Great Circle Earthworks

Newark Earthworks, Ohio

The Great Circle Earthworks, formerly known as Moundbuilders State Memorial, is comprised of a geometric earthwork built by the Hopewell culture approximately 2000 years ago. This Great Circle is actually elliptical in shape with diameters of 1150 and 1250 feet across, with the height of the mound’s walls varying anywhere from 5 to 14 feet. This earthen enclosure is just one part of the greater Newark Earthworks State Memorial—the largest system of geometric earthworks built anywhere in the world. The Octagon Earthworks and the Wright Earthworks make up the other two units that help preserve these fascinating remnants of prehistoric Ohio—so important is this preservation, that the site has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The best way to appreciate the importance of these earthworks is to take a walk around the grounds, hiking atop and within the Great Circle itself. Hiking around the circumference of the Great Circle measures in at about 0.7 miles, and you have the opportunity to increase that mileage to whatever you wish by exploring the 30 acres inside of the circle—investigating the ditch or moat that is nearly 13 feet deep in places and the Eagle Mound found in the center of the enclosure. The Eagle Mound is a low mound comprised of three lobes that some people have interpreted as a bird’s body and two outstretched wings. A walk within and around this impressive structure can be done in any season, but our favorites are the spring and the fall. Spring blankets the mound and the enclosure with an abundance of wildflowers, most notably Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauty, dandelion, bluets, bloodroot, and trout lilies. Fall, on the other hand, paints the landscape of hardwood trees spectacular shades of red, yellow, and orange.

Spring at the Earthworks