West Union to Great Serpent Mound: A Chevrolet Trax Local Trip Guide

Want a scenic day trip that barely touches the gas gauge? We’ve got an easy one. You leave West Union on State Route 41 around 9 in the morning, you let the Trax do its thing on those rolling two-lane curves, and by early afternoon you’re standing on a ridge above Ohio Brush Creek staring at a 1,348-foot prehistoric earthwork that most Ohioans have never seen in person. The whole round trip is under 70 miles. You’ll barely touch the gas gauge.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax is the right tool for this outing, and we’ll be straight about why. The Trax isn’t a truck, it isn’t trying to be, and you don’t need one here. What you need is good fuel economy, enough cargo room for a cooler and hiking shoes, and a cabin that doesn’t make a 40-minute drive feel like a chore. The Trax handles all three. Front-wheel drive is the only setup here, and that’s the honest tradeoff. If this run ever turns into a muddy back-road detour, you’re committing to pavement. For Serpent Mound and the SR-41 corridor, that isn’t an issue at all.

What’s the Route?

The route is about as simple as a day trip gets, with one thing to plan around. You run SR-41 north out of West Union, turn west onto SR-73 at Locust Grove, and pull into the Serpent Mound lot four miles later, but fuel stops thin out once you leave town. So plan the fuel side before the fun side.

SR-41 has been running through Adams County since it was called Zane’s Trace, and it still earns its reputation. Smooth pavement, gentle grades, farms rolling off both sides.

The Stops, Step by Step

Stop 1: The Drive Up SR-41

The drive itself is part of the plan. SR-41 through Adams County in late August has real character. Tall corn, the Appalachian foothills going green to gold, and just enough curve in the road to keep you awake. The Trax’s 1.2-liter turbo engine is right at home here. The EPA rates it at 32 MPG on the highway, and on these lightly trafficked two-lanes you’ll track close to that number. Chevrolet lists the fuel tank at 13.2 gallons, which puts theoretical highway range well past 400 miles. For a 70-mile round trip, you’re spending almost nothing on gas.

Our team will pass along one practical note about this stretch. SR-41 north of West Union thins out on fuel stops once you get rolling, so fill up before you leave.

Stop 2: Fort Hill State Memorial

Fort Hill sits about 20 minutes up SR-41, and it’s one of the most underrated spots in southern Ohio. The site is a Hopewell-culture ceremonial spot perched on a 500-foot hill, still ringed by nearly a mile and a half of ancient earthen walls. The trail to the top is genuine hiking, not a stroll. Uneven ground, roots, a real climb. Budget 45 minutes to an hour if you want to walk the perimeter. The ridge views over the surrounding hills are worth the effort in late summer, and the site stays quiet in a way that bigger parks rarely manage. Parking is free, which is a nice bonus.

Stop 3: Great Serpent Mound

Bigger crew vehicles can handle this parking lot, but the Trax fits it just fine. The address is 3850 OH-73, Peebles, reached by heading west on SR-73 from Locust Grove for four miles. The site is managed by the Ohio History Connection, and what you find there is genuinely hard to absorb at first. An earthwork shaped like an uncoiling serpent, stretching 1,348 feet along a plateau above Ohio Brush Creek. The site holds the largest serpent effigy mound in the world. A paved 0.6-mile path follows its contours, and an observation tower puts you high enough to see the whole form at once.

The on-site museum is small but worth your time. The Ohio History Connection also runs guided archaeology tours with a staff archaeologist on the second and fourth Fridays of each month, starting at 1:30 p.m. at the visitor center with no reservation required. Handy if your trip lands on Friday.

A small day-use parking fee per vehicle applies at the gate. The site closes to new visitors at 4 p.m., and all visitors must be out by 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Tweak It to Your Crew

Not every crew wants the same day, and this route has real flex built in. You can trim it down for little kids or scale it up for a bigger group, and the two anchors (Serpent Mound and the SR-41 drive) stay the same either way.

If you’re traveling with young kids, Fort Hill’s trail involves genuine elevation and uneven footing. Skip it, go straight to Serpent Mound, and use the time on the paved effigy path instead. The paved path is manageable for most ages.

If you’re bringing more people, or if you want to turn this into a full weekend with more gear, the Traverse handles a bigger crew and a fuller load without asking you to sacrifice comfort on SR-41’s curves. And if you’ve been thinking about getting into a new Chevy before fall, our team at Barry’s has financing options worth a conversation.

Schedule a Pre-Trip Service Check

Before you head north on SR-41, it’s worth a quick check on tires, fluids, and AC. August heat on southern Ohio two-lanes is real. Our service team works right here on State Route 41 in West Union. Swing by and we’ll get you road-ready.

By the Barry’s Chevrolet Team | August 2026