The Incredible Hike In Ohio That Leads To A Fascinating Abandoned Cemetery
By Sarah McCosham|Published November 28, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Athens, Ohio, is known for many things — scenic beauty, college town swagger, delicious eats, and tons of haunts. And yes, by “haunts” I mean literal haunted haunts; Athens is widely regarded as the most haunted city in Ohio. The most notoriously haunted spot in Athens is the The Ridges, a stately part of Ohio University that, in another life, was the campus the Athens Asylum for the Insane. Today. The Ridges remain shrouded in mystery and eerie unease, and if you don’t believe me, simply lace up your boots and head out on the eponymous Ridges Loop Trail, a haunted hike in Ohio that passes through thick forests and past an abandoned cemetery… or three.
I'm the kind of person who jumps when my kids come home from school -- I'm easily startled. So a hike through the grounds of a former asylum, complete with multiple abandoned cemeteries... this is the kind of Ohio hike that would have me running for the hills!
I thought we were spending the afternoon exploring the campus and its surrounding forests and trails... I didn't know we were walking into the site of a former asylum... complete with graves!
And yet, here we were. Intrigued by the trails in this area that offered a short-and-sweet, family-friendly afternoon in nature, we decided upon the Ridges Loop Trail, a three-mile loop that promised lots of views and variety.
Even though Athens is a popular place for hiking and outdoor recreation, this trail is very peaceful and serene. When we were hiking, we didn't see another soul in the woods! Well...
...another living soul, at least. You see, this scenic trek traverses the grounds of what was once a lunatic asylum. The 700-acre expanse bears many reminders of days long past, with several cemeteries serving as the final resting place for former patients.
Yes -- cemeteries, plural! Patients of the former insane asylum were buried on the facility's grounds, and today, legend says many restless spirits continue to wander to property. From firsthand experience, I didn't notice anything out-of-the-ordinary, and found this hike very peaceful!
Just look! If you're willing to "brave" the cemetery-dotted trails, you'll find some truly beautiful discoveries, like this massive American Beech tree. What a wonderful, wholly alive natural wonder to witness!
Have you hiked The Ridges Loop Trail before? While the idea of an “abandoned cemetery hike in Ohio” might not be your cup of tea, I promise the views and scenery of this three-mile trek are worth the effort! Just tackle this hike in the light of day, and maybe with your four-legged protector in tow.
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