Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Clear Creek Metro Park

Clear Creek Metro Park is part of the Columbus / Franklin Metro Park system, but is located an hours drive from Columbus in the Hocking Hills region. The entrance to the park is off of route 33. You'll pass a cliff, a large slump block, and a log cabin and reach a parking area in a valley containing the Clear Creek that gave its name to the park. Numerous hiking trails are available in the combined 5,260 acre metro park and the adjacent 4,729 Clear Creek State Nature Preserve. Amenities Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Rockbridge State Nature Preserve

Rockbridge is a small but scenic nature preserve in the Hocking Hills area containing a natural stone arch. It is longest arch of about a dozen stone arches in the state. Getting to Rockbridge is relatively easy, but finding it the first time... not so much. A small brown "Rockbridge State Nature Preserve" sign on US Rt 33 directs you to a nondescript exit on to Dalton Rd. The road parallels 33 for a short ways and turns to the north. After about 3/4 mile there's a small parking lot Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Hocking Hills State Park: Ash Cave

Ash Cave is another popular attraction in Hocking Hills State Park.  It is accessible by car on SR 56, a short drive from Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls. Ash Cave is Ohio's largest recess cavern.  It is at the end of a roughly U-shaped valley surrounded by cliff walls.  High above the recess cave a waterfall spills into a stream that traverses the valley floor. There is a small parking area at the entrance to the short trail that leads to Ash Cave.  Additional parking is just Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Conkle’s Hollow: The Rim Trail

Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve is a scenic narrow gorge located in Hocking Hills State Park. Two trails are available to hikers. The upper trail is the Conkle's Hollow Rim Trail. This is a spectacular loop trail that follows along the rim of the cliff walls affording a view of the valley and the cliff on the other side. A word of caution: this trail is moderately strenuous and not at all suitable for small children. Enjoy the view, but stay away from the cliff edges! The overall hike is about Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Hocking Hills State Park: Rose Lake

Rose Lake is in the Hocking Hills State Park. The lake's also known as the Hocking Hills Reservoir. When hiking between Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls, Rose Lake marks the halfway point. The annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike follows this very path every January, so depending on the weather it will be frozen or partly frozen then. An earthen dam is responsible for this 17 acre man-made lake which has concrete spillway on one edge. Fishing is permitted with a valid Ohio fishing license. Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Hocking Hills State Park: Rock House

Rock House is one of the smaller parks of the Hocking Hills State Parks, but it contains ... yes, you guessed it ... a rock house.  The Rock House is a real cave inside a cliff of Blackhand sandstone.  It consists of one large (long) rectangular room with a couple of entrances and several "windows".  One of the windows overlooks a cliff with a seasonal waterfall. The actual trail is a relatively short loop trail, but the Rock House and cliff it's embedded in is well worth Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Hocking Hills State Park: Cantwell Cliffs

Cantwell Cliffs is located in the Hocking Hills State Park off of SR 374. Amenities include a parking lot, somewhat primitive rest facilities and two picnic shelter areas. From the parking lot a trail leads down a series of earthen steps to a cliff edge. To the left steps descend through a narrow staircase carved into the rock. To the right a trail continues along the cliff rim. Choose either direction as the trail is a large scenic loop. To the right, the trail follows the Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southeastern Ohio

Hocking Hills State Park: Old Man’s Cave

Hocking Hills State Park is the most popular park in Ohio, and Old Man's Cave is the most popular location in the park. Old Man's Cave is not a cave in the traditional sense of an underground limestone cavern. Instead it is a deep gorge with a large, overhanging lip made of erosion-resistant, blackhand sandstone. The stream that runs through the gorge is marked by a series of waterfalls and rapids. This region is known as "Old Man's Cave" because one side of the gorge has a recess cave where an "old Read more ➜