Join our membership manager for a very special road trip to Seip Earthworks in Bainbridge. Seip Earthworks is part of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, which is run by the National Park Service. It is NOT an Ohio History Connection site. However, Seip is part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks World Heritage site. Admission is free for all.
Seip Earthworks is part of the eight Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks locations, which were inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List on Sept. 19, 2023. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is Ohio’s first World Heritage Site and the 25th of only 26 World Heritage Sites in the U.S. The other Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks locations are the Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve in Oregonia, the Octagon Earthworks and Great Circle Earthworks in Newark and the four additional sites at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe.
Seip Earthworks once contained more than two miles of embankment walls enclosing almost 100 acres in the shape of a smaller circle, a larger circle and a 27-acre square with astronomical alignments. The embankment wall was possibly as high as ten feet tall in places. In the center of the site was the enormous Central Mound that was over 30 feet high and 240 feet long.
Before I visited Seip Earthworks, I did a little research. Everything I read mentioned that it was “difficult to appreciate without a guide.” So, I was very happy that my guide for the day would be Dr. Tim Everhart, the Acting Director of Resource Stewardship at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Tim’s explanations and guidance made the site come alive. He pointed out features that I might have overlooked on my own.
I would highly recommend visiting Seip Earthworks when the National Park Service offers a Ranger Guided Tour of the site. While the earthworks are incredible and you can certainly enjoy them on your own, the rangers will make them come alive in a new way. Lucky for you, there’s a Ranger Guided Tour of the site scheduled for August 3, 2025. You can read all about it here.
Address: Seip Earthworks is located at 7058 US 50 East, Bainbridge, OH 45612.
How much time: If you visit the site on your own, I would budget about an hour to walk around the site and read the signage.
Truda’s Tips: Be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes or boots, especially during the winter months. Once you leave the parking lot, the paths around the site are not paved. Please stay on the mowed path and don’t climb on the earthworks. The earthworks are sacred AND we want them to be around for another 2,000 years. Not climbing on them is one important way of preserving them for future generations.
Also, please note that there are no bathrooms at Seip. However, there is a drinking fountain and picnic shelter.
Kid Friendly? YES!: Seip Earthworks is a place that allows kids to experience history in a physical way. Walking through the enclosure, standing at the base of the Central Mound and seeing the site in the context of the surrounding hills is magical and really brings history to life in a visceral way.
Lunch: Lunch is a very important part of any road trip! I would highly recommend packing a picnic lunch and eating at Seip’s shelter. This will allow you to be flexible and give you more time to visit some of the other Hopewell sites in the area.
For more information: To learn more about Seip Earthworks, you can visit the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park website or the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks website. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk every day.
Want to make a day of it? Seip Earthworks, and the rest of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, are located in Ross County. Discover more about Ross County by visiting Visit Chillicothe.
Adena Mansion & Gardens, an Ohio History Connection site, is located about 30 minutes away in Chillicothe.
