Hocking Hills State Park - Attractions

Attractions

The area is very popular with tourists, and collectively is known as the Hocking Hills Region. It features many private inns, campgrounds, cabins, restaurants, and other related businesses, including a recently-developed zipline. Other attractions include:

• Nature Preserves and State Parks: Nearby are also other attractions of the Hocking Hills, including Hocking State Forest, Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Lake Logan State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. The deep gorges and high cliffs result from the erosion-resistant Blackhand Sandstone, which extends well to the northeast of the Hocking Hills. Other open-space areas have been established within the range of the Blackhand, including Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve.
• Lakes: Lake Logan in Hocking Hills State Park covers 400 acres, 320 acres of which is dry land, and is two miles long. The lake was built in 1955 for recreational purposes and offers visitors hiking, boating, picnicking and swimming.
• Boating: Canoeing, kayaking and rafting are all allowed on various places in the state park.
• Rock Climbing and Rappelling: Ninety-nine acres of forest land have been set aside for rock climbing and rappelling in Hocking State Forest.
• Swimming: Lake Logan and Rose Lake offer swimming and beaches for visitors. There is also a swimming pool open to the public outside of the Hocking Hills State Park lodge.
• Hunting and fishing: Hunting and fishing are permited as regulated by the Division of Wildlife. With permits, visitors are allowed to hunt during hunting season. Fishing is permitted in Lake Logan, which can include a variety of fish such as bluegill, crappie, bass, saugeye and catfish.
• Bird Watching: Hocking Valley Birding Trail identifies opportunities for bird watchers to enjoy the avian life in Hocking Hills.
• Archery: The Hocking Hills State Park offers a free archery range.
• Air Tours: Hocking Hills Scenic Air Tours offers airplane rides with views of the State Park.
• Horseback Riding: Hocking Hills State Park provides horseback riding trails that share space with both hiking trails and hunting areas.
• Weddings: Some individuals have chosen to use the State Park as their outdoor wedding ceremony location.
• Canopy Tours: Nearby the State Park is Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, an outdoor zipline tour that offers three different rides: a SuperZip, Nightflight and traditional canopy tour. The Hocking Hills region was recently named the Canopy Tour Capital of the Midwest.

Flora

Several rare plants are known from this area, including plants that are outside their normal range. Canadian yew, bigleaf magnolia, and many others are here.

Trails

There are numerous hiking trails, including several safe for pets, located throughout the national park. Some trails in Hocking Hills State Park include:

• Old Man’s Cave: 1 mile
• Ash Cave Gorge: ¼ mile, wheelchair accessible
• Ash Cave Rim: ½ mile
• Cedar Falls: ½ mile
• Rock House: 1 mile
• Cantwell Cliffs: 1 mile
• Conkle’s Hollow: 1 mile
• Conkle’s Hollow Rim: 2½ miles
• Buckeye Trail: Cedar Falls – Ash Cave: 3 miles, Old Man’s Cave – Cedar Falls: 3 miles

Hocking Hills State Park in Popular Culture

Many of the locations in Hocking Hills State Park, such as Old Man's Cave, provided inspiration for location names in Jeff Smith's Bone series.