Okay, so most people think Ohio – and think there’s nothing there except maybe Cedar Point, and it’s just awful to drive through. We once thought that too, well we still think it’s awful to drive through, but there’s more than just Cedar Point. In comes, Hocking Hills Ohio! Truly Ohio’s hidden gem. Visiting Hocking Hills, is great for those who love hiking. With winding streets, the drive anywhere is amazing. Fun facts, these roads have been used for auto testing due to all the twists, turns, and hills. And after driving through, we can see why!
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This place in Ohio, is seriously a whole other world. Incredible hiking! We primarily went for hiking, and we also camped- because of this we do recommend going in semi warm to warmer months, as you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors. We went in August and thought it was perfect. This trip was also planned for the weekend before Labor Day and found that to be a really good time as it was easy to find campsites. Hiking trails also weren’t as busy as you would expect a long weekend, such as Labor Day, to be. Here’s some cool hikes we thoroughly enjoyed, and good news, they are all dog friendly!
Hiking
Old Mans Cave
This was the first hiking trail of our trip. This hike is roughly 1 to 1.5 miles long, depending on which way you take. There’s even more routes you can take from here that will extend your trip even longer. A lot of the hiking trails in Hocking Hills eventually connect, so it really depends how long you want to go for, and how much time you have.
Given the terrain of Old Mans Cave, we would say this is a moderate to difficult hike depending on your physical well being. It can be steep, there are steps, and also cliff edges. It is an absolutely beautiful hike though, with amazing rock formations and waterfalls. This hike is primarily a one way trail, and is dog friendly. However, given the terrain, and depending on your dog, there may be some points of the hike you may have to skip. Our dog did fairly well for most of the hike. We did have to avoid some parts. She is an explorer.
Cantwell Cliffs Hiking Trail
This hiking trail may be a little further out than others, however, it was amazing. It feels like you’re in a whole different world while hiking. The trail is about 2 miles. It is a one way, which we found we love more than anything. It creates a less stuffy hike, and it’s still easy to pass when needed. We would say this is a moderately difficult hike; there are lots of steps. This hike is also dog friendly! Dogs must be on a leash – we love having our dog on a leash that clips around our waist, giving her the freedom to move about as she pleases. I’ve linked the exact one we use, and love, here. It’s also partially pictured above. There’s also plenty of places to step to the side in the case you do need to avoid other dogs, which is sometimes our case. So we found it very easy to hike this trail with our dog – and she loved the trail just as much as us!
Ash Cave
This hike was a quick one. It is about a half mile, one way hike. Though short, the hike was impressive. It was probably our favorite.
This hike is wheelchair accessible to a point – the best point of the trail in our opinion. And of course, dog friendly! The best point being the huge recess cave. When you see it you can’t help but be wowed. It comes up fairly quickly, but it’s definitely a surprise. There’s also a waterfall located within this cave. It is seasonal, and when we were there it was only a trickle. Still amazing nonetheless. The trail continues up some steps and around until you return back to the parking lot.
Overall an easy hike. Most definitely our favorite, a great site, and a must see on your next trip to Hocking Hills!
Camping
Hocking Hills has tons of camp sites available. Though we’ve only gone once, so we can’t compare any side by side for you; here’s a quick review of the one we stayed at!
When booking our Hocking Hills trip, we landed on Top O’ The Caves. This campground was located in a perfect spot to get to all the hiking spots, and the staff there was super pleasant and helpful. We do recommend booking a site in the rustic area. I was hesitant at first because I do like having our care parked on our camp site typically, however, I ended up loving the secludedness of it all. It was also fairly close to the restrooms and showers. And again, there weren’t many campers the weekend we went, so I do think that helped.
This campground also had a pool, game room, showers, and bathroom. Plenty of extra things to do if you have any kids. It also offered a section for RV campers, as well as a few cabins that were available. Check out our post with some of our favorite camping accessories here.
Hocking Hills Downtown
Aside from camping and hiking, Hocking Hills does have a little downtown area. To be honest though, it’s not a whole lot. The restaurant we stopped at was 58 West. It’s a restaurant, winery, brewery, and distillery. And it’s dog friendly! The atmosphere was nice, and the outdoor space was spacious. Because we were camping, and we love making campfire meals, we opted to just grab a quick beer after a day of hiking and skip a meal from there. Check out our go to camping meals. We maybe could have explored the shops and things a little more, but honestly we just weren’t impressed.
Overall we give hiking and camping in Hocking Hills a 10/10. Their downtown area was lacking. Pictures truly don’t do it justice. You’ll have to see this amazing hidden gem yourself!