Hocking Hills State Park is the main attraction in the Hocking Hills region! We have enjoyed hiking most of the trails in the park. There are miles of trails within the park and they vary in difficulty and length. Some trails include ADA accessible paths. You can find a trail for all skill levels with in this Ohio State Park!
Hocking Hills State Park is open year-round including holidays! I highly recommend checking the trail maps and difficulty levels before visiting! The best place I have found for this is this website from The Hocking Hills Guide.
Hiking Trails within Hocking Hills State Park:
Here are some highlights of the trails we have personally hiked! There is only one trail we haven’t hiked within the park and that is Cantwell Cliffs. We’ve heard its the most difficult so we haven’t braved it yet! Other than that, here is a quick round-up of our experience on each of the trails!
Old Man’s Cave
- Address: 19988 OH-664 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
Old Man’s Cave is the most popular hike in Hocking Hills State Park and for good reason: the scenery is unbelievable!
Highlights on the hike at Old Man’s Cave are the beautiful waterfalls: Upper Falls and Lower Falls, Devil’s Bathtub and the Sphinx Head. Of course, you don’t want to miss Old Man’s Cave itself! This is the cave where an “Old Man” is said to have lived. It is a recess that was naturally carved into the rock in the gorge.
The hike here can take anywhere from an hour to two and a half hours if you are hiking with kids and spending a lot of time stopping at the points of interest.
Make sure to check the map before hiking so you take on the right trails! The Grandma Gatewood Trail will take you all the way to Whispering Cave if you miss your turn after the Lower Falls! You can pick up a map at the Visitor’s Center at Old Man’s Cave. You can read my blog post solely dedicated to Old Man’s Cave for lots more details about making this hike.
Whispering Cave
- Address: (from Lodge) 20020 OH-664, Logan, OH 43138
We accidentally ended up on this strenuous hike when we followed the path to Whispering Cave after having lunch at Rock House Restaurant at Hocking Hills State Park Lodge! You can also hike here from the Old Man’s Cave entrance, but it will be a much longer hike.
I had read up on the difficulty level of the other trails we had planned to hike on this particular trip but I hadn’t planned on take this one, so we didn’t know what the trail was like before entering. Some parts of it were a little bit harrowing, especially with kids!
The Whispering Cave Trail does not loop so at the end you have to turn around and go back to where the trail meets up with the Old Man’s Cave trail. The trails are one way, but to tell you the truth, since we didn’t know what we are doing, we had to back track back to the Lodge and our car!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. LOL
Ash Cave
- Address: 26400 OH-56, South Bloomingville, OH 43152
There are two parts to the trail at Ash Cave. You head back to the cave via an ADA accessible, paved trail. If you want, you can turn around and return back that way. Or you can take a set of steep steps up to the rim trail which leads you back along the top of the gorge.
The force of the waterfall here will depend on how much rain we have had recently. It was a steady stream when we visited during the month of June.
Cedar Falls
- Address: 21724 Ohio 374 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
The hike at Cedar Falls is a relatively short hike to the falls and back up out of the ravine. The path is 1/2 mile long and there are a lot of steps. The steps are a workout, but other than that, the hike is not too strenuous.
The waterfall here is seasonal and when we visited, it was just barely dripping. Even still, be prepared for beautiful scenery and natural beauty that will take your breath away! We couldn’t stop taking photos!
If you park at the main parking area, make sure to follow the signs that lead you back to the parking lot.
Rock House
- Address: 16350 OH-374, Laurelville, OH 43135
Rock House is a short but strenuous hike. There are two parking lots, one closer to the entrance of the gorge trail and the other closer to the exit. You can also take the rim trail which goes through the middle. When you enter the trail, just remember, what goes down must ultimately come back up!
The Rock House was beautiful and fun to see! There were a few short areas of the trail that were right on the edge of a cliff drop off (and the rock steps were sandy and therefore a bit slippery). I had a little bit of a panic attack at that point so I don’t foresee doing this hike again!
The path back up out of the ravine is steep and a strenuous hike if you aren’t in super great shape. Even if you are, I’m sure you will be out of breath by the end! I felt like this was one of the more strenuous hikes at Hocking Hills, but I’m sure there will be those who say it was no big deal. LOL
Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve
- Address: 24858 Big Pine Rd, Rockbridge, OH 43149
Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve is a gorgeous place to hike! There are two beautiful hiking trails within the preserve, The Gorge Trail and the Rim Trail. I’ve also seen these called the Upper Trail and the Lower Trail.
The Rim Trail is a 2 1/2 mile hike along the top of the gorge. It is a strenuous hike along the edge of the cliffs. The Gorge Trail and the Rim Trail.
The Gorge Trail is a 1/2 mile trail that is paved and is wheelchair accessible. (That also means it’s great for strollers!) This is definitely the easier of the two hikes at Conkles Hollow and it was the one we chose to do on our visit in the fall of 2023.
We returned again in 2024 to do the same hike, but with our kids this time! It’s such a great hike for kids to do!
The paved sidewalk does end towards the very end of the Gorge Trail and you can take a dirt path back to see a waterfall. This trail is two ways, so you turn around and come back out when you have gone as far as you can go.
Highlights to see on the Gorge Trail include a boardwalk, Slump Rock and two waterfalls. As you can see from my photo, it is just beautiful in the fall season and a great place to see fall colors in Ohio!
Cantwell Cliffs
As I mentioned above, this is the only trail at Hocking Hills State Park that we have not hiked! This area is remote and has both a Gorge Trail and Rim Trail that intersect near the beginning of the trail. The Cantwell Cliffs Loop is a 1.8 mile loop and is one of the most difficult trails at Hocking Hills State Park. There is a portion of the trail called Fat Woman’s Squeeze – a very narrow stair step down into the gorge. Since this trail has a reputation for being the hardest, it is also the least busy – so that’s one plus!
Hocking Hills State Park Visitor’s Center
- Address: 19988 OH-664 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
- Website
Before hiking any of the trails at Hocking Hills State Park, you might want to stop at the Hocking Hills State Park Visitor’s Center to get a lay of the land! (Not to be confused with the Hocking Hills Welcome Centers. This Visitor’s Center is focused solely on the state park.)
Inside are educational displays and information about each of the main areas of the park. There is an interactive area where kids can walk through a cave and don’t miss the 3D model of Old Man’s Cave.
Hocking Hills State Park Lodge
- Address: 20020 OH-664, Logan, OH 43138
- Website
While we have not personally stayed at the Lodge at Hocking Hills, we have visited and eaten inside at the Rock House Restaurant.
It’s definitely worth a visit here because it is so beautiful! You can sit on one of the rocking chairs on the front porch or browse for a souvenir in the gift shop!
The large windows in the lobby offer a great view! If you eat at Rock House Restaurant and the weather is just right, you may be able to snag a seat on the patio overlooking the outdoor pool! (Reservations are currently required for dinner.)
If you’re spending time in Hocking Hills, make sure to check out my list of Fun Things to do in Hocking Hills and my list of restaurants in Hocking Hills to plan your trip!