Trails & Ales Redux! Great Seal State Park / Fifty West Brewing Company

History

The rugged hills just north of Chillicothe that now form Great Seal State Park were once home to the Shawnee people in the mid-to-late 1700s. Several Shawnee villages, each called Chillicothe ("principal town") sat in the Scioto River Valley directly below these hills. This area lay along the Appalachian escarpment, separating glaciated flatlands to the west from unglaciated ridges to the east. The Shawnee maintained a strong presence here until European-American settlement pushed them out in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nearby, the renowned Shawnee leader Tecumseh was born in a village along the Scioto.

European-American settlers began arriving in the 1790s, with Nathaniel Massie founding Chillicothe in 1796. Early leaders like Thomas Worthington, Edward Tiffin, and William Creighton gathered at Worthington's Adena estate overlooking Mount Logan and these hills. After an all-night meeting, they witnessed a sunrise over the landscape, inspiring the design for the Great Seal. This vista captured the rising sun, cultivated fields, sheaf of wheat, and bundle of 17 arrows symbolizing agriculture and Ohio's place in the Union. Much of the land depicted in the seal became the park itself.

The Great Seal's design evolved over the years, with engravers adding elements like the Scioto River in the foreground. It was officially standardized in 1967 and slightly updated in 1996 to match the historic view more closely. The prominent hills shown rising behind the river and fields are the very ones preserved in the park. Trails lead to overlooks replicating that iconic sunrise scene. The park's name directly honors this connection to our state's emblem.

Great Seal State Park spans around 1,862 acres of challenging terrain with multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. It features campgrounds, picnic areas, a disc golf course, and scenic vistas across the Scioto Valley. The park preserves both the natural wilderness and ties to Shawnee heritage. Steep ridges like Sugarloaf Mountain and Mount Logan offer rewarding climbs. Historical markers highlight the seal's origins and early statehood story.

Today, the park invites locals to explore the exact landscape that shaped our state's identity. From trail overlooks, you can see views nearly identical to those on the Great Seal. It connects modern recreation with Shawnee history and the vision of early leaders. Year-round activities draw visitors for hikes, rides, or simply enjoying the hills. Preserving this area ensures the enduring link between our natural beauty and historic symbolism remains accessible.

Map of the Park

Here is a map of Great Seal.

Summary

For this event, we will hike the Shawnee Ridge, Bald Hill, Rick's Revenge, Sand Hill, and Old Schrake Trails. This will be around four and a half miles.

Afterward, we'll head over to Fifty West Brewing in nearby downtown Chillicothe.

Where We'll Meet

We'll meet by the restrooms at the Ireland Shelter picnic area. This is in the back of the Park from the main entrance on Marietta Rd. The map pin I've posted here should be accurate. There are also water fountains here.

You shouldn't have any trouble with cell service here.

Strenuousness of This Hike

Great Seal is a seemingly-unknown gem of a park right here in central Ohio. It has fantastic, gorgeous hiking and one of my two favorite trails of all-time in Rick's Revenge.

That said, this is a difficult park for a new hiker. While we'll be avoiding the most difficult areas of the park, what's left can still be challenging.

I don't use hiking poles, but if you do, then you'll probably want to bring them here.

Drawbacks of This Hike

Well, you really won't experience this on this hike since I (should) know where I'm going, but as much as Great Seal is a fantastic park, it has possibly the worst signage and trail markings of any state park in Ohio -- and that's saying something.

Great Seal has entire trails with no blazes; multiple junctures with no maps, even when other maps indicate there should be waypoints there; the same blaze color (blue) used on essentially every trail; local maps marked with inaccurate trail names; and "trails" not indicated on any map.

If you think you might have any interest in ever hiking this park by yourself, you really should try to make this hike. I've hiked all over this park so you don't have to. Let me help you keep your blood pressure down by helping you negotiate some of the most unnecessarily confusing parts of this otherwise incredible park.

After the Hike

Afterward, we'll head over to Fifty West Brewing Company for drinks and food. The actual address of the brewery is 1 N Paint St, Chillicothe, OH 45601. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.