Fairgrounds in Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Serpent Mound Impact Structure

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 27, 2025

1. Serpent Mound Impact Structure Marker

Inscription. Sometime during the Permian Period, about 280 million years ago, an object, likely an asteroid or meteor; struck southwestern Ohio and exploded, releasing the energy of hundreds of nuclear bombs. Impacting the area where Pike, Adams, and Highland Counties meet (see asterisk on bedrock map), it created a circular feature nearly 9 miles across in which the rocks are shattered, tilted, and at elevations markedly different from the positions they occupy in other parts of the state. Now eroded, rocks in the center rebounded and were uplifted by more than a thousand feet, while rocks of the outer ring were lowered by 400 feet. The impact site is named for the famous Serpent Mound earthwork located on its flank. Whether or not the builders of the serpent effigy recognized the strange geology of the impact structure remains a mystery.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Natural Features.

Location. 39° 59.711′ N, 82° 59.343′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. It

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is in Fairgrounds. It is at the intersection of East 11th Avenue and Essex Avenue, on the right when traveling west on East 11th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 632 E 11th Ave, Columbus OH 43211, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Flint: Ohio's State Gemstone (here, next to this marker); Grindstones (here, next to this marker); Geological Cross Section of Ohio (here, next to this marker); Beneath Your Feet (a few steps from this marker); Mothman (a few steps from this marker); Ohio Buckeye (within shouting distance of this marker); Apple Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); History Of Trapping (about 300 feet away,

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 27, 2025

2. Serpent Mound Impact Structure Marker

measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 96 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 23, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.