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Ohio Driving Tour-A driving tour of
Lake Hope State Park
Visitor Information Brochures Click here to see Lake Hope 2008 Special Events
Hundreds of men labored cutting timber, working the furnace and driving teams of mules hauling iron ore to the furnace. Charcoal fires were tended 24 hours a day; so much wood was required for this process that the surrounding hillsides were almost completely stripped of timber. At the height of the Hope Furnace's production, Ohio was one of the nation's leading producers of iron. As time passed, iron ore was discovered farther west and Ohio's reputation as a major iron producer waned.
Other Cemeteries worth visiting include:
Keeton Cemetery, located near the standard cabins along
“old hill” above the beach, and Moonville Graveyard, located at the end of the
gravel road that branches off Hope-Moonville Road just past the tunnel parking
area (see stop #4).
The one-room Hope Schoolhouse was refurbished in 1998. Hope Schoolhouse is open on weekends during the warm months and now serves as a historical interpretation center and special event site.
Moonville was a railroad station and loading place for timber, and other products. At one time there were approximately 100 people living at Moonville. Moonville is thought to be named for a man called Moon who once operated a store in the town. Moonville is famous for two things: The Tunnel and the “Moonville Ghost”. The enormous tunnel (about 100 yards long) was originally constructed in the mid-1800's and then rebuilt and lined with bricks in 1903. Railroad men often called Moonville “the most isolated, desolate stretch of track on the B&O from St Louis, Missouri to Parkersburg, West Virginia”. Sound travels well in the tunnel. When a person whispers from one end of the tunnel, it can be heard all the way at the other side. Spooky things have occurred at Moonville, but none compare to the story of the Moonville Ghost. Supposedly, a long time ago, a brakeman was struck by a train on a rainy, cold night. The man was drunk and swayed into the path of the oncoming locomotive. Folks who have seen the ghost claim you may see his lantern “a glimmerin’ and a wavin”, still trying to stop that train.
Lookout Rock is about another mile down Hope-Moonville Road from the tunnel parking area. You will cross Raccoon Creek and drive up a hill. This large Sandstone outcropping will be seen on the right-hand side of the road. One time, approximately twenty men coming to
Moonville claimed they were surrounded by a pack of wolves. The men built a
fire and took refuge on Lookout Rock all night, fearing they would be attacked.
Lookout Rock can provide spectacular views of Raccoon Valley, especially when
the leaves are off the trees.
 Constructed in 1929 and first used in 1930, this fire lookout station is located at the Atkinson Hunters Camp within the Zaleski State Forest. From Lookout Rock, head back down the hill and take the first left onto Township Road 5 (Mace Road). Follow this until you reach Atkinson Ridge and follow this road until you reach the Atkinson Hunters Camp. The fire tower is located about 4 miles from Lookout Rock (refer to the map). Atkinson Fire Tower was abandoned in the 1970’s when airplanes were used for fire detection. Today, because of improved communications, forest fires are reported by local citizens. The Division of Forestry fights fires on all government land and will assist local fire departments on private land when necessary. The tower was closed to the public in 2000 due to safety concerns. Climbing the steps used to offer wonderful views of the surrounding area. Continue on Atkinson Ridge until you reach SR 278 turn right to head into the town of Zaleski.
Additional Adventures
King Railroad Tunnel
The only restored iron furnace complex in Ohio. Located in Jackson County, about a 45
minute drive from the park. Wellston, OH 45692 740-384-3537
1-800-860-0144 (toll free)
Alice’s House – |
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Hope
Furnace was one of 46 iron furnaces in the area known as the “hanging rock” iron
region which extended from northern Kentucky to Logan, Ohio. This area
contained the necessary materials to produce iron- limestone, iron ore
sandstone, and charcoal, produced from the abundant timber in the area. Once
iron was produced, it was shipped out and formed into many different items,
including ammunition and cannons for the Union Army during the Civil War. 
“Hope
Furnace Graveyard” is located at the halfway point of the Olds Hollow Trail,
which begins along with the Zaleski Backpack Trail, near Hope Furnace. This
graveyard was established in 1853, the same year Hope Furnace was put into
operation. It was used until at least 1865 and was abandoned when furnace
operations ceased. Only a few stones remain, but there may have been upwards of
fifty burials there.
From
the Lake Hope dam and State Route 278, turn onto Wheelabout Road, stay to the
right at the fork and continue on Wheelabout Road/Pinney Hollow. Hope
Schoolhouse is the first building on the left, about a 1/4 mile from the fork.
From the Lake Hope dam and State Route 278, turn onto Hope-Moonville
Road, stay to the left at the fork. The third time you cross the old railroad
bed, you are at the abandoned town of Moonville. Or just drive 2.5 miles from
the dam on Hope-Moonville Road, cross the steel bridge and pull off where the
brim widens just past the bridge.
Walk the old railroad bed to the left, cross Raccoon Creek and Moonville Tunnel
will be 100 yards straight ahead. The tunnel is no longer visible from the
road. Be careful crossing Raccoon Creek during times of high water. There is
also a trail that leads back to the tunnel. It begins on the left side of the
road just before reaching the steel bridge.
More than twenty-five burial and
ceremonial mounds have been discovered in the Lake Hope-Zaleski area. They were
probably erected by the prehistoric Adena people
between 900BC and 200AD. One of the largest is located near the
Zaleski State Forest Headquarters near the town of Zaleski. Turn onto Gaskill
Road from Rt. 278 near the
Headquarters entrance. Drive a ¼ mile to the school, turn right on Forestry
Road. The mound is straight ahead. It is fourteen feet high and eighty feet in
diameter at the base. Years ago, a single burial was removed from this mound.