If you don’t have much time, you can still see a lot of Hocking Hills State Park in under 48 hours.
I’ve visited the area several times as a short getaway. I’m sharing more about how we’ve packed outdoor adventures into a small amount of time.
I hope this itinerary is a useful guide to help you with yours.
What I like about Hocking Hills is that you can complete several short hikes in a day to see formations that look vastly different.
This is great for younger kids or if you want to see and do more in less time. Many trails connect to each other if you prefer to get more miles in at once.
Arrive in the Morning and Start at the Hocking Hill Regional Welcome Center
13178 OH-664 Scenic, Logan, OH
The Welcome Center is a great place to get tips from staff on which trails are open and the best fit for your interests, time, and ability.
I highly recommend stopping here if it’s your first visit. The staff at the Welcome Center were super helpful in determining which hikes we should prioritize during our visit.
Quick Stop Inside the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum
A tiny pencil sharpener museum within a few steps of the Welcome Center will take you back to your childhood and beyond.
The museum is small but mighty. There are a LOT of sharpeners on display to look at.
Yes, you can find a museum for just about anything!
Start at Old Man’s Cave
This is a very popular one-way hiking trail that’s 1-1.5 miles.
Hike Old Man’s Cave
One of the trails starts by the information area and another trail ends near the parking lot. We didn’t take the longer hikes to Cedar Falls during our visit for time purposes.
Check out the view at Hocking Hills Dining Lodge
We wanted to see what the Lodge was like because it’s a short drive from Old Man’s Cave.
We decided not to eat there because they only offered a buffet during the time slot that we were there.
Enjoy Lunch at Milestone BBQ
12790 Grey St, Logan, OH
Milestone BBQ was recommended by several readers.
The food was great, the service was fast, and the restaurant was close to our kayaking location.
Go Kayaking With Hocking Hills Adventures
31251 Chieftain Dr, Logan, OH
We chose the 2 PM timeslot for our 2-hour trip on the river.
When choosing your kayak distance, determine whether you want to see the rock formation, and factor in the water level and the age of your party.
If the water level is low you’ll go slower and could have shallow parts that you could get temporarily stuck on.
We opted for 1 kayak with 1 adult and 1 canoe with 1 adult and 2 kids.
My boys enjoyed the kayak but wished it was a little shorter because the water levels were low that day.
See Rockbridge
If you choose the 2-hour river trip you can stop along the riverbank and take a short hike to the Rockbridge formation.
Rockbridge is a natural arch over 100 feet long and 10-20 feet wide.
Climb Ash Cave Fire Tower
Ash Cave Fire Tower was constructed in 1934 as a wildfire lookout tower.
You can climb the 80-foot Fire Tower at your own risk and only 6 people at a time are allowed on the tower at once.
If you climb to the top you’ll be rewarded with an incredible 360-view of the surrounding area.
A parking area is north of the Ash Cave Fire Tower at the corner of OH-374 and Chapel Ridge Road.
Visit Ash Cave
26400 OH-56, South Bloomingville, OH
Ash Cave is a horseshoe-shaped cave that measures 700 feet from end to end.
You’ll want pictures that show the scale of how impressive the cave really is.
Depending on the time of year, you may see a large waterfall.
In the winter ice formations hanging off the can become very large and you need to be on the lookout for icicles above that could break off onto the trail.
Check in to Hocking Hills KOA
After all of that hiking, we were ready to relax for the evening. We stayed at the Hocking Hills KOA. Hindsight, we would have ordered pizza there if we had known they had it.
Day 2 at Hocking Hills
Hike the Upper and Lower Trail at Conkle’s Hollow
Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve 24858 Big Pine Road, Rockbridge, OH
There are two hikes at Conkle’s Hollow. The Upper Trail is more physically challenging and the Lower Trail is a great option if you’re shorter on time/ want a more accessible option.
The Upper Trail is a 2-mile, one-way trail that takes you along the top of the gorge. This trail has a lot of steps, steep inclines, and 70-100-foot cliff drops.
We got to Conkle’s Hollow around 11 AM and hiked the Upper Trail 1st. The trail takes you along the rim. I would not recommend this hike for younger kids.
My boys were 9 and 13 at the time and they did well for the most part. I think seeing cliffs hundreds of feet down made them more cautious than they normally are on hiking trails.
This hiking also has steep grades so you need to be in pretty good shape.
You also need to allow time for the upper ridge. We stayed at a pretty steady pace the whole time.
We almost didn’t go to the lower ridge but changed our minds once I asked a few hikers.
I’m so glad that we went to see it. We would have missed out on a scene that reminded me of Narnia.
Hike Lower Trail Conkle’s Hollow
This trail is paved for the most part. Make sure that you go beyond the pavement for the best views.
Go Inside Rock House
This was one of my absolute favorites because of the unique formation.
Rock House is a very cool rock formation you can climb inside.
You’ll want to check out the views from several angles and vantage points.
2pm -2:15 Quick Stop at Cantwell Cliffs
Cantwell Cliffs is another hike that you need to allow a lot of time for.
A woman at the welcome center told me about an area that was a tight squeeze at the beginning of the trail.
You go down a series of steps and it’s on your left.
Go Ziplining at Hocking Hills Canopy Tours
10714 Jackson St, Rockbridge, OH
We went on the Scenic Canopy Tour. This is a great tour for beginners and kids.
The “X” tour is more extreme with faster, longer zip lines and they were concerned that my younger son wouldn’t weigh enough to help get him to the other side.
Take it to the Extreme on the Super Zip at Hocking Hills Canopy
The Super Zip allows you to fly like a bird. You can ride seated or with your arms outstretched, stomach facing down, head first.
You can reach speeds up to 55mph on this unique adrenaline rush!
Enjoy Dinner at The Olde Dutch Restaurant
12791 OH-664, Logan, OH
After all our hikes, we were excited about eating a hearty meal. You can order from the menu or off the buffet. The food was good and everyone found something they liked.
In hindsight, I wish we had known that Mondays have a special for to-go boxes. We would have cut our bill drastically if we had known that it was an option, but it was still nice to have a sit-down dining experience.
Hocking Hills is a great outdoor destination to visit. I hope these tips help you choose your own adventure.
Thanks to Hocking Hills Adventures and Hocking Hills Canopy Tours for hosting our visit.
