Come on a walk with us as we discuss the 5 things you’ll hate when you visit Hocking Hills State Park. We look forward to sharing you views of Hocking Hills as you learn more. Let’s Get Started as we show you Cantwell Cliffs. To watch the video version of this post click here
What Is It Like Hiking With Dogs in Hocking Hills State Park?
First on our list is dogs. Allowed everywhere in Hocking Hills State Park dogs will be on the trails and are only as good as their trainers. You’ll come across dog poop on the trails that should have been picked up by their owner and disposed properly. Dogs are also required to be on a six-foot leash. While we were there all dogs were leashed but some weren’t necessarily under the control of their owners. You could see the dog was in control as it welcomed every other person to pet and give them attention. Other dogs will be aggressive. But Hocking Hills requires only friendly dogs in their park. The trails are narrow in many spots, so it is also hard for you to get around dogs and their owners.
If you would like to hike without dogs Conkle's Hollow Nature Preserve does not allow dogs and you can learn more about the gorge trail and rim trail hike here: We’ll get back to dogs a little later but
Why are you interested in visiting Hocking Hills? Post a comment to let us know.
Where Are The Best Photographic Spots In Hocking Hills?
Selfies is number two and believe me there are a lot of photo ops as you will see here on the trail to Old Man’s Cave. When it is busy everyone will want their photo taken. You won’t have any opportunity to enjoy the sights without people in your view and in your photo. Plan on seeing tripods, selfie sticks, and groups of people taking photos at Upper Falls, Devil’s Bathtub, Old Man’s Cave, and Lower Falls. These pictures of Old Man's Cave are from about 8am on a weekday morning. We had the place to ourselves. By the time we got back to the parking lot a little after 10am the lot had filled up.
We’re almost halfway through. But stay until the end as the last one is the best
Can You Drive Through Hocking Hills State Park?
There is something you need to know about Hocking Hills. The park is broken out into about six main areas. In order to see all of hocking hills you need to drive and find parking spots. But the drive is beautiful. In fact, Ohio designated the Hocking Hills scenic byway to highlight the drive and earned the distinction of being one of America’s Byways. The byway includes highway 374, 664 and 56. But, when Hocking Hills is busy, traffic doesn’t flow well on the two lane roads that connect the park. We found this out late morning at Ash Cave. When we arrived traffic was having a hard time moving in and out of the main parking lot across the bridge. The parking lot was only ⅓ full. Gridlock occurs on the weekends when the park is full of vacationers.
But if you get on the trail you may come to hate hiking Hocking Hills. But first every hiking needs a dad joke.
What do you call a dog in the library? A hush puppy.
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How Easy Is It to Hike Hocking Hills State Park?
The gorge trails are beautiful and the waterfalls are amazing. But the trails aren’t the best. You will quickly come to find many of the steps are uneven and not well maintained. The technical ability required to hike Hocking Hills may be more than you can handle. Rock House Trail for example, has over 200 steps in less than 1 mile of trail. The hike to Whispering Cave is difficult with rocks, roots, and sometime trees over the trail.
For those with dogs do you like it when others come up to you and pet your dog? If not you're going to hate Hocking Hills. Many people will come up to you and pet your dogs. Kids will want to pet your dogs. Many won’t ask. But you feel bad saying no to the ones that do ask. You know this destroys the training you’ve worked on to maintain obedience. What do you say to people when they want to pet your dog? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
How Busy Is Hocking Hills State Park?
Did you know Hocking Hills is one of the best State Parks in the United States? But the biggest thing you will hate when visiting Hocking Hills might have to do with its location. The park is located less than four hours from Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, and Pittsburg. The accessibility of Hocking Hills State Park to all of these major cities makes it a travel destination for many people. The Hocking Hills region is full of creative, unique, rental properties, campgrounds, hotels and weekend getaways are popular. If you go on the weekends you’re going to hate all of the other people that want to see Hocking Hills State Park, too. The trails are narrow and the parking lots can’t handle all of the people. Restaurants will be busy and stores will be packed. Weekdays are busy too. Here are 7 tips to enjoy your trip to Hocking Hills including how to avoid the crowds!
Here is some gear we used during our time in Hocking Hills
Teton Sports Hydration Pack Video Review: https://youtu.be/KEBrYwp8RQk
Amazon Link: 2021 model https://amzn.to/3SnKcGR
2022 model https://amzn.to/3vIogMZ
Camelbak Mini M.U.L.E hydration backpack Video Review for younger hikers: https://youtu.be/WbRgZr6C20g
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3Zpj91p
Merrell Moab II Men's Hiking Shoes: https://amzn.to/3Ardw8k
The First Aid Kit we carry: https://amzn.to/3Lcvu2h
Trekking Poles: https://amzn.to/3DHj54L
Tactical Flashlights: https://amzn.to/3QLY25T
Compass: https://amzn.to/3GahGU5
Do you want to learn more about the history of Hocking Hills and the 6 hikes to walk in the footsteps of the past? Read this post: Is Hocking Hills Worth Going To? (campbrood.com)