Serpent Mound
A prehistoric earthwork of a coiled snake, over four hundred metres long, on a plateau above an ancient meteor impact crater.
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The mound runs about four hundred and eleven metres along a bluff, a coiled serpent with a triple-coiled tail and an oval at the head that has been read as an egg, an eye or a swallowed object. It is around a metre high and only reads properly from the observation tower or from above. Dating is disputed: some radiocarbon work points to the Fort Ancient culture around 1070 CE, other samples to the earlier Adena around 300 BCE, and the argument is unresolved. The bluff itself sits on a deformed rock structure now understood as the eroded remains of a meteor impact crater around three hundred million years old, which may or may not have influenced the choice of site.
What you actually see
- A serpent 411 metres long - coiled, with an oval at the head.
- A viewing tower - the shape does not read from ground level.
- A disputed date - Adena or Fort Ancient, the argument is open.
- An impact crater beneath - the bluff sits on deformed rock.
When to go
April to October. Two hours.
Honest expectations
From the ground it is a low grass ridge - the tower is essential. There is little else on site beyond a small museum. It is remote, with no public transport. Winter access is limited.
Nearby
The Ohio River is south; Chillicothe's Hopewell earthworks are north-east.
What to pack for Serpent Mound
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.