20 Things To Do In Hocking Hill Ohio

1. Traverse The Hocking Hills State Park

Spanning across 2,356 acres of land with 17 acres of water, Hocking Hills State Park is the ultimate place for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. This park is filled with some of the most scenic and interesting sights you can find anywhere in Ohio. The state park was also listed in the top 50 best places to travel in 2023 by Forbes Advisor.

The park is surrounded by vast patches of forest and is full of one-of-a-kind scenery like waterfalls, caves, huge swaths of forests, and crazy rock formations, guaranteeing an amazing time for visitors. Furthermore, the park also features several fun activities for visitors to indulge in, such as rock climbing, fishing, ziplining, trail hiking, and much more.

2. Explore The Old Man's Cave

Even though named Old Man's Cave, this cave formation, located in a gorge made by the Old Man’s River, is a scenic site for people of all ages and is one of the most popular sites in the city. Visitors get to this cave by hiking a small trail that opens up to a waterfall, which opens up to a small pond.

The gorge that the cave is in runs half a mile long and is very deep, making the scenes here very unique. The cave is also a historic site, as it gets its name from Richard Rowe, who lived in the cave during the 1800s with his family and two dogs and whose resting place is said to be inside the cave.

3. Be Amazed At The Ash Cave

Keeping the theme of caves going, the Ash Cave is the largest recess cave in the state of Ohio, stretching 1,500 feet across and at a depth of 90 feet. The cave itself is not a regular cave but rather a huge recess on the side of a gorge. The horseshoe-shaped cave is massive and houses trees like beech, hemlock, and other hardwoods inside it.

The floor of the interior of the cave is also mostly covered with wildflowers all through the seasons, making it an incredible site for visitors. The cave is also topped by a waterfall that plunges to a small pool on the cave floor and is one of the most photographed places in the state park.

Visitors to the cave are allowed to set up a picnic on the cave floor, right next to the pool.

4. Walk The Cedar Falls Hiking Trail

The Cedar Falls Hiking Trail is a half-mile hike filled with waterfalls, bridges, steps, scenic sites, and unique rock formations. This is a moderate hike for visitors and is considered one of the harder activities in Hocking Hills. The Cedar Falls waterfall that the trail opens up to is seasonal, but the trail itself is open for visits year-round.

Additionally, visitors are encouraged to hike from Cedar Falls to other connecting trails for a more engaging hiking experience. The trail is about 40 minutes from start to finish and features flushable toilets and a parking lot. This trail involves steep steps and even steeper terrain and is not recommended to anyone with illnesses or back problems.

5. Go Horseback Riding

If you want to add a little adventure to your trip while in this region, horseback riding surrounded by nature may just be your best bet. There are numerous stables and ranches here that offer guided horseback rides with scenic backdrops such as Spotted Horse Rance, Rose Moon Ranch, Ellinger’s Farm, and many more.

Most ranches here offer tours through the trail and shower houses and restrooms after the ride is over to make visitors’ experiences more noteworthy. These ranches also offer space for tents, trailers, and campers, and indoor horse-riding sessions for when the trails are inaccessible, giving visitors more things to do at Hocking Hills Ohio.

6. Enjoy At Lake Hope

You may think that you won’t find stuffs to do in Hocking Hills when you go there with your family. But, Lake Hope is the perfect place to spend some time with the whole family, whether it be camping, swimming, or just chilling. The lake sits in a 120-acre basin popular for boating, swimming, fishing, and everything water-related.

Visitors here can enjoy a warm day sunbathing or dive into the lake with the kids in order to escape the sun. The lake is also a favorite of the locals when it comes to picnicking, fishing, and birdwatching, as it is surrounded by lush green forests on all sides and home to many species of fish as well.

7. Enjoy At The Fun Barn

Yet another place for the whole family to enjoy is the Fun Barn, located right across from the York Twp Fire Department. This place offers entertainment and excitement for everyone in the family and is one of the most recommended indoor activities in the area. The Fun Barn houses a mini bowling alley, many arcade games, incredible prizes, and a movie theatre to keep visitors busy.

Adding to that, this place also serves amazing food at reasonable prices, ranging from pizza to burgers to popcorn to satiate your hunger. There is plenty of parking space, and the staff are friendly and wonderful, to say the least. This really is a hidden gem of a place between all the things to do in Hocking Hills Ohio.

8. Experience The Pencil Sharpener Museum

A very random but unique thing to do in the Hocking Hills area is visit the Paul A. Pencil Sharpener Museum, which is free and a very interesting find between all the nature and immensity of the region. The museum houses 3,479 unique pencil sharpeners and is considered one of the largest collections of such pencil sharpeners in the whole of the country, boasting to not contain a single duplicate.

The history of this place is even more interesting. The pencil sharpeners here are from the personal collection of Rev. Paul Johnson, who started collecting such stuff in 1989 as a hobby after retirement. Visitors are sure to have a good time looking through his absurd and detailed collection of the most unique pencil sharpeners to date.

9. Fish At Lake Logan

Going from indoors to outdoors, Lake Logan is an amazingly scenic, peaceful, and interesting place to go during your visit. This lake is used by locals and visitors alike for various activities like kayaking, swimming, and fishing. Lake Logan is a hotspot for fishing enthusiasts as well, as it features fish like bass, bluegill, catfish, and many more.

Furthermore, this lake is also a day park that accommodates picnics, parties, and celebrations. The surrounding forest is filled with oak and hickory trees where several different animals take shelter, like racoons, opossums, squirrels, owls, and many more, adding to the beauty and ambience of the lake.

10. Learn Something At Jack Pine Studio

Jack Pine Studio, located in the heart of Hocking Hills, showcases the magic of hand-blown glass art, which visitors can buy in their studio. They also offer visitors a chance to blow their own piece of glass art with classes taught by expert artists. The whole process of making glass as well as hand-blowing it into different shapes is an engaging activity and one of the more relaxing stuff to do in Hocking Hills.

In addition, this place is one of the most recommended by people who have been here in the past. Visitors can even buy various unique hand-blown glass art pieces inside the studio to have as a keepsake or as souvenirs to remind them of the amazing time they had at this unique and charming establishment.

11. Travel Back In Time At Journey To Bethlehem

Another absurd thing that you will find in this region of Ohio is a display portraying the village of Bethlehem during the time of Jesus’ birth. Visitors can indulge in the story of the bible by viewing this display of mini-figurines and mini-buildings from that period of time. This site is very strange, yet very interesting and entertaining for the kids.

The Journey to Bethlehem tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and is a unique and engaging piece of art that visitors can view in a corner of Main Street. The art piece also features other animal figurines along with the ones from Bethlehem, such as tigers, dogs, cows, camels, and many more. This is sure to make your day if you were to visit.

12. Hike The Various Nature Preserves

This region of Ohio is filled to the brim with nature preserves that allow visitors to hike up marked trails, look at scenic views, and ascend high cliffs for their entertainment. Some of the more popular nature preserves in the area include Conkle’s Hollow, Rockbridge State, and Bartley Preserve, which house amazing flora and fauna native to the area that are available for visitors to explore.

Furthermore, these areas are also available for visitors for various activities such as camping, hiking, and rock climbing in order for them to get a true sense of Hocking Hills, Ohio, and its surrounding areas. They have very strict rules in order to keep visitors and the floura and fauna in the area safe. 

13. Sip Wine At The Winery

Not to leave the wine enthusiasts out, the Hocking Hill Winery offers visitors the most amazing locally made wine they have been producing for over 15 years. The winery is family-owned and operated by the Davidson family, who are committed to bringing high-quality wine handcrafted with love to anyone who visits their winery.

The winery has been bombarded with multiple awards since its inception for its unique, delicious, memorable, and extensive wine list. They also offer wine slushies for people who want to try out new things, and there is a family gathering place at the winery where visitors can enjoy their wine along with some music, family, and friends.

14. Try The Locally Made Moonshine

Staying in the same series of things, Hocking Hills Moonshine is another place to visit for people who appreciate really good moonshine. They offer beverages with signature tastes as well as hard-hitting moonshine that will knock your socks off. They also offer tours of the distillery and showcase the art of moonshine-making.

Moreover, this distillery is also family-owned and operated by the two St. Clair brothers, who started producing moonshine in the fall of 2015. They have many different products of all flavors and for all occasions for visitors to enjoy and compliment, such as Raspberry, Peach Tea, Blackberry, Granny Apple, and the 151-proof Buckeye Thunder.

15. Pet Animals At Fox's High Rock Farm

From liquor now to animals, one of the most fun things to do Hocking Hills Ohio, is visit the Fox’s High Rock Farm, especially with kids, in order to look at, feed, and, most importantly, pet the various farm animals that inhabit this amazing place, such as goats, pigs, alpacas, etc.

This petting zoo-slash-animal sanctuary takes about an hour to fully take in as it only stands on an acre of land, and they even sell mystery bags filled with unique rocks for you to find and collect and, preferably, take home as a reminder of the time spent with animals here.

16. Cycle At Adena Bikeway

An absolutely must-do activity to do while in the area is get your leg workout at the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway with a bicycle or on foot. Visitors can rent a bike just about anywhere on the bikeway and pedal around, watching the natural scenes and backgrounds of this amazing wonder of a region while feeling the fresh air on their ride.

The 22-mile bikeway is named to honor the native inhabitants of the region who called the Hocking River the Hockhocking, which means “twisted” or "bottleneck”. This bikeway serves as a really good juxtaposition to the treacherous inclines and cliffs that surround this region, as the trail is nice and flat for cyclists to venture on to.

17. Shop At The Market

In a nice change of pace, the flea market in the area is well known here for being the premier shopping destination and is open from dusk to 5, Friday through Sunday. This local flea market offers an insane amount to its visitors, as the shops and stores that are propped up here sell everything from boots to metal art to gifts and much more.

Additionally, this flea market also houses coffee shops and eateries where they sell food made from locally produced ingredients and crops. They also have an Amish furniture shop for anyone who is in the market for colorful indoor furniture made from oak, hickory, or similar locally grown wood.

18. Learn Rock Climbing And Rappelling

Since the region is littered with the steepest and craziest of rock formations, engaging in rock climbing and rappelling is a no-brainer. This region houses various organizations that aid and support visitors with their rock climbing wants, allowing them to rent and buy rock climbing equipment as well as guide them in ascending the rock formation of their choosing.

Furthermore, the area features countless rock formations and inclines that seem perfect for rock climbing for beginners as well as experts who are looking for a challenge or just a leisurely climb during their time vacationing in the area. Plus, the views that one can achieve from the top of the steepest cliffs are worth the effort.

19. Take a Crack At Ziplining

From one adventure sport to another, since this area is famous for its inclines, peaks, and rock formations, ziplining is also a very viable choice for visitors who want to get a good aerial view of the lakes, forests, and canopies. There are several companies that provide visitors with ziplining and canopying options all over the area.

What’s more, they even provide such services to kids 5 and older, for whom they have their famous Dragon Fly, which is a specifically designed zipline adventure for kids. Visitors can also zipline through caves around the Hocking Hills area and view the caves from a totally different perspective, even during the evenings.

20. Watch A Show At Stuart's Opera House

Beyond all the nature, adventure sports, petting zoos, and beverage tasting, this region is also home to the historic Stuart’s Opera House, which has been open to the public since 1879 until 1924, showcasing classic vaudeville and melodrama to visitors. Standing in its current form since 1997, this opera house hosts over 75 events each year and welcomes thousands of people through its doors.

Currently, the opera house hosts open mic nights, music festivals, jam nights, and auditions every week and is almost always experienced by hundreds of people every night. This will really be one of the more luxurious experiences visitors can take in while in the region.