Most People Have Long Forgotten About This Vacant Ghost Town In Rural Ohio
By April Dray|Published March 20, 2018
×
April Dray
Author
April is the Ohio staff writer for Only in Your State. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. When she's not on deadline or chasing after her toddler, she's hunting for hidden gems in Ohio or getting lost in a good book.
Here in Ohio, there are several remnants of the southeast region’s mining and railroad towns from centuries past. (To read about the ghost town of Moonville, click here.) The ghost town of Mineral in New Marshfield, Ohio is a lesser-known hiking adventure you’re going to want to add to your 2018 bucket list. You can reach the remnants of this town via the Moonville Rail Trail and King Hollow Trail. Check it out:
Located less than 3 miles from the ghost town of Moonville, what's left of Mineral is also hiding in the middle of Zaleski State Forest.
To reach the ghost town, you'll head down Rock Camp Rd., just off of King Hollow Trail. If you don't want to hike through Moonville as well, you can park near the intersection of King Hollow Trail and Rockcamp Road. Please note: Since the Moonville Rail Trail, (which runs all the way from Zaleski to Athens), is county property and is still in its developing stages, take note to follow the guidelines of the posted signs. For a more detailed map of the Moonville Rail Trail, click here.
The town of Mineral was heavily involved in the mining and iron manufacturing industries during the 19th-century.
Pictured above is an 1867 map of Kings Hollow and Mineral City. Today, the ghost town is simply referred to as Mineral.
Advertisement
King's Hollow Tunnel, (also known as "Mineral Tunnel", "King’s Switch Tunnel," "King's Station Tunnel" and "King’s Tunnel"), sits on the same old rail line as the Moonville Tunnel.
The tunnel was built around 1855 by the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad. The tunnel later became part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and then the CSX, before it was abandoned in the 1980s.
This timber-lined tunnel is now abandoned, making it a really unique hiking destination for Ohio explorers interested in the area's coal mining and railroad history.
Near the tunnel, you'll find other remnants of what was once part of the ghost town of Kings Station. Pictured is an abandoned home.
So, what do you think? Would you explore this ghost town? If you have, please share your photos and stories with us!
For more details about how to find the ghost town Moonville, read our previous article here. For more photos of interesting hiking destinations and Ohio history, check out our friends Ohio Hiking Trails and Historical Sites on Facebook!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
