Introducing guest blogger Andria from a Wanderful Plan
In the small town of Logan, OH you’ll escape to a world of adventure and natural beauty with rolling hills, caves, waterfalls, and so much more.
Being a native to the Hocking Hills for over 20 years with my husband and children, we have enjoyed its beauty and serenity right in our backyard. Discover all that this small town has to offer and how to plan a fun-filled family adventure here!
This post is part of our Explore My City series – come and visit cities around the world through the eyes of local parents
Where to play in Hocking Hills
You are never short of something fun and exciting to do in the Hocking Hills! Hike the trails, visit the waterfalls, and explore the caves, all for free!
There is something for all ages to enjoy! Youngsters will enjoy the petting zoo, miniature golf, splash pad and playing at the lake.
If you want a more challenging adventure like ziplining, rock climbing, rappelling, canoeing, or kayaking there is plenty of that too for your more adventures kids and adults.
Explore the Caves!
- Ash Cave – Easy/Moderate trail – Free
- Easy – The Gorge trail is 1/4 of a mile, ending at a massive cave with beautiful waterfall. The trail is wheelchair accessible and takes about 30 minutes to walk in and back out of the gorge.
- Moderate – The Rim trail is 1/2 mile and takes about an hour to complete. The hike up to the top of the rim is more strenuous than the gorge trail but once you get to the top it flattens out significantly. This trail also puts you right on top of the Ash Cave waterfall!
- Conkels Hollow Nature Preserve – Easy/Difficult trail – Free
- Easy -The Gorge trail is 1 mile, ending at a quaint waterfall. The trail is mostly flat and an easy walk in and back out of the gorge. Difficult – The Rim trail is 2 1/2 miles and takes about 1 1/2 hours to complete. This is more strenuous with many hazardous cliffs. Not recommended for families with small children or who are not avid hikers.
- Old Man’s Cave – Moderate trail – Free
- The most popular destination in the Hocking Hills! This 1-mile hike declines down into the cave, loops through the gorge and takes you back up to the rim of the cave. At the beginning of the tour there’s an incredible waterfall a creek running throughout the gorge. You’ll experience immense formations on the cliff faces. This is the cave with it all!
- Cedar Falls – Moderate trail – Free
- Another popular destination in the Hocking Hills! The Cedar Falls Trail is a 1/2-mile hike, ending at a beautiful waterfall. This will take you about 30 minutes to complete. There is a significant stairway to get down into the gorge. After viewing the waterfall, another set of stairs takes you back up to the top, looping you back around to the parking area.
- Rock House – Moderate trail – Free
- This ½-mile trail takes about 1/2 an hour to complete and can be strenuous at some points.
- Cantwell Cliffs – Difficult trail – Free
- This 1-mile trail takes 1 1/2 hours to complete. This is more strenuous with many hazardous cliffs, not recommended for families with small children or who are not avid hikers.
- Whispering Cave – Difficult trail – Free
- The newest cave addition to the Hocking Hills!This 1 ½-mile hike begins going down a significant stairway into the gorge. The rugged trail takes you through various unique rock formations, cliffs and an overlook. Remember that long stairway to get down, you must go back up it at the end! This is more strenuous and not recommended for families with small children or who are not avid hikers.
- The Ultimate 6-mile hike! – Difficult trail – Free
- This 6-mile route takes you through four great locations; Old Man’s Cave, Rose Lake, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. The hike does not loop back to the originating point. Local tip, park one vehicle at Ash Cave and another at Old Man’s cave so you do not have to double back! This is a family friendly hike, our kids have done this with us many times, as young as 5 years old. If your kids are not avid hikers, this may be a difficult hike for them. This may take 3-5 hours to complete.
Hiking Tips with Kids
- My personal favorites are Ash Cave, Conkels Hollow, Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls. If you have just a day or weekend here, these are well worth your time, easy to moderate enough for the entire family!
- Use trail maps and stay on the trails! Check the distance and amount of time for your hikes. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for trail directions, many of the locals are eager to help visitors.
- Take advantage of restrooms before and after hikes.
- Know your family’s limitations, especially if you have youngsters. Start with some of the short hikes like Ash Cave or Conkle’s Hollow, then try one of the more moderate parks.
- Pack plenty of water and snacks for on the go. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. If you are hiking the more moderate or difficult trails, do not wear flip flops. You’ll want to wear athletic or hiking footwear for better traction and comfort.
- Most of all, enjoy nature! Don’t rush through the caves, take time to really experience and appreciate it!
You can see the Globetrotters complete guide to hiking with young kids here
More adventures in Hocking Hills outside of the Caves
- Rempel’s Grove – All Ages – $
- Ice cream parlor, miniature golf, and petting zoo
- Fox’s High Rock Farm – All Ages – $
- Visit this quaint little farm located on State Route 664 on your way out to the caves!
- Canoeing/Kayaking – All Ages – $$
- Canoe or kayak down the Hocking River! They’ll provide you with a life jacket and paddles with your rental. They will also shuttle you to the drop off point and help you get into the river. Be sure to book in advance online!
- Lake Logan Marina – All Ages – $$
- Pontoon boat, paddleboards, kayak, canoe, paddleboat rentals. Spend a day on the lake exploring! Be sure to book in advance online!
- Fun Center – Ages 2+ – $$
- Miniature golf, Go-Kart, arcade and splash pad
- Ziplining – Ages 5+ – $$$
- Hocking Hills Canopy Tours offers a variety of ziplining tours for both kids and adults. Experience soaring through the trees in this thrilling adventure! Be sure to book in advance online!
- Rappelling/Rock Climbing – Ages 6+ – $$$
- Challenge your family with an exciting rock climbing and rappelling adventure! Be sure to book in advance online!
- R Adventure Park – Ages 12+ – $$$
- The world’s largest rope course, across 5 towers with 64 challenge elements. Paintball park, ATV, UTV, mud buggy and even Slingshot rentals! Be sure to book in advance online!
Where to stay in Hocking Hills
There are many lodging options to choose from in the Hocking Hills; cabins, cottages, lodges, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and camping. Below are some helpful resources to get you started in your search to find the perfect and affordable place to stay!
- For a complete list of area accommodations, visit Stay at Hocking Hills
- Home to Go features Air BNB, Home Away, VRBO and many others. There are nearly 400 rental options to choose from. This is a great option to search across multiple resources.
- If you’re planning a trip within the next few months, check out Hocking Bargains for some last-minute deals in the area!
Where to eat in Hocking Hills
Like most small towns, you won’t find a lot of chain restaurants like you do in most cities. There are some of the more well-known fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, etc. We even have a Starbucks! That’s about where the national food chains end. What you will find and should experience is local fare that you can’t find anywhere else! For an affordable option and fun experience, pack a picnic for the family. Bring charcoal and food to cook on one of the grills at the state parks or the lake.
Breakfast
- Penny’s Pastries – Delicious fresh baked donuts in downtown Logan, OH
- The Hocking Hills Diner – A breakfast favorite for locals
Lunch/Dinner
- Pizza Crossing – Voted the best pizzeria in Ohio by USA Today! You don’t want to miss this delicious experience!
- Millstone BBQ – Smoked BBQ restaurant
- The Olde Dutch Restaurant – A family friendly Amish-style restaurant
- Utopia – Brick oven pizza for a truly Italian style pizza experience
Treats!
- Hocking Hills Frozen Yogurt – Grab a bowl, get in line to concoct your very own perfect frozen treat!
- Old Man’s Cave General Store – The best soft serve ice cream you’ve ever had! There are over 40 different flavors to choose from and they are beyond flavorful. My husband and I will often take a motorcycle ride out to the general store just to get some yummy ice cream. Each time trying a new flavor until we’ve tried them all and then we start again each summer.
- Treehouse Treats & Treasures – Various flavors of Homemade brand scooped ice cream in a bowl, cone or waffle cone!
Sample Itinerary – My perfect day in Hocking Hills
Morning
- Start your day with a delicious fresh-baked donut from Pennie’s Pastries in downtown Logan, OH.
- Head to Hocking Hills Canoe Livery for your scheduled Canoe adventure. After a fun time, canoeing or kayaking down the Hocking River, head over for your scheduled ziplining tour at Hocking Hills Ziplining and Canopy Tours!
- Pack a picnic lunch, stop at Lake Logan to enjoy by the lake.
- On your way out to the caves, stop at Fox’s High Rock Farm to feed the animals at the petting zoo.
Afternoon
- Spend the afternoon exploring the natural caves of the Hocking Hills! Old man’s cave or Cedar Falls are among the most popular destination for families. Ash Cave and Conkle’s Hollow Nature Persevere are short, relatively flat hikes. It’s well shaded, nice and cool on a hot summer’s day. Both trails are wonderfully serene and end at a beautiful waterfall.
- On your way out of the caves, stop at Old Man’s Cave General Store on State Route 664 for some yummy flavored soft serve ice cream.
- Head back to downtown Logan for some miniature golf at Adventure Golf in Remple’s Grove.
- Finish your day with a delicious pizza from the local favorite, Pizza Crossing!
Start planning your adventurous family day in the Hocking Hills!!!
About the Blogger
Hi! I’m Andria. A planning enthusiast who loves affordable travel! I am the creator of A Wanderful Plan blog, sharing my travels, and how to plan them. My blog is all about how you can plan a vacation packed with as much adventure as much as possible in an affordable way.
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With thanks to Andria for her contribution to our guest series. You may also like Columbus Ohio with Kids, the best things to do in Dayton, or head to Baltimore for more family adventures in the USA.
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