A Hike Through Strange Worden’s Ledge

It's one month till winter and I wanted to explore outside as much as possible, before I'm contained in my home from the Ohio weather. So it's twenty minutes from my apartment, in the Hinckley Reservation in Hinckley, Ohio, there is Worden's Ledge. What makes it a fascinating area is the fact that there are carvings carved into the rock. I first discovered it back in April while I was looking through Google. It was a lovely sunny morning and there was a mom with three little boys climbing around and a cyclist riding through the trail. The trail of Worden's Ledge goes into a loop that spans 0.8 miles. There are some climbing but accessible pathways. 

Here is some background history of Worden's Ledge. The name comes from Hiram Mace Worden, who was masterful in making tombstones and statues and purchased land in 1860. When he passed, his daughter Nettie inherited the land. 

In 1945, Nettie married Noble Stuart, a bricklayer who aspired to become a sculptor. Unfortunately, Nettie would pass away only a year later. It is when Noble started creating the stone carvings. The most notable carvings include a sphinx, a bible and cross, a boat, and many different faces. He would also carve names and messages into the stones, including Nettie and Worden 1851( referencing the year Nettie's parents got married). The carvings ceased when Noble passed in 1976. Up to now, many have hiked through to get a view of his creations. There were also other small carvings made by others over the years.

This past week, I returned to Worden's Ledge to see the fall leaves. It was a lovely sunny morning, and there were a bunch of black squirrels out. Some of the carvings looked better in the morning light. I recommend going there on a lovely sunny morning for a refreshing exercise. In the future, I plan to keep going back there.