Highbanks Metropolitan Park Mounds I and II

Highbanks Metropolitan Park contains two earthen mounds located on the east bank of the Olentangy River, sitting within 175 acres of protected ground. These conical structures are separated by woodland and can be explored on foot along park trails.

The Adena culture built these mounds between 800 and 1300 CE as part of their ceremonial or burial practices. Early researchers documented and studied these structures, helping establish knowledge about Ohio's Indigenous past.

The mounds show how Indigenous peoples shaped their landscape and marked important places with monumental earth structures. Walking through the park, you can sense the deliberate placement and scale of these constructions.

The park provides accessible trails leading to both mounds, with interpretive signs on-site explaining their archaeological importance. Visitors should be prepared for dirt paths and bring appropriate gear depending on weather conditions.

An excavation in the 1950s uncovered pottery fragments and flint tools beneath the mound surfaces, revealing that these structures held more than just earth. Such findings give concrete insight into daily life and practices of the people who built them.