Located in Southeast Ohio, Hocking Hills State Park is one of the state’s most scenic parks, with rolling hills, hiking, forests, waterfalls, and wildlife. The park is situated in Hocking County, southeast of Columbus, on State Route 664, which is close to State Route 33 and State Route 56, near the city of Logan, Ohio.

Attractions:

This park is full of scenery, with rolling terrain, sandstone formations, waterfalls, gorges, caves, and other natural sites. Hiking trails number around ten, and this is how most visitors choose to explore the park. The trails range in length from about one- quarter mile to more than three miles. Ash Cave, Old Man’s Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, and Rock House are all caves that hikers can explore, carved into sandstone cliffs.

There are several waterfalls, and one that hikers often flock to first is Cedar Falls, cascading about 50 feet over a cliff of black sandstone. Other falls in the park include Upper Falls, Lower Falls, and Broken Rock Falls. One of the waterfalls near Ash Cave has a drop of about 90 feet, making it, I believe, the highest waterfall in the park. None of the falls is very big, but they offer a picturesque setting and they are all fairly easy to hike to for viewing.

Forests surround the park, and the trees provide refuge for the various wildlife. It’s common to see wild turkeys, rabbits, possum, and other small creatures. It’s also common to see white- tailed deer, the state animal.

Picnic shelters can be found at each of the main attractions (Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Rock House, and Cantwell Cliffs) and they include tables, grills, and drinking water. No matter where you are in the park, picnic tables are a relatively short distance away.

Fishing is permitted with a state license, but it’s not one of the primary reasons for visiting a park like this one. There are a total of only 17 acres of water in this state park, so fishing is not a high- ranking activity.

Camping/Lodging:

There is one large campground in the park, with 172 individual sites. The majority of these include electrical hookup, although there a few with no electricity. They operate on a first come, first served basis (no reservations). This campsite includes more than just a place to pitch a tent or park a recreational vehicle. It also has restrooms with showers, a playground, and a swimming pool.

There are some small cabins that can be rented, too, but these require a reservation because there are so few of them (only 3). They are very basic, offering just a simple wooden structure with some cots and bunks to sleep in, a picnic table, propane stove, and electric hookup.

If camping isn’t your style, you can choose to rent a cottage. These are like a small vacation home, with two bedrooms, furnace, central air, fireplace, full kitchen, and most all the amenities you would find at home. There are about 40 of these cottages, and they do require a reservation.

Fees:

There is no direct fee to enter the park, but you will have to pay a fee if you use the campsites or if you rent a cabin or cottage. The fee for a campsite is between $14 and $20 per night, depending on whether or not you get electrical hookup. Cabins will cost you $33 per night, and cottages will set you back around $100 per night.

Final Thoughts:

Hocking Hills State Park is one of Ohio’s better state parks. It offers some nice natural scenery, which is something you don’t find very often in a state like Ohio. Most of the state’s attractions are of the man- made variety (like amusement parks, historic sites, etc.). Hocking Hills offers a change from the usual activities that are popular here in the Buckeye State.

One of the many nice things about this park is that it doesn’t center around water activities. There’s nothing wrong with boating swimming, and fishing, but in a state like Ohio, it gets a little monotonous after a while. Most State Parks in Ohio consist of some wooded area and a small, man- made lake with boating, swimming, and fishing being the primary activities. While the majority of them are nice, there is nothing that stands out as unique or memorable. Hocking Hills, on the other hand, centers more on hiking, hills, caves, and gorges. These are things you don’t see very much in Ohio. Part of the reason for this is that the southeastern region of Ohio is one of the few areas in the state that isn’t flat. This area was not touched by glacial activity, so it contains more rugged terrain and more overall scenery than the rest of the state.

Another thing I like about this park is the fact that while it’s a natural setting with camping, it’s not very out of the way and it includes many amenities for those who don’t really like the idea of “roughing it” and living off the land. Take for instance the camping area. It includes lots of electrical hookups, restrooms with showers, and even its own swimming pool. There are shops, stores, and hotel lodging nearby and you can even rent a cottage that has all the makings of a small house. This is nice for someone like myself who isn’t too keen on the idea of spending the night on the ground in a sleeping bag.

The hiking in the park is mostly easy, but there are some places that require a little bit of climbing, ducking, and squeezing through small spaces (like Old Man’s Cave). This is especially true if you hike into one of the caves. Many of them are low to the ground and you can only hike to a point where the cliffs become too low to continue. Of all the areas I have seen in the park, I like Ash Cave the best. The hike here is very short- only about one- quarter mile. This is the largest recess cave in the state of Ohio and it offers some nice photo opportunities with the waterfall and the rocky cliffs. Hiking is also popular during the winter season (you would never find me doing this!) when cold- weather lovers flock to the snow covered trails. It’s much more hazardous at this time of year, so you need to be more careful. Some of the trails lead hikers close to the edge of steep cliffs. With snow and ice all around, one false move could result in a fatal plunge. Winter hikers need to keep a safe distance between themselves and the rim of the cliffs.

The park covers 2,348 acres, which is just a little less than 4 square miles. It’s not a huge park, by any means. But it’s a nice little piece of nature here in the state of Ohio, a state known more for its cities and amusement parks than for its natural scenery. It’s a place worth visiting, if you’re in the southeast region of Ohio.




Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: September-November
Recommended for: Familes
Review Topic: Overview