Join Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) geologists and naturalists on October 5 for a hike to enjoy the splendid fall foliage along with viewing spectacular exposures of Black Hand Sandstone that create Lyons Falls and other local features in Mohican State Park.
Meet at the Hemlock Picnic Area; the hike will begin at 10:00 AM and end around noon. The trail is considered moderate to difficult for hikers. Afterwards, around 1:00 PM, there will be an opportunity for creeking and hunting for Mississippian-age fossils such as crinoids (sea-lilies) & brachiopods.
Mohican is considered to be one of Ohio’s most geologically interesting state parks. Geologists have been working to reconstruct the history of the area using bedrock and glacial features, including the well-known Black Hand Sandstone and Clear Fork Gorge, as their clues.
According to the ODNR website, the last glaciers to enter Ohio, the Wisconsinan, ended their advance in the Mohican region and left behind an array of glacial deposits. The erosional forces of glacial meltwaters hastened the carving of the narrow Clear Fork Gorge, which cuts into sandstone bedrock and created steep cliff walls and bedrock outcroppings.
Visit http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/mohican for more information.
