Last weekend, I booked a surprise trip for my boyfriend Patrick’s birthday. Hocking Hills State Park is a place we both have wanted to visit. I knew booking a cabin for his birthday weekend would be the perfect way to soak up the beauty of the park.

The park is full of beautiful trails, cliffs, and waterfalls. Located in Southeast Ohio, Hocking Hills State park is a special place that feels like a national park at times. Most of the trails are not difficult and several are connected making it easy to see more locations by foot. I would suggest starting the day early to beat some crowds to enjoy the scenery in a more private way.

Tips

• Wear waterproof footwear- almost all the trails we encountered had waterfalls or streams of water. It was a relief to hike through without worrying about our feet getting wet.
• Bring plenty of water and snacks- there are a lot of beautifully spots to have an impromptu picnic or lunch while hiking.
• Plan out stops- there is very little cell service within and around Hocking Hills so it’s best to plan out where to hike first if directions are needed via google maps. At the Old Man’s Cave visitor’s center, they provided maps of the popular trails which was helpful to have along while we were hiking.
• Bring layers and rain gear- it rained off and on the whole weekend we were visiting and it was so nice to have a rain jacket

Spots to see:

• Old Man’s Cave
• Rock House
• Cedar Falls
• Ash Cave

Other spots and activities:

• Hocking Hills winery– you can bring your own food and buy wine for a relaxing night after a day of hiking!
• Kayaking down the Hocking Hills River- we booked a 5 mile kayak trip to end our time in hocking hills