Between Columbus And Wayne National Forest Is An Underrated Ohio Park With A Mill, Waterfall, And Gorge Views

Drive beyond Columbus, and the landscape of Ohio starts to turn into rolling farmland, with running creeks and country lanes that look untouched. Eventually, going southeast of the city, you'll enter the Wayne National Forest, but before you do, there's a park on the way that many Ohio visitors miss. Stebelton Park at Rock Mill is a scenic patch of roughly 4 acres, per the Fairfield County Park District, that makes for a hidden historic stop in Central Ohio. It's named for a restored gristmill (which actually works to mill grain) that sits atop a waterfall and right next to a covered bridge. Coursing through the site is the Hocking River and the steep gorge that cradles it.

Of the parks that Central Ohio has to offer, Stebelton Park doesn't get as much attention. Some of the more well-known parks of the region, including Hocking Hills State Park and Columbus' Franklin Park, boast upwards of 10,000 reviews on Google. By contrast, Stebelton has just a few hundred, but its Google Reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with a 4.7-star average. Several reviewers describe it as a quiet site. Its location, tucked away in the countryside, might partially explain why it's overshadowed by attractions closer to the surrounding cities. For travelers who prefer calmer historic landmarks over crowded trailheads, Stebelton Park offers a relaxed spot to stretch your legs, listen to the waterfall, and peek inside an old mill.

Stebelton Park at Rock Mill sits along the Hocking River, and for an important reason. The historic mill — its current structure built in 1824 — relied on the river's current to power it. The structure itself sits on two sandstone ledges, with a giant waterwheel — the largest wooden waterwheel in the state, according to the Ohio Department of Development. Rock Mill was active until 1905, when it shut down. Nothing came of the mill until the 1990s, when a new owner, Bob Stebelton, slowly started to restore it. With the later help of the Fairfield County Park District, the mill was returned to working order, with a historically accurate replica of the waterwheel added.

While the grounds of Stebelton Park are open year-round, come on Wednesdays, Saturdays, or Sundays between May and October if you want to get a tour of the inside of the gristmill. This is when volunteers are available to let visitors in and show how corn gets milled, according to the Fairfield County Park District Facebook. The mill houses various equipment used for milling with informational signs. If you come on the last Sunday of the month when tours are held, you'll even get a live demonstration of the milling process. That hands-on history is part of what makes Stebelton Park stand out — and travelers looking for more living history experiences in Ohio might also enjoy the frontier reenactments in the charming river town of Steubenville.

The scenery at Stebelton Park is shaped as much by geology as it is by its historic mill. The Hocking River courses through a narrow sandstone gorge, with wooded slopes rising above the river. Just next to the mill, the river fans out in a waterfall, framed by a covered bridge behind it. The waterfall spans 14 feet, tumbling over a ledge into a rocky pool below. You get a clear view of the waterfall from the open area just next to the mill. 

The Rock Mill Covered Bridge, which itself straddles the gorge and river, dates to 1849, though its current version was built in 1901. Closed to car traffic now, visitors can walk over the bridge and linger for some front-row views directly over the gorge and the mill poised over it. There is a trail that leads down into the gorge, but some reviewers have noted that the path was closed when they visited. If you're looking for a spot geared towards hiking with similar cliffside views, you can check out the trails at the scenic gorge of Ohio's Highlands Nature Sanctuary.

Coming from Columbus, it takes a 30-minute drive to reach Stebelton Park (then another 45 minutes before you reach the Wayne National Forest). Travelers on their way to spend time in the national forest can also stop at Glouster, a colorful village with abundant recreation at the forest's edge, about an hour's drive from Stebelton Park.