Rockbridge State Nature Preserve is a nature reserve featuring a natural bridge located in the unincorporated community of Rockbridge in

Hocking County Hocking County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 28,050. Its county seat is Logan, Ohio, Logan. The county was organized on March 1, 1818, ...

, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Hocking Hills region, but the sandstone that forms the natural bridge is located lower in the stratigraphic sequence than that which forms most of the region's notable features.

Nature preserve

The preserve consists of of land which borders the Hocking River and is connected to the trailhead via a narrow easement. The park's trail system includes two loop trails, one of which passes the natural bridge, while the other passes a

rock shelter A rock shelter (also rockhouse, crepuscular cave, bluff shelter, or abri) is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. In contrast to solutional caves (karst), which are often many miles long, rock shelters are almost alway ...

. Both formations are located a short distance from the Hocking River on small tributaries. The preserve was acquired by the state of Ohio in 1978.

Natural bridge

The natural bridge is the largest of at least 12 natural bridges in the state of Ohio. It is approximately long, wide, and thick. It was formed when water eroded the softer layers of

Mississippian Mississippian may refer to: * Mississippian (geology), a subperiod of the Carboniferous period in the geologic timescale, roughly 360 to 325 million years ago *Mississippian culture, a culture of Native American mound-builders from 900 to 1500 AD ...

Black Hand sandstone underneath the bridge. The nearby community of Rockbridge, Ohio is named after the formation.

References

External links

Official website
of the Rockbridge State Nature Preserve Natural arches of Ohio Protected areas of Hocking County, Ohio Ohio State Nature Preserves Landforms of Hocking County, Ohio Protected areas established in 1978 1978 establishments in Ohio {{HockingCountyOH-geo-stub