Carroll County High Point Trip Report
three areas (1,380+ ft)
Date: May 10, 2003
Author: Bob Schwab
From Ohio Route 164, 0.5 mile south of Monroeville and 2.5 miles south of Salineville (see Jefferson
County trip report), drive west on TWP 294 (past Mr. Dunlap's house) for 2.5 miles to Ocelot Road.
The paved road will soon bend north, but you should swing left and follow a dirt road that passes the West
Grove Cemetery. This dirt road becomes Blossom Road. When you arrive at the Ocelot Road intersection,
turn south on Ocelot and drive almost 1 mile to a low grey house across from a lonely white silo. I asked
Mrs. Margold for permission to hike across her cornfield to visit the first highpoint which is northeast of her house.
Park along the road and hike east into the cornfield. Follow a track/path of sorts that skirts the
southern and eastern margins of the cornfield, and leads to an opening into a second field where the high
spot is located. Mrs. Margold's puppy hiked along the entire way with me.
To visit area 2, return to the intersection of Blossom Road and Ocelot Road. Continue west on Blossom
Road for roughly another 1.4 miles. The road will turn back to pavement at the intersection with Colony Road.
Watch for a chained gate on the right (north) side of the road. You will find this gate before the road
crests the ridge. Park at the gate and hike up the path to the tower on top. Pass the tower and hike north in
the field along a grassy ridge, passing a hunter's stand. You will ascend what seems to the highpoint, but it
is a false summit which does not appear on the topo map. Continue going north and follow an ATV trail
that enters the woods and rises gradually. Follow the ATV trail until it splits, just before the highest ground
is reached in the woods. Area 2 is quite flat and it is hard to determine where the highest ground is.
The false summit on the way in is much more impressive.
The third area can be reached from either Mechanicstown (Ohio 39) or Kensington (US 30). I took Arbor
Road (CR 12) north from Mechanicstown. In roughly 2 miles, the road swings west, and in another 0.5 mile
heads north and becomes Bane Road. Follow Bane Road 2 more miles until it intersects with Meter Road
(at this point, you are about 4.5 miles north of Mechanicstown). Turn right and follow Meter Road 1.1
miles as it angles past the Seven Ranges scout camp. Park along the road, opposite a new brown gate.
This land is all owned by the scout camp. Hike north past the gate on a path that ascends the hill. The path is
deeply eroded and was very muddy when I visited. When you get to the top, keep going north through the
woods until you get to the edge of a field. The true highpoint is right on the margin of this field, next to a
shattered cherry tree. On my way back to my van, I followed another path that went by a sign
"Thunderbird Hill, Elevation 1281" that had been erected by the scouts on their property.