Waterfalls and gorges in the Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills State Park, OH
If you were considering Pigeon Forge, this is a different kind of trip.
- Who it suits
- Families with little kids, families with teens, couples and friends
- How long
- 3 or 4 days
- Getting there
- Drive. A drive from Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville, Nashville, Charlotte, Detroit (about 8 hours or less by car).
- Seasons
- Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Why it works
- The state park has towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep hemlock-shaded gorges, with trails of a mile or less to Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave.
- The park lists the Ash Cave Gorge trail as a quarter mile, easy and wheelchair accessible.
- A rock climbing and rappelling area is available in the neighboring Hocking State Forest.
- Canopy tours in the area run along strings of ziplines through the tree canopy, and a local livery rents canoes, kayaks and rafts on the Hocking River.
Watch out for
- Visitors must stay on marked trails, many of which run one way, and the park asks that young children be closely supervised.
- Trails are often covered in ice in winter, and the park recommends ice cleats.
Sources
- The state park has towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep hemlock-shaded gorges, with trails of a mile or less to Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- The park lists the Ash Cave Gorge trail as a quarter mile, easy and wheelchair accessible. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- A rock climbing and rappelling area is available in the neighboring Hocking State Forest. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Canopy tours in the area run along strings of ziplines through the tree canopy, and a local livery rents canoes, kayaks and rafts on the Hocking River. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-13)
- Visitors must stay on marked trails, many of which run one way, and the park asks that young children be closely supervised. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Trails are often covered in ice in winter, and the park recommends ice cleats. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- seasons: the park describes ice formations in winter, wildflowers in spring and foliage in fall source (checked 2026-11-13)