Hiking Hocking Hills
- Brian
- Dec 2, 2025
- 5 min read
From the gentle rolling hills, the winding single-lane roads, to the rocky cliffs hidden deep between luscious green trees, Hocking Hills has a bit of it all. It's an area of Ohio that will captivate you and keep giving each time you come back. If you enjoy the great outdoors and hiking, Hocking Hills—continually growing in popularity every year—should be on your list of places to visit.
Over the last 10 years that my family and I have been going to Hocking Hills, it's certainly become more crowded. Not that it wasn't to begin with. Most locals–those in Ohio and neighboring states–know about Hocking Hills and have either already visited, or have it on their list (hopefully). It's become a favorite of ours, being only two hours away from our home, and makes for a great 2 or 3 day quick escape or a longer vacation depending on your preference and availability.
Fun Landmarks & Hiking Areas
Ash Cave
This is a little lesser known than Old Man's Cave, but in my humble opinion, is more impressive. It's not technically a cave, but a massive stone recess/overhang. It is a huge bowl-shaped overhang that forms a partial cave of sorts. A small creek runs in front of it with a waterfall that supplies the creek from above. After a strong rain, the waterfall is pretty impressive, but during more dry times it can be weak. Nonetheless, this area is worth seeing. If you don't have a lot of time, the hike from the parking lot to the main "cave" is very short – less than 5 minutes. If you have more time, you can do the full hike, which in itself is only half mile long and can take 30 - 40 minutes.
Old Man's Cave
This cave is probably the most well-known and one of the most popular to see. Essentially, if you go to Hocking Hills, most people will see this at least once. It's a neat cave area where, yes, an "old man" once stayed. But the cave is really just a very small portion of a series of wonderful hiking trails. Although it's a neat sight, make sure you
Devil's Bathtub
If you're on the Upper Falls Trail, making your way toward Old Man's Cave, you won't miss the Devil's Bathtub. It's a neat phenomenon where the water flows into a circulating whirl pool that then goes into a small underground tunnel to the next larger pool below.
Make sure you don't fall in, especially after a hard rain as the current can be extremely strong! There is a small bridge that goes over part of it, giving you a great view.
Our Favorite Hiking Trails
Grandma Gatewood Trail
This trail's name is deceiving. It's not for your archetypical "grandma." It was named after Emma Gatewood, an older woman who lived in the area and is a legend in the hiking community after having hiked the entire Appalachian trail alone. It's not a beginner's trail, although it is fun, challenging, and beautiful. You can access the trail from the Old Man's Cave main parking lot and entrance.
I would not suggest bringing small children on this trail, as it is more challenging with a lot of ups and down, hiking over fallen trees, and more.
Good Local Restaurants
Hocking Hills Coffee Emporium
This great little cafe is not far from Hocking County Lake and downtown Logan. It's the perfect breakfast or pick-me-up spot after a long hike. We usually go here in the morning for coffee, pastries, and more and then head off to the trails. Just 1 warning: the parking lot is tiny and this place can get crowded. But, we've never been disappointed with anything we've ever gotten from here. They also have some really delicious desserts if you are in the mood.
Location: 13984 OH 664 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138
Old Man's Cave General Store
This small store near the entrance to Old Man's cave is a decent place to grab some ice cream after a long hike or after a nice dinner. We only come here for ice cream, as they have a lot of flavors, decent prices, and is easy to get to. The ice cream is good. The only "catch" is it can get busy at times and the wait time can be long.
Location: 18809 SR-664 S, Logan, OH 43138
Kindred Spirits
We found this is a great little restaurant that is part of the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls on our last hiking trip to Hocking Hills. The environment was cozy, the people friendly, and the food was great. Prices aren't bad either, although definitely a little steeper than other places.
The only warning: Parking is tough here. There's a lot across the street, but be ware of it because crossing the main road can be difficult. People speed past here and it's a little dangerous. There's also a small lot a little further down, but it can fill up quickly.
Location: 21190 SR-374, Logan, OH 43138
Electric Car Charging
Going anywhere that is remote (or seems remote) for those who have an electric car can be stressful. But, don't fret, there are several places where you can charge if needed.
Tesla Chargers
Here are a few (not a complete list by any means) of places you can go to charge at a Tesla station:
Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls – primarily for hotel guests
Generic Chargers
Here are a few (not a complete list by any means) of places you can go to charge:
Hocking Hills KOA – primarily for KOA guests
Sleep Inn in Logan – primarily for hotel guests
Hocking Hills Conference Center – 20020 SR-664, Logan, OH 43138
Where To Stay
There's no shortage of cabins, short-term rentals, and little inns in and around the wider Hocking Hills area. A quick search on Google and you'll have nearly endless options. After many visits to the area, here are a few of my favorites:
Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls
This is a great higher-end inn and boutique with a multitude of cabins, cottages, geodomes, and more. The unique thing here is that there's a spa on-site and a restaurant on-site as well. You could basically park and never leave if you wanted to.
Hocking Hills Inn
This is a little place with just a few suites at the Hocking Hills Coffee Emporium. If you want a nice place to stay
Meadow Rise
This is a house that you can rent in the middle of the state park. We stayed here on our last trip and it was one of the best that we've stayed at. There are 3 homes on the property. We stayed at the Meadow Rise Manor and loved it. They had great games in the basement, a movie theater, and plenty of outdoor activities. If you have kids, you can't go wrong with this property. And better yet: it was clean, well-kept, and and well maintained.
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