The Appalachian Forest Museum lies in the heart of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary,  the largest  of the Arc's fourteen preserves. The Museum is perched on the edge of a spectacular landscape feature, the Rocky Fork Gorge, which is a botanical hotspot for rare plants and lush wildflower displays, as well as a place of outstanding geologic scenery. The Museum and its hiking trails are a wonderful destination for nature enthusiasts, hikers, and families wanting to immerse their children in the beauty of nature. Two spectacularly beautiful trails lead into the Rocky Fork Gorge and a third trail goes into an old growth forest. Guests may optionally register for a free day- pass to access an additional fourteen miles of trails in the Highlands Nature Sanctuary  -- at no extra charge above the usual admittance fee. The Museum is currently being developed to house displays interpreting the world significance of America's Eastern Appalachian Forest. When completed, eleven dramatic fine-art murals will give visitors a world view of one of the planet's most fascinating and imperiled forests. Open Hours posted below.

Admission

$6.00 adults, $3.00 for children 15 and under (3 and under FREE)
Organized groups, please call our general information line at 937-365-1935.
 

Days & Hours of Operation

Spring:  Open April and May on Saturday & Sundays

Summer: Open every day June, July, August
  
Autumn:  Open Sept. & October on Saturdays & Sundays

Visitors may enter 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Park closes promptly at 5:00 pm.

There are no food concessions--please bring water and packed lunches.
Picnic tables available to guests, please pack out all trash and separate out recyclables. Trails are too uneven for strollers. Please bring carriers. Sorry, as a nature preserve, pets are not permitted.

 

For one general entrance fee, visitors may enjoy:                                             

u Three breathtakingly-beautiful short nature trails; with the option
          of hiking longer trails in the Highlands Nature Sanctuary

u Appalachian Nature Bookstore featuring gifts by local artists

u Access to the Cliff Deck overlooking the Rocky Fork Gorge

u Mural-sized paintings on the world significance of our native
          Eastern temperate forest

 
Trails are single file, and are not always level. There are several flights of stone steps.  Sorry, pets are not allowed in the preserve, strollers and wheelchairs are not recommended for the trails. ails at the Appalachian Forest Museum lead into some of the the Eastern Forest's most stunning scenery -- sheer vertical walls of a limestone canyon, towering hemlocks and beech trees, strange and wonderful rock formations, and ancient cedar trees clinging to the rim of the gorge.
      The three trails beginning at the Museum are as follows:

Valley of the Ancients -- a rock-lined trail curves down to the Rocky Fork Creek, winding through the bottom of a 100 foot high vertical dolomite gorge. Walk beneath towering hemlocks and rare white cedar trees of great antiquity, viewing the art of breathtaking panoramas sculpted from the elements of rock and water. .25 mile loop 

Etawah Woods Loop Trail -- This trail offers a breathtaking trek along the rim of the Rocky Fork Gorge, with beautiful views of the canyon floor.  Mid-way is a spur that takes you down a long flight of stairs into the canyon, below giant hemlocks, and eventually right up to the water, where one can enjoy the famous geologic feature known as the three sisters – three giant slumpblocks mid-stream. .33 mile loop

Big Beech Loop Trail -- See the forest through the eyes of a frontier naturalist while walking through an authentic old-growth Beech Forest.  Walk by ancient towering Tulip Poplars and massive Beech trees –  such a rare experience in modern Ohio! This is not just a forest of old trees, but an intact ecosystem and forest community. .25 mile loop