The Muskingum River is formed by the confluence of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas Rivers in Coshocton, Ohio. From there, it flows south through Zanesville where it is joined by the Licking River until it eventually drains into the Ohio River at Marietta. This mighty river travels 112 miles in all, traversing the scenic hill country.

Native Americans inhabited the continent of North America long before Europeans arrived and there is conclusive evidence of their former presence along the Muskingum River . Archelogical studies have yeilded and continue to contribute valuable knowledge about Native American Cultures that exhisted in the Eastern part of the United States, including along the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers.

The most notable aspect is the Woodland Period marked by Native American construction of massive earthen mounds and enclosures, some as early as 4500 – 4000 BC. Adena and Hopewell are names associated with these cultures. Many of the prehistoric Native American stuctures along the Muskingum River have been destroyed but several remain.