Trail 9 Rocky Hollow

Trail 9 through Rocky Hollow is the most intimate and technically demanding of Turkey Run State Park's canyon routes, squeezing through the narrowest canyon passage in the park before requiring a dramatic ladder descent into the canyon floor below. The Rocky Hollow canyon is so narrow in places that hikers must turn sideways and press through with backpacks held overhead. The canyon walls — Mansfield sandstone from the Pennsylvanian period — rise 15 to 20 feet on either side, and the slot is barely 18 inches wide at its tightest constriction. After the squeeze, a vertical iron ladder drops hikers down to the canyon floor, where the route follows the stream corridor through a series of small pools and cascades. The cool, moist microclimate of the lower canyon supports an unusually lush community of ferns, including the rare walking fern, and diverse mosses that carpet every surface. The loop exits the canyon via a gentler ramp before returning through upland forest. Dogs are not permitted due to the ladder descent. The trail sees significant erosion from heavy use and flash flooding; check trail conditions at the park office before hiking after major rainfall.