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Ohio (OH)
Rockbridge
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Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
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Rockbridge State Nature Preserve

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See all things to do
Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
4.5
120 reviews
#4 of 11 things to do in Rockbridge
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
120 reviews
Excellent
73
Very good
37
Average
9
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Sharon F
Miamisburg, OH128 contributions
Interesting hike
Jun 2020 • Couples
This is not a real long hike but it does have many steep hills with tons of roots going across the path. Many times you need to use the roots as stairs as there is no other path to take. For the young and well balanced no problem but it did challenge us some. There was almost no water at the natural bridge but it is still very cool to see. We went on a very hot humid day and the mosquitos in the woods were terrible. Use your bug spray and carry water! It has been a very busy popular trail since most everything else is closed at this time. There are only about 15 parking spaces and they were full with folks waiting to park. Overall an enjoyable hike.
Written June 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jubilee Jer
Springfield, OH1,831 contributions
Worth your Time! Very nice!
May 2021 • Friends
We drove an hour and a half to see the natural bridge after seeing a pic of it in a FB group.
The Hike back to the bridge was fairly easy for someone use to hiking and waking on trails. Not sure why people in other reviews said it was so rough of a trail unless your old or out of shape. Everyone in our group was between the ages of 52 to 62 and we had no problem on the trail. The roots on the trail provided natural steps that made the up & downhill walk easier in my opinion. The roots on the trail were not really an obstacle for us. Some of the trail can be a little slick on the hills if it has recently rained but really it wasn’t that bad wear hiking shoes and you should be fine! There are several board walks and small bridges on the trail to make the hike easier.
The bridge was definitely the highlight of the hike. It’s a 1.7 mile round trip hike with ups and downs but nothing extreme unless your out of shape or have disabilities. Make sure to bring Mosquito spray! They kept biting my neck and arms.
If you like unique rock formations and natural bridges you will love this! I never new this exists in Ohio until I saw pics on FB and wanted to see it for myself. It was not disappointing.
We really enjoyed this nature preserve and would really recommend it to others!
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randomfreckles87
52 contributions
Go after a heavy rain
May 2020 • Friends
A friend and I stayed at a nearby cabin and walked the trail to the rockbidge. It had stormed the night before and was still raining a bit when we went. There are quite a few steep areas and areas covered in knobby roots. I would not suggest going with very young children (unless you want to carry them) or with anything with wheels. The trail was slippery in areas because of rain but even when dry I'd suggest a good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. The walk was worth it, though. The heavy rain definitely enhanced the waterfall. We got some great pictures from behind it and probably spent an hour just climbing around the area.
There is another trail the forks off from rockbidge. I think it was called shelter rock or something similar. If you're tired or pressed for time, you can skip it. If you decided to hike it, once you get to the small wooden bridge, the trail is just thickly wooded and loops around a steep hill. The small waterfall/cascade and "shelter" is before the bridge.
Written June 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dmebdavis
Cleveland, OH25 contributions
Nice hike, cool rockformation
Jun 2020
We did this hike last week since most of the trails are still closed. The rockbridge is pretty cool to see. We had 7 teens on the trip and they were even impressed! The rest of the hike is mainly just a lot of up and down through the woods. Due to the elevation changes and uneven ground, this might be challenging for someone who isn't in great shape or has balance issues. If you workout regularly or are in decent health, it's a pretty easy hike.
Written June 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MidwestKathM
Detroit, MI777 contributions
Nice hiking trail filled with quiet natural beauty ... and a natural wonder
Jul 2020
First time in the Hocking Hills and not everything was open when we arrived ahead of the holiday weekend. Long grassy walk into the nature preserve with plenty of people exiting as we were going in, some of whom did not make it very far. Yes, as you head into the trail, it is uphill and there are many knobby tree roots to navigate. But once you get past that initial path, the trails are pretty smooth, although still going up and down. Wish there was a map of the trail system, as we probably chose the wrong way when it forked (go to the right!). And we did not understand how extensive this place is, so we likely missed some highlights. The natural rock bridge is a wonder to behold! For our first hike of our 3 days, it was a good start!
Written July 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lindsay g
westland4 contributions
Good scenery hike with birds
Dec 2022
This was such a fun trail. It was a good hike, the rock bridge and waterfall was fun to see and there were lots of birds to photograph right at the beginning of the trail. The trail isn't hard but we went in December and the temperature shot up the day we went so a lot of snow and ice melted and made the trek a muddy mess and a bit more work than it would have been otherwise. Glad we went. We're bird watchers and we were able to photograph four new species of birds for us.
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brandon Gerding
Lima, OH964 contributions
Ohio's largest natural bridge
Jul 2020 • Friends
Me and my wife hiked this trip to check out the natural bridge. The views once you get to the bridge were incredible. The hike wasn't too strenuous but did have it's uphill and downhills so wouldnt recommend for everyone. Was definitely a hidden gem well worth visiting.
Written July 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherry C
Wadsworth458 contributions
Nice hike and interesting bridge.
Apr 2023
We made sure to get here first thing in the morning before it got too warm, and we were the only ones there. There weren't any more visitors when we were done either. The parking area holds about 10 cars. This is probably not visited as much as other parks in the area, but we were glad we took the hike. As with most trails in the area, lots of roots, so really have to watch your step. Very nice trail - a bit of up and down, but a nice hike. We saw a pileated woodpecker, but to my husband's dismay, it always stayed out of camera range. (Rude!) Was interesting to see the bridge and when going underneath, there was a small waterfall. We also took the path down to the river. The wild flowers were just starting to bloom, and it should be really pretty when they are all in bloom.
Written April 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KR1366
Walled Lake, MI17 contributions
Really Cool Adventure
Jul 2020 • Family
This was recommended to us by a friend so we had to check out while down in the Hocking Hills area. It was definitely a hike (up, down, tree roots, winding path) but worth the effort!
Couple things: wear good footwear, use a walking stick for stability, take lots of water if it's hot (like omg- it was so hot this weekend), bring your energy and take your time. We saw salamanders, snails, centipedes, birds and just really enjoyed the forest. I'd say it's a must see!
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janeen
Goshen, IN29 contributions
Nice hike!
Oct 2020
This was a beautiful hike on a late fall afternoon, with lots of colorful leaves. The bridge itself is cool, even if there isn't a waterfall (and there wasn't). The hike has a lot of up and down, and you have to watch your step because of all the tree roots, but it wasn't crowded.
Written October 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Rockbridge State Nature Preserve - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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