lyons Falls and Clear Fork trails, the covered bridge, and the pine-forest overlooks. Day two takes to the water for the classic Mohican canoe float down the Clear Fork and Mohican rivers, then climbs to the twin cascades of the Lyons Falls trail from below. Day three visits Malabar Farm State Park, the storied estate of Pulitzer-winning author and pioneering conservationist Louis Bromfield, where a working farm and the 'Big House' preserve a chapter of American literary and agricultural history, before the return through the village of Loudonville, self-styled canoe capital of Ohio. Two nights near Loudonville tie the weekend together.

Day 1 — Mohican gorge, the covered bridge & the Clear ForkDay 2 — Mohican canoe float & the Lyons Falls trailDay 3 — Malabar Farm & Loudonville

Day 1 — Mohican State Park, OH

🚗 2 hr 30 min driving📍 5 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Cincinnati, OH → Mohican State Park, OH

2 hr 30 min8:00 AM → 10:30 AM

Clear Fork Gorge & Covered Bridge

★ 4.9

The heart of Mohican State Park is the Clear Fork Gorge, a National Natural Landmark where the river has carved a 300-foot-deep, mile-long canyon lined with towering eastern hemlock and white pine — a cool, northern-feeling forest unusual for Ohio. Begin at the picturesque red covered bridge that spans the Clear Fork, then walk the riverside gorge trail beneath the hemlocks with the water rushing alongside. Interpretive overlooks on the rim road above give a sense of the canyon's depth. It's a gentle, beautiful introduction to the landscape before the bigger hikes and paddling to come.

10:30 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Pleasant Hill Lake Overlook & Clear Fork Trail

★ 4.5

Above the gorge, the Clear Fork Trail and the pine-plantation paths lead to open overlooks of the Pleasant Hill Lake dam and the wooded valley beyond, a rewarding moderate loop of a few miles through planted pines and hardwood ridge. The stands of red and white pine, planted decades ago, give parts of the walk a hushed, needle-carpeted feel. It's a good way to log some ridge miles and views before dropping back toward the river. Watch for the trail junctions, which can be lightly marked in the pine sections.

11:30 AM📍 See location

Mohican Lodge Restaurant

★ 4.4

The Mohican Lodge dining room overlooks Pleasant Hill Lake through big windows and serves a full menu of American fare, from sandwiches to lake-view dinners, making it the most convenient sit-down meal in the park. It's a comfortable midday break after a morning in the gorge, with the lake spread out below. Ask for a window table and take in the view while you rest.

12:30 PM📍 See location

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Afternoon

Hemlock Gorge Trail & Big Lyons Falls

★ 4.7

The park's signature hiking loop links the Hemlock Gorge Trail along the Clear Fork to Big and Little Lyons Falls, twin cascades that spill over sandstone recess ledges into shaded grottoes. The path threads deep hemlock forest and passes beneath the overhanging cliffs of the falls, with some rocky, rooty footing and a bit of climbing on the loop back. It's the most atmospheric walk in Mohican and a fine way to spend the afternoon before checking in for the night. Water levels at the falls run best in spring and after rain.

1:30 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Cabin or Lodge near Loudonville

The Mohican Lodge on Pleasant Hill Lake offers rooms and an indoor pool within the park, while the surrounding hills near Loudonville are dense with rental cabins, cottages, and campgrounds catering to the canoe crowd. Either choice keeps you minutes from tomorrow's canoe launch and the Lyons Falls trailheads. Booking a cabin delivers the classic Mohican night of a fire ring and quiet woods; the lodge is the easy full-service option. Reserve ahead on summer weekends, when Loudonville's liveries draw big crowds.

Day 2 — Clear Fork & Mohican River, OH

🚗 10 min driving📍 4 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Loudonville, OH → Mohican Canoe Livery

10 min8:00 AM → 8:10 AM

Mohican River Canoe Float

★ 4.6

Loudonville calls itself the canoe capital of Ohio, and the classic Mohican experience is a float down the Clear Fork and Mohican rivers through the wooded valley below the gorge. Several long-running liveries outfit canoes, kayaks, and rafts and run shuttles for trips ranging from a couple of relaxed hours to a full day of paddling past sandstone bluffs, riffles, and gravel bars ideal for a swim. The current is gentle and the scenery continuous forest, making it beginner-friendly while still delivering real river miles. Book a morning launch, bring water shoes and sun protection, and secure valuables in a dry bag.

8:10 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Gravel-bar picnic on the Mohican

★ 4.8

The best lunch on a Mohican paddling day is a packed picnic eaten on one of the river's gravel bars midway down the float, with a swim in the cool current to follow. Most liveries are happy to point out good pull-out spots. If you'd rather eat on land, the liveries and Loudonville's cafes cluster near the launch for a quick bite before or after the trip. Keep it simple and waterproof.

9:10 AM📍 See location

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Afternoon

Lyons Falls Trail & Little Lyons Falls

★ 4.6

After drying off from the river, close the day with the Lyons Falls Trail approached from the lower gorge, climbing to Little Lyons Falls with its narrow slot and small recess cave and on to the broader amphitheater of Big Lyons Falls. The out-and-back through hemlock and sandstone is a moderate few miles with some rocky steps, and the falls are at their most photogenic in the softer afternoon light. It's a satisfying way to stretch legs stiff from paddling before returning to the cabin. Mind the slick rock near the falls' plunge pools.

12:00 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Cabin or Lodge near Loudonville

A second night near Loudonville lets you rest river-tired muscles and enjoy a cabin fire or a lodge dinner before tomorrow's visit to Malabar Farm. The quiet Mohican hills and dark skies are a fine backdrop for the last evening of the weekend. Stay put at the same cabin or lodge to keep the logistics simple, and set out unhurried in the morning for the short drive to Bromfield's estate.

Day 3 — Malabar Farm State Park, OH

🚗 3 hr 5 min driving📍 4 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Loudonville, OH → Malabar Farm State Park, OH

25 min8:00 AM → 8:25 AM

Malabar Farm & the Big House

★ 4.8

Malabar Farm was the country estate of Louis Bromfield, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who became one of America's most influential early advocates of sustainable, soil-conserving agriculture. His rambling 32-room 'Big House,' built in 1939, is preserved much as he left it and open for guided tours, and it was famously the site of the 1945 wedding of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The surrounding working farm still runs with livestock, gardens, and heritage crops, and wagon tours circle the grounds in season. Time your arrival to the house-tour schedule, and leave room to wander the barns and gardens.

8:25 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Continue at Malabar Farm Trails & Mount Jeez

★ 4.8

Use the afternoon to explore a different side of Malabar Farm & the Big House — there's more to discover beyond the morning highlights.

9:25 AM📍 See location

Continue at Malabar Farm Restaurant

★ 4.8

Use the afternoon to explore a different side of Malabar Farm & the Big House — there's more to discover beyond the morning highlights.

10:25 AM📍 See location

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Afternoon

Historic Loudonville

★ 4.3

Before the drive south, stroll the walkable main street of Loudonville, the Victorian-era canoe town at the center of Mohican country, with its ornate 1909 Ohio Theatre, brick storefronts, ice-cream shops, and outfitters. It's a relaxed, pretty place to stretch, pick up a treat, and browse before the highway. A short, easy coda to a weekend of gorge, river, and farm before pointing the car back toward Cincinnati.

12:00 PM📍 See location

🌙

Evening

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Drive

Loudonville, OH → Cincinnati, OH

2 hr 40 min5:00 PM → 7:40 PM

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