Natural Ohio Adventures

Jacob's Ladder Overlook

Directions

To get into the preserve, park at the lot for the Arny (or Arney, both names are used) Run County Park, this is located at 2340 Meister Road SW, Lancaster, OH. This will be near the Mink Hollow Covered Bridge. Walk north to Old Mill Hollow Road Southwest and hike up the road, passing a trail kiosk along the way. The trail to Jacob's Ladder is marked with Orange Blazes. Continue on the trail past some private property and then take a left when the trail splits about 1/2 a mile in. You'll make a quick and VERY steep ascent to the overlook from here. If you're not winded by the time you reach the top, you are definitely in better shape than I am. Enjoy the view, then exit the way you came in, or you can always just do a bit more hiking around Christmas Rocks.


Other Nearby Locations


Distance from Major Cities:

  • Columbus: 40 minutes
  • Dayton: 1.5-2 hours
  • Cincinnati: 2 hours
  • Cleveland: 2.5 hours
  • Toledo: 3 hours​

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Why You Should Visit

Located in the 553 acre Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve, this preserve and overlook was recently only accessible if you had a permit, but today is fully open to the public. The Jacob's Ladder Overlook is perched atop a rocky bluff almost 300 feet above Arney Run and gives you scenic views of forested Ohio foothills to the south. The best part? It's only a 40-minute drive from Downtown Columbus. 20 minutes from here in Downtown Lancaster is the famed Mount Pleasant Overlook.​​