In the popular imagination, Ohio is definitely part of the Midwest, flat and mostly farms. Most people, including some state residents, don’t know that the southeastern part of the state is very different to the stereotype. This part resembles a miniature version of eastern Kentucky across the Ohio River, all rounded hills and sandstone valleys. Like its neighbor, it has some fantastic sandstone formations deep in the woods. Unfortunately, this area also shares two other things with eastern Kentucky, rural poverty and a long history of coal extraction. In the early 1930s, the best of the sandstone formations were incorporated into the Hocking Hills State Park. The trails in this park are described by a plaque at the main entrance as the most fascinating in the state of Ohio. In many places that wo
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