Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills State Park is the scenic crown jewel of Ohio, a spectacular landscape of deep sandstone gorges, towering cliffs, recess caves, waterfalls and cool, hemlock-shaded hollows in the rugged hill country of southeastern Ohio. Among the most visited and beloved natural areas in the state, the park gathers a remarkable collection of geological wonders carved over millions of years into the Blackhand sandstone.

Its famous features — Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs — each offer their own dramatic scenery, from plunging waterfalls and shadowed gorges to immense recess caves and cliff-top vistas. Cool, moist and green, the gorges shelter eastern hemlock, Canada yew and other relict plants more typical of northern forests. With its miles of trails, its rock wonders and its forested beauty, Hocking Hills is a premier hiking and nature destination that draws visitors from across the Midwest and beyond.

Hocking Hills State Park offers some of the finest hiking in Ohio, with trails winding through gorges and past waterfalls, recess caves and cliffs at Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs, linked in part by the Buckeye Trail and the Grandma Gatewood Trail. Beyond hiking, the area offers rock climbing and rappelling (in a designated area), camping, cabins, a lodge, ziplining nearby, photography and nature study. The park’s rock wonders and forested gorges make it a premier outdoor destination.

Each season has its draw — spring brings full waterfalls and wildflowers, summer cool, green shade in the hemlock gorges, and fall spectacular color that makes Hocking Hills one of Ohio’s premier autumn destinations. Winter transforms the falls and cliffs into dramatic ice formations, a favorite of photographers. The waterfalls run fullest after rain and snowmelt; the park is busiest on fall weekends, so arrive early. Spring, fall and the frozen falls of winter are all highlights of this scenic landscape.

The gorges and caves of Hocking Hills have drawn people for thousands of years — Native American peoples used the recess caves for shelter, and the area takes its name from the Hocking River, from a Native word for the river’s bottleneck shape. Recess caves like Ash Cave served as gathering places. Ohio began protecting the area as state parks and forest in the early 20th century, and Hocking Hills State Park grew into one of Ohio’s most treasured and visited natural areas, preserving its rock wonders and forests.

Hocking Hills is carved into Blackhand sandstone, a thick, erosion-resistant rock laid down some 350 million years ago as a coastal deposit. Over millions of years, streams cut deep gorges into the sandstone, and the rock’s varying hardness produced the park’s signature features: recess caves where softer middle layers eroded away beneath harder caprock, plunging waterfalls, narrow gorges and cliffs. The cross-bedded, honeycombed sandstone, sculpted by water and weathering, gives Hocking Hills its dramatic and distinctive scenery.

The forested gorges and uplands of Hocking Hills host white-tailed deer, wild turkey, foxes, and a rich community of birds, with the cool, moist hemlock gorges sheltering salamanders and amphibians and the cliffs offering habitat for nesting birds. The shaded hollows support species more typical of northern forests. The varied terrain of gorge, cliff and forest makes the park a fine place for wildlife watching and birding, while the streams support aquatic life in this scenic corner of southeast Ohio.

Hocking Hills shelters a remarkable ecosystem in its cool, moist gorges, where eastern hemlock, Canada yew and other relict plants survive as living remnants of the colder Ice Age climate, isolated in the shaded hollows far south of their usual range. The recess caves, the waterfalls, the gorges and the surrounding forest support diverse plant and animal life, including rare species. The cool microclimate of the deep gorges makes Hocking Hills an ecologically distinctive and significant landscape in Ohio.

Hocking Hills holds a cherished place in Ohio’s identity as the state’s most beloved natural area, a scenic wonderland that has drawn visitors, artists and nature lovers for generations. From the Native American use of its recess caves to its modern fame as a premier hiking and getaway destination, the gorges and rock wonders of Hocking Hills are a source of pride and renewal for the region, celebrated in every season for their dramatic beauty.

Hocking Hills State Park is in southeastern Ohio near Logan, in Hocking County, reached via State Routes 664, 374 and 56, about an hour southeast of Columbus. The park is free to enter, with separate parking and trailheads at Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs, plus a visitor center, lodge, cabins and campground. Popular areas fill quickly on nice weekends. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for trail conditions, parking and access before visiting.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources protects the gorges, cliffs, recess caves, waterfalls and forests of Hocking Hills State Park, managing the heavily visited landscape to balance recreation with preservation of its fragile features and relict plant communities. Visitors help by staying on designated trails (off-trail travel damages the fragile sandstone and rare plants), keeping back from cliff edges, packing out everything, and respecting the rock formations and hemlock gorges. Protecting the sandstone wonders and the cool gorge ecosystems sustains this treasured landscape.

Hocking Hills’ gorges and cliffs have steep, dangerous drop-offs and slippery rock, wet roots and stairs — stay on designated trails, keep well back from cliff edges, watch footing, and supervise children closely, as falls from the cliffs have caused serious injuries and deaths. Trails can be slick when wet, icy in winter, and crowded on weekends. Wear sturdy footwear, carry water, and do not climb on the rock formations outside the designated climbing area. Respect the rugged terrain.

The park is free to enter; stay on designated trails and keep off the fragile rock formations and back from cliff edges. Rock climbing and rappelling are allowed only in the designated area. Camp only in the campground; cabins and the lodge require reservations. Pets must be leashed. Drones are generally prohibited in Ohio state parks. Collecting plants, rocks or artifacts is prohibited. Pack out all trash. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for current rules and conditions before visiting.

The town of Logan and the broader Hocking Hills region surround the park, with its own famous features — Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs — spread across the area, along with the Hocking State Forest, ziplining and canopy tours, and the Hocking River. Columbus is about an hour northwest, making Hocking Hills an easy and spectacular nature getaway and the centerpiece of an outdoor weekend in southeastern Ohio.

Plan to visit several of the park’s separate areas — Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow are the most famous — and arrive early, especially on fall weekends when the park is busiest. Wear sturdy, grippy footwear for the wet, rocky trails and stairs, stay on the trails and back from cliff edges, and visit after rain for full waterfalls, in fall for color, or in winter for dramatic ice. Use the lodge, cabins or campground as a base.