Peebles, Ohio: Serpent Mound

It is currently $8 per car, payable inside the museum. The museum closes promptly at 4 pm and the gates are locked at 4:15 pm. Plan accordingly.

Interesting design of the serpent and an uphill walk in parts. The viewing tower is metal and old but seemed sturdy when I got to the top.

Being from the area, I have always loved the special feeling in the air at Serpent Mound. I have yet to see if the iron deposits makes my compass spin out of control. I have heard stories of birds getting lost, losing their direction of true north.

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.

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.