Looking for a little bit of adventure on a nice day, we headed out to Stebleton Park at Rock Mill in Fairfield County. This site is currently part of the Fairfield County Parks District, but it wasn’t always that way. Not too many years ago, it was an abandoned building on the Hocking River between Lancaster and Lithopolis.
When I first heard of the mill, some thirty odd years ago, the waterwheel was missing. The building was boarded up. Local teenagers gathered to swim in the river and jump off the rocks, 40 feet above the water.
Rock Mill on the Silver Screen
It’s only claim to fame was an appearance in a Hollywood movie. The 1985 movie Mischief (starring Kelly Preston and Doug McKeon), which was filmed in both Nelsonville and Canal Winchester, features a scene with the mill and nearby bridge.
History
Rock Mill, a grist mill, was actually the second mill on the site. The first mill, built in 1799 succumbed to flooding in 1822. Rock Mill was built in 1824 to replace the old mill. The mill was in use, grinding corn into meal and wheat into flour, until 1905.
New Life as a Public Park
Then in 2003, the Stebelton family donated the site to the Parks District. Restoration was begun. It had been nearly 100 years.
In 2013, a replica of the original waterwheel was replaced. At 26 feet in diameter, it is the largest all-wood waterwheel in Ohio.
The park is now open every day from dawn to dusk. Despite trail closures, swimmers still congregate at the bottom of the gorge. And young people still jump or dive from the rocks above. (Signs are posted that caution against climbing on the rocks.).
The wheel is impressive and the park is beautiful. The Hocking River flows through the bottom of the gorge and forms a small waterfall of about 15 feet.
Rock Mill Bridge
Back at the top of the gorge is the Rock Mill Bridge. Now closed to thru traffic, the bridge was built in 1901 and at 36 feet long, spans the Hocking River. It’s a nice spot with a direct view of the Hocking from one side and a nice view of the mill and down the gorge on the other.
Rock Mill in Motion
If you are hoping to see the mill in action, check the website at Stebelton Park for dates and times. Additionally, the Rock Mill Bridge is available for rental. It would be a lovely location for a very small wedding reception or similar event.
Have you been to Rock Mill? Have you jumped off the rocks? Let us know in the comments.
If you’re in the area, you might make a stop at Walnut Woods Metro Park in nearby Groveport. It has a large play area for kids and a great dog park.
Looking for more day trip ideas? Click through to Day Trips and follow along with us on our Ohio adventures. And, as always, we appreciate you sharing our content on social media.
Special note: climbing on the rocks (and therefore jumping off) is illegal. Though several people were swimming, there is no lifeguard. Swimming at this spot is either illegal or at best swim at your own risk.