Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve

1975 establishments in OhioCanyons and gorges of OhioHistory of OhioLandforms of Licking County, OhioLandforms of Ohio ... and 5 more

Ohio State Nature PreservesProtected areas established in 1975Protected areas of Licking County, OhioUse American English from July 2025Use mdy dates from January 2025

The Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve is a 4-mile-long (6.4 km) sandstone formation through which the Licking River flows in Licking County, Ohio, United States. Located 12 miles (19 km) east of Newark near the tiny town of Toboso, 957 acres (387 ha) along the gorge were designated an Ohio Nature Preserve in 1975. The gorge is a capsule of Ohio transportation history, having hosted canal boats, steam railroads, electric interurbans, and automobiles through the years. It is named for the black hand petroglyph that was found on the cliff face by the first settlers to the area. Black Hand Sandstone is a resistant rock that also forms the backbone of the Hocking Hills region.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
Hanover Township

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 40.056 °	E -82.24847 °

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Address

Rock Haven Park

Hanover Township
Ohio, United States
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Nearby Places

Livingston, Ohio

Livingston is a ghost town in Licking County, in the U.S. state of Ohio.

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Rocky Fork is a stream in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a tributary of the Licking River. Rocky Fork was descriptively named for the boulders along its course.

Hanover Township, Licking County, Ohio

Hanover Township is one of the 25 townships of Licking County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 3,036.

Boston, Licking County, Ohio

Boston is an unincorporated community in Licking County, in the U.S. state of Ohio.

Toboso, Ohio

Toboso is an unincorporated community in Hanover Township, Licking County, Ohio, United States.

Hanover, Ohio

Hanover is a village in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,270 at the 2020 census. The village lies along Ohio State Route 16.

Claylick, Ohio

Claylick is a former town in Licking County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place.

Licking Valley High School

Licking Valley High School is a public high school in Hanover, Ohio, led by District Superintendent Scott Beery. It is the only high school in the Licking Valley Local School District. The Principal is Whitney Malone, the Assistant Principal is Chris Campbell, and the Athletic Director is Mark McCullough. The current high school building was opened in 2000, and the former high school became the current middle school. The new elementary school was built in 2007. The school offers college prep courses, advanced placement courses, a vocational agriculture program, numerous elective courses. The school offers specialized classes for juniors and seniors to help guide them to the next step, one of which is titled Journey to College. The only foreign language course offered in the traditional classroom setting is Spanish, but a large variety of such courses are available in the schools digital curriculum program, Educational Options.

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