The Hog Hollow Trail at Mohican State Park is a moderately difficult 4.6 mile trail located between the covered bridge and the fire tower. The beginning of this trail is my favorite (from the covered bridge), especially in the spring. Lined with vegetation and walkways, this immersive part of the trail is so alive and green. The sound of the babbling brook and mini waterfalls nearby make the experience. You’ll walk over roots, bridges and more as you go.
HOG HOLLOW TRAIL FEATURES
Starting at the covered bridge, the Hog Hollow Trail at Mohican State Park is dense with vegetation in the spring. The plants reach over the walkways and cover the forest floor with green. The trees provide depth as they shadow nearly the entire trail at the beginning.
The walkways wander along the creek that offers it’s babbling sound for the first portion of the trail. Tiny waterfalls line the walking path for about the first 3/4 mile.
Bridges and walkways are common throughout the first portion of the trail and allow you to walk it even when it has been wet or raining for some time. It makes for an amazing scene as you’re walking through the dense vegetation. Use caution on this portion of the trail as there are many step-ups to navigate. You will need to have sure footing.
During the second portion of the trail, walkways give way to roots. They are both beautiful and challenging to navigate. Set in the green of the forest, I couldn’t help but stare in awe at how nature does it’s thing.
How to Get To Hog Hollow Trail
The Hog Hollow Trail is accessible from the fire tower and the covered bridge. You can barely see the trailhead from the fire tower. It’s directly across the street from the tower. From the covered bridge, the trailhead is at the end of the parking lot near the Lyons Falls Trail. If you have to park down by the picnic area, you’ll need to walk up and across the bridge, past the parking lot and you’ll see the trailhead at the end.
The Best Part of Hog Hollow Trail
During the Spring the part of the trail near the covered bridge is gorgeous and nearly covered with vegetation. You can see video of it here on travel IG. You can follow me over there by clicking here.
PLANTS TO AVOID ON THE HOG HOLLOW TRAIL AT MOHICAN
The Hog Hollow Trail, with all of it’s beauty, does come with a few challenges we’ve never seen mentioned anywhere before. Stinging nettles. This medicinal plant might belong in your apothecary, but walking by it with shorts or with kids with little hands that like to sweep past the vegetation is sure to ruin your hike. Unless, that is, you’re ready for such an event. We always carry drawing salve and ledum or apis on our hikes for both stings and plants. When our daughter got her hand into nettles, we quickly applied drawing salve and gave her ledum to stop the allergic reaction. If you don’t have any of these things with you, you can always look for some jewelweed, although we did not see any in the park this spring.
I have included a photo of a nettle along the path on the Hog Hollow Trail.
The Hog Hollow Trail is one of our favorite trails at Mohican State Park. We’re still debating if it can beat out the Hemlock Gorge Trail, but while the jury is out, we recommend hiking them both and see them for yourself. In late Spring, let’s say May, we hope to see you there enjoying the beautiful scenery on the Hog Hollow Trail. Let us know what you think in the comments.
