The first settlers in the Ohio area were the Adena Native Americans (800 BCE–100 AD), who were known for their mounds. I traveled around Southwestern Ohio visiting these mounds and learning about the Adena Culture and those that followed, such as the Hopewell (200 BCE–500 AD), and Fort Ancient (1000–1750 AD) cultures.
Adena, Hopewell, and the Fort Ancient cultures developed earthworks. They were “mound builders”. These three nations were located in much of Ohio area.
Here are the top 5 Indian Mounds in Ohio.
1. Enon Adena Mound
This Enon Mound is over one acre and 574 feet in circumference and 40 feet high. This is the second tallest conical mound in Ohio. Miamisburg Mound in Miamisburg, Ohio is the tallest at 65 feet. It took about one million trips with baskets of soil from the riverbed to construct the Enon Mound.
Address: 400 Mound Cir, Enon, OH 4532. For GPS directions, follow this link to Google Map.
Admission fee: FREE attraction
Parking: Park near the information center.
Check this for more photos and info about the Enon Adena Mound.
2. Miamisburg Mound
About 65 feet tall and 800 feet in circumference, the Miamisburg Mound in Ohio is one of the largest conical Indian mounds in eastern U.S.
Address: 900 Mound Rd, Miamisburg, OH 45342. You can follow this link for the GPS directions.
Admission fee: FREE attraction
Parking: There is a designated parking area for the Miamisburg Mound Park.
Check this for more photos and info about Miamisburg Mound.
3. Williamson Adena Mound
The Adena Mound was built approximately 500 B.C. Mounds such as these were used for either burial or lookouts. This mound stands 30 feet and 140 feet in diameter.
Address: 2750 US Rt. 42 E. Cedarville, OH 45314. Follow this link for the map and directions.
Admission fee: FREE attraction
Parking: There is a designated parking area for the Indian Mound Reserve Park.
See more photos and info about the Indian Mound here.
4. Kinsey Mound
Kinsey Mound has its own rare attractive advantage over other mounds as it remains in good condition. It is also one of the many ancient monuments (earth mounds) in Ohio. The small earthen Kinsey Mound is believed to be a burial mound.
I missed the entrance the first time I drove to the location, even with my Google Map app. The location is near a residential community. In fact, there are houses just few meters away from the mound. There is no designated parking lot. However, on-street parking is available. To get there, use these GPS coordinates: N 39 42.578, W 83 54.708. I tried the physical address, but it brought me two blocks away. But you could still try it: 965 Mound Court, Xenia, Ohio 45385.
Admission fee: FREE attraction
Parking: There is a NO designated parking area. Park on the side of the road.
See more photos and info of the Kinsey Mound here.
5. Hopewell Indian Mound
Among the mounds I have visited, the Hopewell Indian Mound is the one less seen and visited. First, it is really hard to find where it is, although it is inside the Glen Helen Nature Preserve. The path that diverges from the main trail created by visitors’ footsteps is hardly visible. I missed it by a hundred meters and I had to go back (and I even had a map!).
The mound was built between BC 100 and AD 400 by Hopewell Indians. This burial mound is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Address: 405 Corry St, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387. See the Google Map Link for directions.
Parking fee: $5 (This is the only fee. No other entrance fee is collected.)
See this post on Glen Helen Nature Preserve.
6. Serpent Mound
Although the Serpent Mound is not part of the Adena culture, not a burial mound but an effigy mound, yet this is the most impressive mound I have seen in Ohio.
Built by the Eastern Woodlands Indians, the Serpent Mound Historical Site is the largest effigy mound in the world, about 1,400 feet long. This mound represents the Great Serpent who was the Lord of the World Below — a world beneath the surface of the earth!
Address: 3850 OH-73, Peebles, OH 45660 (Click for the map and GPS directions)
Fee: There is an $8 parking fee.
Know more about the Serpent Mound here.
How many Indian mounds have you visited in Ohio?
If you want to see so many mounds in one park, visit the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, Illinois. There are at least 120 mounds in Cahokia of different sizes and functions.
