LOUDONVILLE, Ohio – Tucked away in southern Ashland County is Ohio’s outdoor adventure center — Mohican country, a mecca for hikers and mountain bikers, canoers, rafters and horseback riders.
And the gateway to all that fun? Tiny Loudonville, population 2,780, a small town with a large embrace of the outdoors.
To be sure, Loudonville isn’t Moab, the fun, funky Utah town between Arches and Canyonlands national parks, a haven for adventure seekers. And north-central Ohio isn’t exactly southeastern Utah.
Still, for outdoor explorers in Ohio, Mohican has long been a top destination. And Loudonville, with its retro downtown and unique places to stay, is part of the reason why.
I’ve been to Loudonville many times over the years, usually a quick stop before or after hiking at Mohican State Park. On this trip, I made the town the focus.
My first stop: The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, the local history museum, which traces the region’s past from its days as the former hunting grounds of Delaware Indians to the founding of the town in 1814 to the longtime headquarters of the Flxible Co., which first produced motorcycle sidecars, then funeral cars, ambulances and buses before going out of business in 1996.
Mohican State Park, one of Ohio’s first, was originally called Clear Fork State Park, established in 1949, the same year that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created.
After brushing up on my history and enjoying a tasty lunch at downtown’s Black Fork Bistro, I had some shopping to do. My first stop: Creative Outlet, with a large collection of Native American arts and crafts, including turquoise jewelry, dream catchers, moccasins and a drum circle upstairs. Owner Jill Dunlap regularly travels to New Mexico to replenish her inventory.
Next door is Buzzard’s Family Shoes, a…
A group of hikers hiking at the Hocking Hills State Park. 
