Peebles, Ohio: Serpent Mound

The serpentine legacy of a vanished people. Only three feet high, which is not much of a mound, but very long.

Serpent Mound State Memorial

The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,330-foot-long, three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound, the largest in the world. Also accompanied by a museum.

[Meagan, 06/24/2008]

Serpent Mound

This is an ancient historic site, but can be regarded as the antecedent to the quirky-shaped buildings this website celebrates so enthusiastically. It is also clearly the forebearer to the work of Christo and other modern-day landscape artists. The Ohio history site gives its length as 1,330 ft., and it is an exceptional and enduring work of ritual art, and may even give some visitors a sense of the supernatural. The form is of a long snake, its jaws open to hold and egg in its mouth. It is made of soils and river gravel and sculpted into the Earth beautifully.

Visibility of the overall site is aided by a lookout tower, though visibility of the overall mound itself is enhanced when the vegetation is low -- Autumn can be a good time. Your vehicle will have to climb a pretty steep and messy hill road to get there, unless you park much farther away; keep this in mind if you have access limitations or if weather has been rainy.

Amusingly, the monument was almost lost to the ages when a guy wanted to farm there many years ago -- but when you see the site, you'll wonder why: it's NOT good farmland in any way. When we were there, a sign specifically prohibited the use of "hallucinogens"(!) so don't bring your peyote buttons with you. Show respect to the site and DO NOT walk on, damage or interfere with the mound. This is an ancient religious site with great value to all.

[Jim, 06/20/2005]