The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is an enticing attraction to people of the southeastern Ohio community, especially the students of Hocking College. Beginning and ending directly on campus, the 19-mile paved path provides an easily accessible outlet for students, faculty, and staff to exercise and explore.

Visitors not only enjoy the path’s flourishing nature and wildlife scene, but many are fascinated by the area’s ancient origin. The rich history of the path is embedded in its name. “Hockhocking,” which means “bottleneck” or “twisted,” was the native Indian name for the Hocking River; and Adena reflects the history of the Adena Indians who lived in the Hocking Valley more than 2,000 years ago.

The 19-mile Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is named in honor of the first inhabitants of this southeastern Ohio region. “Hockhocking,” which means “bottleneck” or “twisted,” was the native Indian name for the Hocking River; Adena reflects the history of the Adena Indians who lived in the Hocking Valley over 2,000 years ago.

You may explore the bikeway’s history and beauty by bike, foot, wheelchair, rollerblades or other forms of non-motorized transportation (no horseback riding permitted.)

The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is located on the old Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad bed. Construction of the rail line between Columbus and Athens was completed in July 1870. Before the railroad, it was a towpath alongside the Hocking Canal, built between 1829 and 1842, which moved agricultural products and other goods to Carroll, Ohio, where it joined the Ohio-Erie Canal. The canal had 26 locks, seven culverts, and one aqueduct crossing Monday Creek south of Nelsonville.

Repeated flooding, especially in the late 1800s, severely damaged portions of the canal, and the railroad became the favored mode of transportation. Today, remnants of the canal basin are visible from the bikeway, particularly from Armitage north to Chauncey (between miles 5 and 10).