Parks

Rock Mill Park encompasses the historic Rock Mill, a stunning grist mill built in 1824 above the falls of the Hocking River, and the scenic Rock Mill Covered Bridge, constructed in 1901. Both have been beautifully restored by Fairfield County Historical Parks.

Standing roughly 90 feet above the gorge of the falls, Rock Mill is a testament to the agricultural heritage of Fairfield County. In the early 1800s it was one of about a dozen mills in the area powered by the Hocking River, grinding flour and corn meal as late as 1905.

Located in Bloom Township, Chestnut Ridge is the first ridge in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The ridge spans about 4,500 feet and rises to roughly 1,116 feet.

Black oak, shagbark hickory, and northern red oak grow on the upper slopes of this 486-acre park, while sugar maples and American beech are plentiful on the lower slopes.

Just across Route 674 from Bloom Township, Slate Run features a variety of habitats — from open grasslands, wetlands, and meadows to forests of beech, oak, hickory, and sugar maple.

Wildlife viewing opportunities abound across the 1,705-acre park. Sandhill cranes have nested in its 156-acre wetland, and northern bobwhite quail have been reintroduced to the park.