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Fall Color Hike, New Hinkle Gorge Preserve
October 28, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Fall Color Hike at AOA’s New Hinkle Gorge Preserve
Hocking Hills, Hocking County
Enjoy the fall colors and crisp cool weather in the Hocking Hills this Halloween weekend as we hike AOA’s beautiful new Hinkle Gorge Preserve. AOA is grateful to the Hinkle family for donating this property and assuring the permanent conservation of a valuable piece of the Hocking Hills scenic and natural landscapes. This will be our first visit to this unique property. Although relatively small at a little over 10-acres, the site boasts a picturesque, if petite, Blackhand sandstone gorge along Helber Run in the northern extent of the Hocking Hills geography.
An old mill dam was located on the small falls at an old bridge, “haunted’ by the ghost of a long-ago drowned neighbor – making this a fitting locale for a Halloween outing. If the spirits are friendly, the relatively mature forests which cover the property will display some fall color for our visit.
The Fall Color hike and other AOA events are free and open to the public. This event will be held rain or shine – so please come prepared and dress appropriately for the weather and hiking on slopes. We will need to descend and ascend Blackhand sandstone slopes into and out of the gorge.
Time: Meet at 10:00 a.m. This event will last approximately two hours.
What to Bring: Pack drinks and/or snacks of your choice. Feel free to bring a lunch and eat in the woods at the hike conclusion. Bug repellant is recommended.
Location: Hinkle Gorge Preserve is located on Bauer Road off of Voris Road about 3 miles north of Enterprise. Please note that Bauer Road is very narrow and runs along the rim of the gorge. Look for AOA volunteers who will be directing parking. On-site parking is adequate but limited so please carpool if possible. There is not a Google map address for the property, but you can use the link below to navigate to the property.