At the end of October, I spent a long weekend in Hocking Hills. Hocking Hills State Park is located in southern Ohio and contains several attractions; it has a little of something for everyone. For those who enjoy the outdoors, there are a few walking trails in the area to see waterfalls, woodland, and caves. There are plenty of places to enjoy a good meal and to shop. Although my guide is not complete, it explains what I got up to. I was in this area to attend my cousin's wedding (Elizabeth's and Brian's Wedding in Picturesque Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)), but I had some days to explore. I did not get to Athens, my university town, but it is about a fourty-five minute drive from where we were staying in the middle of Hocking Hills, and I recommend a visit.
First up, there are a lot of places to shop in Logan, Ohio (the largest town nearest to Hocking Hills). I found a really nice bakery in Logan called "Hocking Hills Bakery" at the corner of Main Street and Mulberry, and the iced sugar cookies were the star of the show. There are a few gift shops, food shops, and antique stores in Logan at "Hocking Mall Shopping Center off of 664. Further down State Route 33 just outside of Rockbridge (roughly ten minutes from Logan) is Appalachia Art and Craft Market. It's not well-posted and easy to miss on the main road and also be careful when exiting across the double lanes of fast-moving traffic. (America doesn't do road access very safely.) The Appalachian Art and Craft Market has a little bit of everything, including antique malls, gift shops, furniture stores, crafts, ice cream parlour, and a small market. Hocking Hills itself has a couple of convenient shops, and one of these had many different flavours of soft-serve ice cream on offer. I had the pistachio.
Visitors to the area are spoiled for choice, and we actually were recommended a couple of top places to eat by my cousin and her husband. Pizza Crossing was one of those, and it is located in the center of Logan, Ohio, on Mulberry Street. It is a walk across the road to the good bakery I mentioned above. Pizza Crossing had excellent pizzas and sides. It really is excellent pizza.
Another excellent place for food is Millstone BBQ (Lunch at Millstone BBQ & A Visit to Cantwell Cliffs Trail in Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)).
For those who want a taste of the outdoors, there are a number of trails that can be walked in the area. There are also extreme sports and a lot of other options and attractions, but this post just covers what I got up to over my time in the area.
First up is Ash Cave. It is a large recess cave with a waterfall. If staying on the lower trail through the gorge, this is level without any hill climbs so it is perfect for people who are mobility-challenged or with small children/babies. It's also only a short walk away at roughly seven minutes to walk to the cave. A Walk to Ash Cave in Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)
The largest waterfall at Hocking Hills is Cedar Falls, which can also be accessed closely to parking or visitors can walk a longer trail to visit it. Visiting Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)
The other place to visit is the most famous attraction in Hocking Hills, and that is Old Man's Cave. This is another recess cave that was a trading post, and an old man lived in the cave in the late 1700s to operate the trading post. The series of trails covers other attractions, including stunning waterfalls and a waterfall that falls into a deep pool of water known as "Devil's Bath Tub". A Walk to Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)
For those who enjoy wine and have a rainy day, Hocking Hills Winery is located in Logan and offers visitors the chance to sample eight different wines (red, white, and wine slushies). Food can be ordered in to enjoy at the winery, and cheese and cold meats are also on offer to pair with the wine. Wine Tasting at Hocking Hills Winery (Ohio, USA)
If you are thinking about staying in Hocking Hills, I recommend Cedar Grove Loding (A Long Weekend at Cedar Grove Lodging in Hocking Hills (Ohio, USA)), who have a selection of cabins to suit your needs and can take different sizes of groups.
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