7 Amazing Hidden Gems To Discover In Ohio’s Hocking Hills

My deepest apologies to the good state of Ohio. Absolutely, I’ve underestimated you.

Ohio has usually been a “drive-through” nation on our street journeys from Minnesota to the East or Southern coasts, however I stand corrected. This isn’t a drive-through nation; it beckons you to return, see, keep, and luxuriate in.

Final October, my husband Dean and I spent 4 days filling up on the considerable wonders of southeastern Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park and the encircling space. We didn’t run out of issues to do or see. Listed here are a few of the hidden gems that we loved.

1. Be Awestruck At The Rock Home

The Rock Home is the one true cave within the park and is aptly named. Carved by water and time, it’s an impressive sandstone cavern some 20-30 ft large, 200 ft lengthy, and with a 25-foot-high ceiling. It has a number of entry factors, and “home windows” to the surface.

Wanting Out A Rock Home “Window”

A spot like this could’t exist and not using a story. When Native People lived there, they original “hominy holes” (small insets within the again wall) for baking ovens and constructed a fireplace to warmth the rock and put together their meals. Chiseled holes within the flooring of the cave served as holding tanks for rainwater. Later, rumor has it that the cavern was inhabited by robbers, horse thieves, bootleggers, and different unsavory characters that earned the Rock Home a brand new nickname: Robbers’ Roost.

We went early and virtually had the place to ourselves. It’s fascinating and exquisite. I may have sat there and watched the solar transfer by the cavern and appreciated the nuances of colour and form throughout. I may have watched vacationers movement out and in of it and listened to the doves cooing and flapping round on the far finish of the cave. It’s a marvel.

Professional Tip: The Rock Home is situated halfway up a 150-foot sandstone cliff. This can be a rugged hike with uneven footing and steep inclines and declines. The hike out was simply as spectacular and difficult as the best way in.

2. Get pleasure from The Lush Conkle’s Hole

This was my favourite hike. Conkle’s Hole is correct out of a film set. It’s a rugged, rocky gorge, maybe one of many deepest in Ohio. Excellent news, this one is ADA accessible for a superb a part of it, so it may be loved by all people.

From the parking zone, we had a simple stroll on the paved half-mile Gorge Path, and shortly, we had been immersed in a lush setting of ferns, hemlock, birch, and shadows of vertical cliffs rising some 200 ft. The ADA path ended at boulders that you simply stroll beneath, and the trail modified to a extra conventional mountaineering path. The path right here was extra rugged and ended at a (tiny-at-this-time-of-year) waterfall. Nonetheless stunning, although!

For the extra adventurous hiker, comply with the signal for the Rim Path and take the greater than 150 stairs as much as the highest of the cliffs to circle the gorge. This two-and-a-half-mile hike boasts the best cliffs and most excellent surroundings within the space.

3. See Mirrored Reflections At Rose Lake

Rose Lake Reflections, Hocking Hills State Park

Rose Lake can also be referred to as Fisherman’s Lake, however formally, it’s the Hocking Hills Reservoir. You will get there by driving by the campground, parking in a central lot, and strolling down an incline or you’ll be able to hike in on the Outdated Man’s Cave mountaineering path (look ahead to indicators) on the Higher Gorge Path. The day we went was nonetheless and clouds had been superbly mirrored on the lake.

Professional Tip: If you happen to’re tenting, you may have quick access to the lake along with your allow. We weren’t tenting, so I requested on the customer middle, and for 2 {dollars}, the park ranger wrote us a go that we may use to get to the lake.

4. Take Images At The A-Body Bridge

The A-Body Bridge, Hocking Hills State Park

A putting function of this space is that this “A-frame” bridge which spans the gorge close to Outdated Man’s Cave. The footbridge beneath the bridge can also be noteworthy as a result of it options staggered, flat, rock “steps” that take you over Outdated Man’s Creek. Excellent place to take images!

5. Calm down At The Journey Ridge Cabins In Laurelville

About 20 minutes from the Hocking Hills State Park customer middle, a Journey Ridge cabin is a stupendous place to relaxation your head after an extended day of exploring. These peaceable cabins sit on three to 5 acres surrounded by Hocking Hills Forest. Our one-bedroom cabin was comfortably furnished with a full kitchen, fuel log fire, out of doors fireplace pit, and personal, lined deck with a sizzling tub and fuel grill.

I can not say sufficient good issues in regards to the cabin proprietor, who took additional measures to make our keep heat and alluring. They adopted up with nice service even after the journey.

Professional Suggestions

After I say these cabins are a hidden gem, I imply it. GPS has a tough time right here due to the typography, so we had been utilizing hard-copy instructions. Flip right here, go a sure variety of miles. Look ahead to this landmark or street, flip there. Its enchantment as a distant woodland cabin additionally makes it considerably difficult to search out. We stopped twice to ask for instructions. Nevertheless it was value it. We stopped at a bigger city on the best way to the cabin and stocked up on snacks, drinks, and meals for the time we spent there. The cabin has a full kitchen, so we had been comfortable to make meals and benefit from the privateness and fantastic thing about our wooded environment.  

6. Watch Glass Artists At The Jack Pine Studio

Spend a while on the wonderful Jack Pine Glass Blowing Studio in Laurelville and browse the showroom containing delicate glass birds, colourful landscapes, and vases of all sizes and styles. In an adjoining room, we watched a glass artist trend an beautiful glass pumpkin. He started with a white glass base and punctiliously utilized numerous layers of enamel colour, then completed with extra wealthy chips of glass, firing and shaping alongside the best way. I used to be fascinated with the best way he pulled the recent glass up and curled the stem of the pumpkin down.

As quickly as he completed one pumpkin, he began one other, explaining that he makes 50-60 pumpkins like this on daily basis! It’s essential to notice that we had been there in October. No surprise he moved so confidently between the various steps it took to create every distinctive masterpiece.

7. Hike To Cedar Falls

This hike is probably not hidden but it surely’s actually not as well-liked as Outdated Man’s Cave and Ash Cave. Cedar Falls is claimed to be the waterfall with the most important quantity of water within the Hocking Hills area. Mockingly, Cedar Falls ought to be referred to as Hemlock Falls; early settlers didn’t accurately establish the timber!

Right here, I beloved the creative manner water flowed from the highest and unfold to the complete width of the rock basin, after which condensed as a slim stream to empty right into a pool.

Professional Tip: You possibly can hike or drive to this attraction. View the falls from overlooks or hike down into the underside of the gorge and again out — once more, a rugged, incline/decline hike to rise up shut and private.

Bonus: Not Hidden, However Should-Do Hikes

Outdated Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park

These aren’t hidden gems, however they deserve a point out. Outdated Man’s Cave hike is a well-liked, one-way, one-mile loop hike inside a 150-foot sandstone gorge that features bridges over Outdated Man’s Creek, small waterfalls, a brief darkish rock tunnel, and a water and rock function referred to as the “Satan’s Bathtub” that swirls and gurgles. It has a reasonable to steep incline, uneven steps, cliff edges, and in components, a rugged path. This was the busiest hike we did.

Ash Cave

Like our beloved Conkle’s Hole, Ash Cave has an ADA-accessible, paved path. The daylight was streaming into the cave and we noticed the faintest trickle of a waterfall, suspended over the rocks and tumbling down close to the middle of the cave to type a small pool. It was dreamlike! I’m positive at different occasions of the 12 months, that waterfall is greater than a trickle.

Professional Tip: Parking at these primary points of interest is what you’d count on: congested and restricted (even when it’s massive, it appears it’s by no means sufficient). Keep away from weekends, should you can, and go early. The parking at Ash Cave is especially difficult.

Mountaineering In Hocking Hills State Park

Southeastern Ohio was an important shock to us. All this magnificence, hidden on this state? Who knew? We by no means thought-about it a “cease and stare” state, however it’s worthy of stopping and staring! I’m reminded once more that that is the nice life. Touring with Dean, laughing, and seeing new sights.

I get a lot pleasure from the fantastic thing about nature, from a easy sandwich within the automotive to a reflective lake. We loved mountaineering and exploring all of the wonders and hidden gems of Hocking Hills State Park and the encircling space. Whenever you go, I hope you do, too.