Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve

This is a really great find not far from
columbus. It travels along Licking River. At one end people put boats in the river and float on tubes and such. The water is green though, my guess is that it is the fertilizer from the farms around it. People frequently swim there though.
There is a well establish bike path too, it’s about 4.5 miles long, shaded and the scenery is gorgeous. There gorge make a very diverse and dynamic ride. There are plenty of paths to take of into the woods as well. They are rustic though. The only paved trail is the bike trail. There’s also a lot of opportunity for bolder scrambling and climbing if you are into that as well as. Just a gorgeous park! I plan to revisit in the fall, I can only imagine how photogenic it would be. Sunsets are great too. Most of the overlooks give you view of the sky where the sunset across the water from the river.