Everything you need to know before you hike:
You are Entering a Highly Protected Nature Preserve. Regulations exist to protect natural communities from the impact of public visitors. Please follow them to leave Rock Run as beautiful as you found it. Remain on trails at all times, walking in single file to protect bulbs of native wildflowers bordering the trail. Do not disturb, pick, or collect flowers, plants, rocks, or wildlife. Hunting, caving, fishing, trail biking, rock climbing, wading, campfires, and swimming are prohibited. Click here for a list of full regulations.
Dogs are permitted at Rock Run. A dog owner’s guide to hiking Arc Trails.
Directions: U.S. Rt 52, Stout, OH 45684
Directions from West Union: From OH-41, head South onto Route 247 and follow for 6.9 miles. Turn left onto Route 52 and follow for 14 miles. Once you see a small rest area on your right, the parking lot for Rock Run will be .2 miles on your left, directly across from Sandy Springs Campground.
Interpretive Kiosk: An interpretive kiosk is not yet posted at the preserve trailhead. Please be sure to download a trail map onto your phones before heading out.
Rock Run hiking trails are open from sunrise to sunset. Please note parking lots are not winter-maintained and the trails are not safe to hike during periods of heavy rain, ice, and snow. Trails are closed during our annual Deer Management Hunt which takes place on 1) the Monday through Sunday following Thanksgiving, and 2) the Saturday and Sunday before Christmas.
Hiking Trails’ Difficulty - Difficult. Rock Run is a challenging but rewarding trail with terrain that is naturally rocky, uneven, and steep, and the trail has many ascents and descents. This trail could be difficult for people with limited flexibility and strength.
Warning: Trails border dangerous, potentially life-threatening cliffs.
Rock Run’s Trail:
The Red Trillium Trail - 3.3 mile loop - stunning views of the Ohio River below and the hills of Kentucky on its far shore. Rock Run is an incredibly picturesque landscape. After slowly climbing the ridge-top from the base of the hill on HWY-52, the trail drops down into the rich woodlands of Trillium Hollow, where the sounds of the highway and the bustling enterprises of the Ohio River suddenly vanish. Here one is immersed in the deep woods – surrounded by bird song, ferns, frogs, and native wildflowers.
The historical remnants of the sandstone mining can be seen at many points along the trail, including massive 19th-century boundary markers carved out of stone, as well as the large vernal pools left behind when the bedrock was removed that are now breeding habitats for a variety of amphibians. The trail then loops back to the ridge line, and back to the trailhead.