Here’s everything you need to know for an awesome hiking experience at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio! How strenuous are the hikes? Are the trails child-friendly? Should you bring your dog? What sights will you see there?
Is it worth a visit? YES, it is definitely worth a visit!
Hocking Hills State Park has been on my destination wish list for several years now, and this last spring, our family finally made it out there. It was completely worth the wait!
There were waterfalls. So many waterfalls! There were caves. There were interesting rock formations and beautiful bridges. There was even a large natural land bridge to walk over!
In short, it was an amazing experience for our entire family.
In this guide, we provide you with all the information you need for your own amazing experience at Hocking Hills State Park.
Hocking Hills State Park
Located in Southeast Ohio, the Hocking Hills region has been considered scenic attractions since the late 1800s. In the early 1920s, Ohio began purchasing land in this region in order to preserve its natural scenic features.
READ MORE: Hocking Hills State Park History
Today, this Ohio state park consists of six separate park areas including two nature preserves. Each area features distinctive scenery from tall cliffs and waterfalls (so many waterfalls) to caves and rock formations.
Additionally, every trail within Hocking Hills State Park is its own special adventure. With varying levels of difficulties, you are bound to find a trail that interests you and fits your specific skill level.
Despite having some difficult trails, the park is surprisingly family-friendly. (Several of the trails are dog-friendly, too.) My husband and I with our children (ages 7 and 9) spent two days hiking there in Spring 2019. We completed seven trails and hiked nearly four miles each day.
And, OUR CHILDREN DID NOT COMPLAIN ONCE.
Despite the steep and tiring trails at times, no one complained. That’s because every single trail is an exciting adventure. You never know what will be around the next corner of the trail – waterfalls, towering cliffs, streams to pick your way across, caves, or some other equally exciting nature feature.
Steep trails? Exhausted muscles? It didn’t matter. Everyone was having too much fun to complain.
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Below, you will find everything you need to know for your own amazing Hocking Hills Hiking experience.
Table of Contents
There is a lot of information in this post. Feel free to use these links to quickly jump between sections as needed.
- Hiking Tips and Helpful Information
- Hocking Hills Hiking Itinerary and Trail Details
- Hiking with Dogs at Hocking Hills
- Where to Stay Overnight
- Other Things to See and Do
Don’t forget to pin this post for future reference.
Hocking Hills Hiking Trail Tips
Before you head for the hills (Hocking Hills, that is!), here are some helpful tips.
Bring your picnic basket – The Hocking Hills region is pretty rural. While there are places to eat in the area, you will not find a restaurant on every single corner. We found it easiest to just bring picnic lunches with us.
Don’t forget the snacks and water – It’s important to stay hydrated and energized. (Plus, nothing motivates my children like the promise of a yummy treat reward.) Bring a few easy-to-carry snacks and a couple water bottles along with you on your hikes.
Wear good waterproof footwear – One thing that I had not anticipated was how wet the trails would be. But where there are natural water features, there are wet trails and mud (especially when we had to ford streams at Cantwell Cliffs). I plan to purchase a pair of these waterproof Merrell shoes
Dress in layers – Hocking Hills can be chilly and wet in the shady gorges and caves… even on the sunniest of days. I recommend that you wear easy-to-remove layers. For most seasons (Spring, Fall and Winter), you should probably bring gloves and a hat with you, too.
Know your limits – Know your own physical limits, your child’s limits and your pet’s limits. Many of these hikes are strenuous, and there are no benches along the trails. Plan your hiking itinerary accordingly.
Bring your walking sticks – If you have them, bring your hiking poles to assist you on your hikes. We have purchased (and love) these adjustable hiking poles
Bring a backpack – Bring a sturdy, lightweight backpack with you. You will want to load it up with water bottles and a couple of snacks. Plus, it comes in handy as the day warms up and you want to take off your jackets. We use a daypack similar to this
Pack a flashlight – One thing that we did not bring but wish we had was a flashlight for Rock House cave. Despite the many cave openings, it was surprisingly dark (and wet) in there. In the darkness, my son stepped in a puddle and had to suffer through the remainder of that hike with wet socks and shoes.
Think before your bring your dog along – Before bringing the pup along, take a good close look at which trails you will be hiking. Keep in mind that dogs are not allowed in the two nature preserves. Some of the trails are strenuous and feature steep inclines, narrow uneven stairways, hazardous cliffs, etc. Additionally, the most popular trails can become quite crowded. Keep your dog’s disposition, inclinations and physical limitations in mind when selecting a hiking trail.
REMINDER: Don’t forget to read the section below about hiking Hocking Hills with your dog.
Bring maps along with you – Most of the trails are marked very clearly. However, we found it handy to carry maps with us. We were surprised how often we referred back to our paper maps (or pulled out our maps in order to help other hikers we encountered along the trail). We printed maps from this website for most trails ahead of time. We also stopped in to the welcome center in Logan to pick up hard copies of maps we were unable to find online.
Pack some hand sanitizer – I had brought along some hand sanitizer in our hiking daypack, and I was so glad we had it. While there are latrines at most of the trail heads, there was no running water. Thus, when you have to go, you need to use a “pit toilet” and can’t wash your hands afterwards. Hiking with two children, my small containers of hand sanitizer
Two-Day Hocking Hills Hiking Itinerary
We spent two days hiking in Hocking Hills State Park. We brought our two youngest children (ages 7 and 9) with us for these hiking adventures. In general, our children tolerate up to 4 miles of hiking per day pretty easily, especially if the distance is broken into smaller hikes throughout the day.
On day 1, we hiked at Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave, and Conkles Hollow. With a few hiking detours, our family hiked a little over 3.5 miles that day.
On day 2, we hiked at Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. Again, we hiked about 3.5 that day.
Old Man’s Cave
Trailhead/Parking Location: 21725 OH-374 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
Trail(s) Hiked: Grandma Gatewood (Buckeye) Trail, Broken Rock Falls Trail, and Gorge Exit Trail
Distance Hiked: 1.5 miles
Dogs Allowed? Yes
Old Man’s Cave is one of the most popular areas of the park. You can see a lot of interesting sights in 2 miles or less. Plus, most of the trails are pretty easy hiking (with the exception of the short-yet-difficult detour trail leading to Broken Rock Falls). While hiking around Old Man’s Cave, you will see the recess cave, Devil’s Bathtub, upper and lower falls, and interesting rock formations. Additionally, you will hike over beautiful bridges and through tunnels.
READ MORE: Highlights of Hiking Old Man’s Cave
READ MORE: The Hike to Broken Rock Falls
Cedar Falls
Trailhead/Parking Location: Just off OH-374 near Logan, OH (We used the small parking lot located between OH-664 and Chapel Ridge Road)
Trail(s) Hiked: Cedar Falls Trail
Distance Hiked: Less than .5 miles
Dogs Allowed? Yes
Cedar Falls is the most abundant waterfall in the area. This seasonal waterfall is located on a short but rugged trail. We chose to just hike partway in order to admire the waterfall before turning back. The portion of the trail that we hiked had a lot of stairs. It is a moderate hike.
Ash Cave
Trailhead/Parking Location: On OH-56 (Just west of OH-374) near Logan, OH
Trail(s) Hiked: Ash Cave Gorge Trail and part of the Ash Cave Rim Trail
Distance Hiked: .5 miles
Dogs Allowed? Yes
Ash Cave is the largest recess cave east of the Mississippi River and features a waterfall that you can walk behind. We hiked along the wheelchair accessible gorge trail to explore this massive cave and see its waterfall. To return to our vehicle in the parking lot, we followed the rim trail along the east side of the gorge. The hike was easy to moderate.
Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve
Trailhead/Parking Location: 24858 Big Pine Rd, Rockbridge, OH 43149
Trail(s) Hiked: Conkles Hollow Gorge Trail
Distance Hiked: 1.25 miles
Dogs Allowed? No
In this state nature preserve, we walked along a paved/boardwalk trail in the gorge between massive 200 foot tall cliffs. The entire area was beautifully draped with green ferns, and you could see slump rock and an interesting recessed area called the Grotto. However, the real fun of this trail begins where the sidewalk ends. The trail beyond that point is unexpectedly rugged and lots of fun. Plus, there are waterfalls at the very end of the gorge. The last portion of the hike is moderate to difficult (and completely worth it).
Cantwell Cliffs
Trailhead/Parking Location: On OH-374 north of OH-180 near Rockbridge, OH
Trail(s) Hiked: Cantwell Gorge Trail
Distance Hiked: 1.25 miles
Dogs Allowed? Yes
What an unexpected adventure this trail turned out to be! We knew we would enjoy squeezing through the narrow passage called Fat Woman’s Squeeze at the beginning of the trail. We didn’t know just how much fun the rest of the trail would be. There are several stream crossings and no bridges to help you across. My children thought this was great fun! (Reminder: Wear some sturdy waterproof footwear on this trail!) There are a lot of narrow, uneven stairs leading down into the gorge but, after those stairs, the trail is easy to moderate (besides fording the shallow stream multiple times anyways). And, the surrounding steep cliffs are quite impressive to look at from the trail.
Rock House
Location: 16526 OH-374, Laurelville, OH
Trail(s) Hiked: Rock House Rim Trail
Distance Hiked: .5 miles
Dogs Allowed? Yes
One of the most popular areas of the park, Rock House is the only true cave in the Hocking Hills region. Over the years, this cave has housed Native Americans, settlers and thieves. You can still see recesses in the back wall and floor that had been used for collecting water and cooking. The cave is quite dark inside. Bring a flashlight or headlamp
While the hike to Rock House cave is not a long one, it is quite steep in places. It was cold and muddy when we hiked this trail, and the mud on the steep inclines almost caused us to slip downhill a few times. Additionally, the cave is located partway up a cliff and has several uneven stone stairs to climb in order to access it. I would classify this trail as moderate to difficult.
Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
Location: 11470 Dalton Road, Rockbridge, Ohio 43149
Trail(s) Hiked: Natural Bridge Trail
Distance Hiked: 1.75 miles
Dogs Allowed? No
This land bridge is located at Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. This natural arch is the longest of Ohio’s 12 natural land bridges. At a thickness of three feet and a length of 95 feet, it is impressive to see. It is even more thrilling to walk across it. (Hold on tight to your little ones! The land bridge is only 6 feet wide in some spots, and there are no guard rails.)
This trail starts off as a flat and easy .4-mile walk through farmland along an easement. Once you get past the farmland, the trail winds up and down steep hills. This is the only trail with benches along the path, and we made good use of every single bench along the way. The difficult hike was worth it though. The bridge is a spectacular sight!
The Hiking Trails We Skipped
We didn’t have the time (or the energy) to hike this last trail in Hocking Hills. However, if you have the time and energy, these trails sound like an awesome adventure!
Hemlock Bridge and Whispering Cave Trail
What an exciting adventure these trails would be. The Hemlock Bridge/Whispering Cave area features a 105 foot waterfall, the second largest recess cave in the area, a swinging bridge and beautiful scenery. After reading about these adventurous trails and seeing pictures, I wish we had found the time and energy for the Hemlock Bridge and Whispering Cave trails.
Hemlock Bridge Trail is a 1-mile moderate hiking trail. Whispering Cave Trail is a .5-mile easy hiking trail and was newly opened to visitors in 2017.
READ MORE: Whispering Cave and Hemlock Trail – Gleason Family Adventures
Buckeye Trail
The Buckeye Trail is a 1,400-mile long-distance trail that meanders around Ohio. The North Country Trail (NCT) merges with the Buckeye Trail for over 800 miles within Ohio, including a segment running through Hocking Hills State Park.
READ ABOUT MY PREVIOUS NCT HIKING EXPERIENCE: The Long Hike: Family Bonding on the North Country Trail
Hiking enthusiasts will be excited to hike the six miles of the Buckeye Trail through Hocking Hills State Park. The most well-known portion of the Buckeye/NCT trail within the park is the Grandma Gatewood Trail in the Old Man’s Cave area.
Hocking Hills Rim Trails
You may have noticed that we often chose to hike the gorge trails instead of the rim trails throughout Hocking Hills State Park. This was intentional. The gorge trails were often shorter, less difficult and less hazardous.
Also, the Rim Trails sometimes went over the land formations/attractions that we wanted to see. (For instance, the Rock House Rim Trail goes OVER the cave and the Gorge Trail takes you IN to the cave.)
And, finally, we were hiking with children and those “Caution – Hazardous Cliffs” warnings on the trail maps scared us a little.
Every trail we hiked at Hocking Hills was its own unique adventure, and I am sure that these rim trails would have been as well. If you have the time and energy, I am certain they would be worth hiking.
Hiking With Dogs at Hocking Hills
As mentioned before, it is important to know your pup’s physical limitations beforehand and plan accordingly.
Here are things to consider before bringing your dog along:
What trails do you plan to hike? Are dogs allowed on these trails? How strenuous are these trails? Can your dog handle each hike’s level of difficulty?
REMINDER: Dogs are not allowed at any of the State Nature Preserves. Thus, no dogs allowed on the Natural Rock Bridge trail or any of the Conkles Hollow trails.
In general, Ash Cave and Old Man’s Cave are great places to hike with dogs. Cedar Falls would probably be okay.
Rock House had some streep inclines and a very narrow stone stairwell. I would think twice before bringing a dog on this particular trail.
Cantwell Cliffs has a lot of narrow, uneven stairs at the start of the trails. Additionally, we had to ford streams in several places which could leave you with a wet, smelly dog. At the very least, you will leave this area with a dirty dog and muddy paws. Additionally, we brushed by A LOT of thorns along the Cantwell Cliff trails. These are all things you may want to keep in mind before bringing Fido to Cantwell Cliffs.
If you decide to bring the pup along, don’t forget to bring water and treats with you. It’s important to keep the family pet hydrated and energized. A collapsible water bowl
Where to Stay in Hocking Hills
There are several fun lodging accommodations near Hocking Hills. Here are a few options that I found while researching the area.
Sleep in a caboose! Located near Ash Cave, this renovated caboose can sleep up to five people and is surprisingly spacious.
READ MORE: All Aboard the Hocking Hills Caboose – Yoder Toter Blog
Sleep in a luxurious treehouse! You can briefly indulge your childhood fantasies of living in a treehouse – complete with a master bedroom loft, a hidden bunk room, a firepit and even a hot tub.
READ MORE: Hocking Hills Treehouse Cabins – Gleason Family Adventure
Sleep in a tipi! At Boulders Edge Cabin and Tipi Retreat is located right across from the Rockbridge Trailhead, and it looked like a really nice place. Plus, I think sleeping in a tipi would be such a fun experience for the family!
Bring your tent, camper or RV! There are several campsites (and cabin rentals) located in the Old Man’s Cave area of Hocking Hills State Park.
LEARN MORE: Campsites and Cabins at Hocking Hills State Park
Check in at a local hotel! Ultimately, our family stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in nearby Logan because, like most children, my kids think hotel pools are a very important part of any family vacation experience. Although our children said that the pool water was a little cold, we were happy with our stay there.
Other Things to Do in the Hocking Hills Region
Need a break from hiking? There are several other things to see and do in the Hocking Hills region. Here are just a few that we discovered during our visit.
- Play some miniature golf.
- Try a ziplining canopy tour.
- Canoe or kayak along the Hocking River.
- Enjoy some ice cream.
- Check out roadside attractions like the Pencil Sharpener Museum and Flight of the Hawk Park.
READ MORE: Ohio Roadside Attractions
Check out this Hocking Hills Scavenger Hunt from Travel Inspired Living for even more ideas of things to do/see in the area!
When Will You Go On Your Hocking Hills Adventure?
Which Hocking Hills trail(s) interest you the most?
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I’ve been seriously loving all your photos from this place and now I want to go 🙂
Your pictures are gorgeous! I’d love to go hiking there. The tips are helpful, too. I’d love to check this out if I’m ever nearby!
I love the photo of the steps going up to the gap between the rocks! Very cool! I love state parks!
Isn’t that part of the hiking trail fun??? All of the hiking trails at Hocking Hills State Park had cool features like that! Such a fun adventure!
I have spent a lot of time in Hocking Hills State Park. It was closed earlier this year because of Covid-19. The trails were too narrow in most places for social distancing when passing other hikers. They have reopened the park and most trails, some are one way so you have to pay attention to trail signs. We hike the the Whispering Cave trail last summer, it was a fairly easy trail. As with any trail in the area you have to go down into the gorge and that means you have to climb out. If you ever go back and have time hike the trail from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls.
That’s interesting to hear about the added precautions in place for the pandemic. Thanks for sharing that info! We definitely plan to hike the Whispering Cave trail on our next visit.
I’m interested in going to Hocking Hills this year. The pictures are great. I want to camp there Does anyone have suggestions as to where to stay and what campsite is nice. Thanks
Our family doesn’t camp but I know a lot of people who have had great experiences camping in the Old Man’s Cave area.